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Bluegrass Mixes With History at County Museum

Van Manakas

Hurleyville, NY – On Sunday, October 7 at 2 p.m., legendary guitarist Van Manakas (www.vanmanakas.com) will join Aldo and Carol of Little Sparrow at the Sullivan County Museum in Hurleyville to perform traditional bluegrass music and discuss how this distinct musical form played an important part in Sullivan County’s history.

Van Manakas is one of the finest guitar players in the world. He just returned from a tour in Japan, where he performed in a band that opened for Bob Dylan. He has recorded numerous CDs and is a multi-instrumentalist who will be performing on guitar, fiddle and dobro.

Many people may not be aware that in 1968 Alan Gerry’s late brother Paul Gerry opened what was soon to be a renowned bluegrass recording studio (Revonah Records) in Sullivan County. Bluegrass players from all over the country came here to record. And there was also a famous venue in Liberty called the Pursuit of Happiness that hosted some of the biggest names in bluegrass, including Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley.

The event is FREE (donations gratefully accepted), and the afternoon promises to be one of entertaining discovery into the fascinating past and present of bluegrass and Sullivan County. The Museum is located at 265 Main Street in Hurleyville.

The program is made possible with funding from a Sullivan County Arts and Heritage Grant, funded by the Sullivan County Legislature and administered by the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance.

Call 845-434-8044 for more info, or visit the Sullivan County Historical Society website at www.scnyhistory.com.