Submitted photo Seth Mulder and Midnight Run is one of the acts performing at Mitch and Cindy’s Bluegrass Jamboree, which runs Friday through Sunday at the Trumbull County Fairgrounds in Bazetta.

Mitch and Cindy’s Bluegrass Jamboree brings bluegrass, gospel and classic rock to the Trumbull County Fairgrounds this weekend.

This is the fourth year for the event, which started in 2018 and was canceled for 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it’s the second year the festival has been held on Memorial Day weekend.

“The last time we had it in July, in 2019, it was the hottest weekend on record in July,” Cindy Matheson said. “It was just miserable. And people are busy with family vacations and things by mid-July. We thought if we start off the summer with a bluegrass festival, we’d pull in families looking for fun things to do, and we wanted to honor our veterans, and that’s a perfect weekend to do it.”

Matheson and Mitch Meadors grew up going to bluegrass festivals, and Meadors plays in a bluegrass band. She said they draw on that experience to put together the entertainment lineup and pick the other amenities the festival offers.

“One act we’re really excited about for everyone to hear is the Junior Sisk Band. Their harmonies are amazing, and they’ve won male vocalist of the year at awards shows. They’re pretty impressive.

“The other band I’m really excited about is Seth Mulder and Midnight Run. They are a hard-driving bluegrass band that’s coming onto the circuit and making huge waves. They’ve become one of my favorite bands of all time, just really skilled and a crowd pleaser.”

Junior Sisk Band and Seth Mulder and Midnight Run both will perform on Saturday.

The festival starts on Friday with a lineup that includes New Outlook, Harbortown and Kevin Prater Band. The first day wraps up with bluegrass karaoke with the Clay Hess Band.

“Everybody loves the Friday night karaoke and getting up and singing with a professional band backing them,” Matheson said.

Other acts on Saturday will include South 79, Marvin & Deana and the Clay Hess Band.

Sunday’s activities will include a church service and gospel music by Midnight Storm before taking a detour away from bluegrass for a two sets by the local classic rock cover band Speed Limit.

“Our son formed the band with his friends,” she said. “They were all drawn to the classic rock of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, first by listening to The Beatles and then Billy Joel, Elton John, the Eagles … I think classic rock is generational. Every generation loves that style of music.”

In addition to the music, the festival will include daily crafts for the kids and multiple raffles.

Last year’s event drew between 700 and 800 people, some buying weekend passes and camping out for the weekend, others coming just for one day. The festival has drawn attendees from as far away as Mississippi, Colorado and Canada, and Matheson said she’s sold tickets this year to folks in North Carolina, Georgia, New York and other states.

“We get huge community support, a lot of locals who attend,” Matheson said.

The goal is to grow attendance to about 1,000 people.

“I’d like to get it to that point,” Matheson said. “Everyone would be able to see everything and have fun but not too overcrowded. I think we’ll be close to that size this year.”

If you go …

WHAT: Mitch and Cindy’s Bluegrass Jamboree

WHEN: 3 to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday

WHERE: Trumbull County Fairgrounds, 899 Everett Hull Road, Bazetta

HOW MUCH: $60 for a weekend pass or $25 on Friday, $35 on Saturday and $15 on Sunday. For more information, go to mitchandcindysbluegrass.com.