Bluegrass Comes to La Feria

Kenwood RV Park Hosts Jamboree

Valley-wide Winter Texan Bluegrass fiddlers and banjo players have found a home to display their talent and share their enthusiasm for the special kind of popular

Appalachian music they love. It’s mountain singing with pure acoustic instrumental accompaniment.

During the winter months a following of professional and amateur Winter Texan fiddlers, banjo, bass and mandolin players from a dozen or so mobile home parks come together at La Feria’s Kenwood RV park–and do they have a ball! They also do a lot of good because of their pet project of supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This year they collected and sent $2,000.00 to help that charitable cause by donating all proceeds from their various performances during the winter season.

This love-fest has been going on for over four years according to Wayne Uncer, Director of the RGV Bluegrass Association. He winters at Siesta Village RV Park during the winter.

The Jambaree gets in gear when somebody shouts out “Key of G” or something, and they are off. The ones on stage take turns stepping forward to the mike, and take the lead singing the lyrics that everybody knows. Many of the 80-100 or so avid fans in the audience join in singing or playing accompaniment with their cherished string instruments they brought along. They do it right from their seats. Oh, yes—only acoustic stringed instruments are allowed.

Each performer announced his or her name and where they’re from: Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa and Ontario, Canada were frequent names mentioned. These people were amazing. They could have been on TV or something.

Uncer said, “This is our last performance for the season, but we’ll be back next fall for the next season,” adding: “These Bluegrass performances are open to the public, and we welcome fiddlers from all over.” When not in the Valley, he holds forth in his hometown of Woodstock–No, not that one–This one is in Ontario, Canada.

Uncer said he would like to recognize all those who supported their efforts. Among them were: The RGV Gid-R-Done Bluegrass Band, Kenwood RV Park, Los Fresnos Rodeo, Willacy County Livestock Show and Fair and the Brownsville Historical Association.

He ended his remarks with an invitation to sit in next year if you are a hard-core Blue grass fan and want to hear some good pickin’ and singin’ every Tuesday afternoon at Kenwood RV Park in La Feria, Texas. “Ya’all come—You hear.”