Noppet Hill Bluegrass Festival July 27-29, 2001 Promoted and located at the Steele Farm Lanesboro, Massachusetts www.campfest.com This festival, run by Robbie Steele and his family in Lanesboro, MA, is in its 6th year and will be holding their jubilee July 27-29, 2001 this year. Set this date aside, and come to Robbie's working farm on 135 acres, where, when they are not harvesting, selling the hay and other farm-like duties, they are playing and planning for the festival. When asked what helps make this festival so special, the first thing Robbie said was, "location"; this spot is in the awe-inspiring shadow of the formidable Mount Greylock, whose majesty inspired the character of Herman Melville's legendary white whale, Moby Dick. Noppet Hill is a self-described pickin' festival and they are "as proud of the music that comes from our hayfield as we are of the performers on our stage." The quality of the playing is amazing, from the music coming from the stage to the music playing as you walk from campfire to campfire. Noppet Hill gives you a chance to interact with other musicians as well as to sit back and let yourself be entertained by those who will perform on the stage all weekend long. There are a variety of passes, for a single-or-multi day stay. See the web site for tickets, general information, directions and camping policies at www.campfest.com. There are a number of amenities for campers, including free firewood, (great for stoking a blaze to accompany the late-night pickin' sessions); solar heated showers and all sorts of food vendors to tempt your appetite. Music lovers from all over the Northeast make the journey to hear great bluegrass in our own "hill country". Bluegrass (for the uninitiated, think of it as a kind of playful freewheeling country jazz) features great traditional instruments like fiddle, banjo, mandolin, guitar and dobro, and harmonies ranging from the mournful to the joyful to the soulful. Robbie describes the audience for the festival as "a kind of melting pot", about 50% tent campers and 50% RVs,  with the audience composed of truckers, lawyers, students and bluegrass fans from all walks of life. Anyone who loves great American music will enjoy it all the more in the festival setting. In addition to the music during the day, many players engage in impromptu jam sessions, teaching, learning and just digging melodies and styles.Among this year's artists are:
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(This interactive feature was penned by Karyn Mayhew White
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