Manchester Music Fest

a success

by James Scogin | August 29, 2021

In Manchester the mountains truly do sing. 

This is the third year for Manchester Music Fest since it started in 2018 and was cancelled in 2020 because of the pandemic. 

The lineup this year included Trippin Roots, The Josephines, Chelsea Nolan, Rye Davis, Grayson Jenkins, Sundy Best, The Steel Woods, Bourbon Branch, Lucero, The White Buffalo and more. 

I stayed Thursday and Friday night.  

When I first arrived, I met the Craft family as I was renting their AirBnB. 

Beverly and her husband truly couldn't have been more welcoming. 

Then I got to catch up with ol' Tim Parks. That man is a living legend. Just ask George Stevens (he had the coolest shirt for the weekend).

We talked music, people, and the importance of fellowship. 

Parks loves people and just wants the best for Manchester and Eastern Kentucky. And that is what he is providing—one of the best music festivals in the state, if not, the region. 

National acts play this festival and the community gets the opportunity to enjoy it for free. 

MMF'ers (Manchester Music Festival Goers) travel from all over the country. Vivian Brown is one of them. 

I met Brown in 2019 when I was asked to make a documentary of the festival. She has traveled to many festivals and gained many friends along the way. Seeing her and the many other familiar faces again is what Manchester is all about. 

If you visit, Pat's World Famous Snack Bar is a must. Ever since my first visit to Manchester I've longed to go back, and enjoy a burger and fries. And that was just what I did. 

Alright, I'll get to the music now. 

My highlights for the first two days of Manchester Music Festival were Sundy Best, The Josephines, Rye Davis, Chelsea Nolan, and Andrew Moore.

The Josephines are always energetic and put on a great show. Chelsea Nolan is a wonderful storyteller, and if she is ever on a line up and you don't go, you will be missing out. Andrew Moore is a true wizard on the keys. And, holy cow, Rye Davis blew me away with his rich sound. 

Now, Sundy Best. I have heard of these guys for several years now, and I was looking forward to their set the most. They did not disappoint. 

Nicholas Jamerson plucked at the guitar while Kristofer Bentley kept beat on the cajón. Sunday Best is bound to put you in the place you want to be musically. I could cruise for hours to their tunes. This duo is the real deal. 

With this weekend being packed with music festivals—both big and small—across Kentucky, I am glad to have been a part of Manchester Music Fest. Thanks to the many people who put the festival together. Manchester is about community first and that is exactly how it should be.