SOSMP offers guest comforts including a general store, full service restaurant, free showers, indoor bathrooms, and water stations. Upgraded camping, including RV hook ups and cabin rentals, as well as golf cart rentals are currently on sale. Reservations may be made by calling the Park office at (386) 364­-1683. SOSMP is located between Jacksonville, Florida & Tallahassee, Florida about 30 minutes south of the Georgia State line, about 45 minutes north of Gainesville and is host to a variety of events. Please visit the park’s web site for further information.

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Things are heating up in the south as the Florida Spring Festival Season continues. The Suwannee Spring Reunion takes place Thursday through Sunday, March 21-24 at The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (SOSMP). Set in the midst of 800 acres of majestic Spanish moss-draped oak and cypress trees along the Suwannee River, this family-friendly festival boasts four days and nights of music rooted in Americana, newgrass, bluegrass, folk, blues, and more. Featuring music on multiple stages, with many repeat performers throughout the weekend, “24 Suwannee Spring Reunion Schedule Announced! “Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida, would seem the most unlikely of bluegrass epicenters, but legends and new stars alike flock there every spring for an in-the-know festival,” wrote Rolling Stone.

This stellar lineup promises an exciting start to the long weekend’s festivities with Keller Williams’ PettyGrass ft. The HillBenders headlining Thursday night—bringing bluegrass versions of Tom Petty Hits; get ready to sing along at SOSMP’s gorgeous Amphitheater Stage. Prior to PettyGrass the Amphitheater Stage are The Steels Wheels, who are rolling into Florida with a brand new album, Sideways, in hand— they also perform in the Music Hall later that night. Alt-country honky-tonk rebels Town Mountain (also bringing a fresh new release: Dance Me Down Easy: The Woodstock Sessions EP), will close out the night on the Amp Stage with their first set of the weekend (Thu/Fri). Over on the Porch Stage on Thursday we see the first sets of the weekend from Country-soul rocker Leon Timbo & The Family Band (Thu/Fri), the soul-folk of Hattie & Joe Craven Trio (Thur/Fri/Sat), and the first set from The Grass is Dead (Thu/Sun). Sloppy Joe opens the festival at 4pm on the Amphitheater stage and can also be heard throughout the weekend on various stages and in the campground at their own, open call, pickin’ party site—Slopryland. Before the legendary Sam Bush takes center stage on Friday night, Americana blues icon Bettye Lavette makes her stage debut at the Park on the Amphitheater Stage. With their first set of the weekend, Railroad Earth (Fri/Sat) closes up the late night on the Amp Stage. In the midst of all that goodness on Friday—and in between the aforementioned sets—over on The Porch Stage will be Darrell Scott (also playing Sat), Town Mountain, and the first of a few sets from roots rockin’ troubadours Donna the Buffalo (Fri/Sat/Sun). Saturday night is a double dose with Railroad Earth returning The Amp Stage, preceded by what is sure to be a soul-stirring set of mountain music by Steep Canyon Rangers. Donna the Buffalo is sure to keep everybody dancing to the wee hours, closing the stage late-night. Saturday on the Porch Stage we see the first sets of the weekend by Peter Rowan & The Walls of Time Band (Peter Rowan, Chris Henry, David Mansfield III, David Grier, Mike Bub, Larry Atamanuik); and The Mosier Brothers Band (featuring Jeff Mosier’s Scruggs’-style banjo prowess and Johnny Mosier’s rockin guitar chops, founders of Blueground Undergrass—a former Suwannee staple act (Fri/Sat/Sun)). Also on the Porch on Saturday is rising bluegrass star Colby T Helms & The Virginia Creepers. Currently on tour with a new album: Tales of Misfortune, Helms makes his Suwannee debut Friday in the Dance Tent. Sunday, dubbed “Vassar Sunday” by regular attendees and staff, is a musical day of gathering, celebration, and rememberance of those who came and played before (Vassar Clements, Sue Cunninham, Guy Clark, Col. Bruce Hampton, just to name a few) and those who carry on the traditions of what started at the park way back in 1997. Fueled with anticipation, Donna the Buffalo will close out the evening with a special set—bringing up to the stage just about every artist who is left at the fest. Other performances that day leading into the finale include Jim Lauderdale, Verlon Thompson, The Mosier Brothers, and Peter Rowan & The Walls of Time Band. The weekend is jam-packed with multiple sets by many at all of the festival stages (Amphitheater Stage, Porch Stage, Dance Tent Stage, Music Hall, & Music Farmers Stage) Along with some of those mentioned above, there will be multiple sets by Jim Lauderdale (Sat/Sun), Verlon Thompson (Fri/Sat/Sun), Roy Book Binder (Fri/Sat), Shawn Camp (Fri/Sat), Seth Walker (Fri/Sat), Jon Stickley Trio (Fri/Sat),  Fireside Collective (Fri/Sat), David Grier (Fri), Nikki Talley Band (Thu, Sun), Free Range Strange (Sat), Habanero Honeys (Sat), Quartermoon (Fri/Sat and throughout the weekend hosting campground pickin’ at the Bill Monroe Shrine), John Mailander: Artist-at-Large through the weekend, and Magic Moon Traveling Circus. Something special to note about the lineup is that it includes artists with storied histories of epic Suwannee performances over the years. Matching the history on the stage, longtime park hosts, Randy and Beth Judy, are partnered with the Spirit of the Suwannee to make sure that every piece needed to make an epic weekend. It is home to generations of families who have gathered year after year to experience that shared connection to the music and the commitment to the notion of something bigger than ourselves. Festival Director Beth Judy says “From the very beginning, in 1997, with our first festival at SOSMP (SpringFest), we set an intention of a community of love and healing and music and positive impact on the lives of the people who were there. And we attracted those people who needed that in their lives, and many of them are still coming. The Suwannee Spring Reunion is a new version of the events we began so long ago when music festivals were just starting to pop up again after Jerry’s passing. SpringFest and MagFest had changed and evolved over the years and now we are gathering everyone together for the  big reunion and revival of what commenced during those early years.” “There’s this unique, communal spirit here, where it’s homelike for us,” says Sam Bush in an interview with Rolling Stone’s Garret Woodward. “And you find yourself thinking about some of our brethren that aren’t here anymore, but especially Vassar [Clements] — he ruled this place.” “‘It was probably around 2004 [when we first played the park],” Steep Canyon Rangers singer-banjoist Graham Sharp tells Woodward, ‘We’ve been able to trace our band and its evolution through this festival, from being a traditional bluegrass band to being whatever the hell we are now — this place is a natural home for that.’” They say the stars come out at night. And at Suwannee that is not only true in seeing the clear nighttime skies, but also throughout the park. Many of the festival musicians convene in the campgrounds when things light up at night. There are literally dozens of theme camps, many of them with clever fun names, that have their own style and vibe. There will also be daily Umalumina Yoga with Rhonda Bell. The Suwannee Spring Reunion community has something going on around the clock. That said, if sleep is important to you, there are plenty of camping areas where it’s low key, so sleep is a possibility. No recorded or amplified music is permitted in the campground during this festival, so any music happening is live and acoustic. A couple of workshops in the Music Hall to watch out for are The Devil’s Box – A Fiddle Workshop with Joe Craven, John Mailander & Lyndsay Pruett (Fri) and Colby T Helms is leading a workshop on guitar influences and styles (Sat). Stay tuned for further news about a wide range of hand-on workshops on the Music Farmers Stage, sponsored by the festival’s nonprofit arm, Live Oak Music and Arts Foundation (LOMAF). There will be a raffle to raise money for LOMAF, which is earmarked for music and arts programs locally in North Florida schools and includes the Suwannee Spirit Kids Music Camp. Multi-day Weekend Tickets include primitive camping. Prices go to the next tier on March 1. Children 12 and under are free if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Military/Student discounts available as well as RV upgrades, golf carts, and other amenities. For complete ticket information, visit www.suwanneespringreunion.com/Tickets. Suwannee Spring Reunion 2024 Lineup & Days Performing: Sam Bush (Fri), Railroad Earth (Fri/Sat), Steep Canyon Rangers (Sat), Peter Rowan Walls of Time Band (Sat/Sun), Donna the Buffalo (Fri/Sat/Sun), Keller Williams’ PettyGrass ft. The HillBenders (Thu), Bettye LaVette (Fri), The Steel Wheels (Thu x 2), Darrell Scott (Fri/Sat), Town Mountain (Thu/Fri), Seth Walker (Fri/Sat), Jon Stickley Trio (Fri/Sat), Fireside Collective (Fri/Sat), Jim Lauderdale (Sat/Sun), Donna the Buffalo with Jim Lauderdale (Sat), Verlon Thomson with Jim Lauderdale (Sat), Verlon Thompson  (Fri/Sat/Sun), Shawn Camp (Fri/Sat), Shawn Camp & Verlon Thompson (Sat), Shawn Camp & Verlon Thompson doing the songs of Guy Clark (Fri), The Mosier Brothers Band (Fri/Sat/Sun), The Grass Is Dead (Thu/Sun), Roy Book Binder (Thu/Fri/Sat), Hattie & Joe Craven Trio (Thu/Fri/Sat), David Grier (Fri), Leon Timbo & The Family Band (Thu/Fri), Colby T Helms & The Virginia Creepers (Fri/Sat), Nikki Talley Band (Thu/Sun), Free Range Strange (Sat x2), Sloppy Joe (all), Quartermoon (all), Habanero Honeys (Sat), John Mailander: Artist At Large (all), Magic Moon Traveling Circus For more information, please visit the Spring Reunion website. Like their Facebook page and be on the look out for the Suwannee Roots Revival lineup announcement. Music Lives Here.

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La Rosa Nostra pulled in to the park late Thursday night which can often be a sporting time to arrive because everyone is already drunk and unable to contribute in any meaningful way. Somehow as he entered the park, heading to Kamp Happiness and a space in the park he’d visited regularly for the past ten years, he got turned around and lost. Somewhere down Hippy Trail, somewhere far, far away. Nowhere near the lake, or The Bill Monroe Pavilion, or anything. Somewhere near nothing he began to run into high water. It had been raining in North Florida and he was pulling his new 1982 pop-up so there was no backing up. He slept where he got stuck in the mud. The next morning he tried to climb out of his van and ended up down, deep down in the muck. The mental image could not be forgotten. The corner shredded off the pop-up as the tow pulled it from the murky depths. Tommy Titanium’s hand rested just outside the window and was raked and gashed by protruding branches. He was a bloody mess and it was still early in the day.

A Song for a Sin?

Remember when Martin Luther spoke out against the Catholic Church’s policy of selling indulgences? You were there. Crack open a book once in a while. Festivarians sing their sins away through Bluegrass Gospel on Sunday morning in an effort to achieve salvation. This year the band started a mite early. They recognized there would be more sin than they could sing away on Sunday. So they started Thursday night and stayed just ahead of the high water mark of sinnin’ all weekend. It was a good formula and with Dr. Zimmerman on mandolin, Smittisha and Mitch on guitar and Big Betty on bass, the kamp happiness family band jammed non-stop. Martin Luther would have called them Bluegrass Indulgences. Who wrangles the wranglers?

La Strange.

The winner of the Shane Turner Mississippi Blue Ribbon Giterdun Award goes to Free Range Strange for their tireless devotion to all things savage. Sunnie Rae, Timber and Ni Lu were joined by a slew of magical musicians to the tune of Savannah Lee, Devin Harris, Nigel Ledford, Chase Holiday, John Watkin. Sunday night saw Tim and Sunnie join in with Donna the Buffalo on the Amphitheater Stage.

Jesse stumbled back around 3 am to find Mitch playing late night Chemical Bluegrass at the neighbor’s tent. “Jesus Christ, that guy is some kind of robot.” he muttered to himself as he slithered into his school van.

During the rain Emma enjoyed the lush confines of her new van, paid for by selling glass and spoons to hippies.

Hollywood and Jesse were living in sin together in Jesse’s van which had begun to smell like a Golden Coral. Slapping sloppy sounds along with Sade emanated from the van which seemed to hum with sexual energy. It was later discovered that Hollywood had begun using some new hand job techniques including the “Jamaican dry rub” and the “Caribbean Jerk”. Money well spent and a one song sin. The wranglers were not going to rendezvous with them at Shakori and that was a crying shame but it wasn’t just yet time to leave Florida.

Moose had run in to some street performer and bought out his inventory of percussion instruments. At any point during the day or night there were no shortages of jangles, shakers and clinckers. His headlights were barely working. Not enough to see in the dark but enough to keep the cops off him.

Feed the Children

at

Ka’aoli’s Low Country Boil 

with Ms. Jaime and her famous “howling monkey dance”

3:30 pm kamp happiness recreation pavilion and smoking patio

Stay late and catch one of Ka’aoli’s famous “yarns”. This week’s legend is “Bullshit history of Volusia County”.

Enthusiastic consent? Welcome to the pollination station?

Red Alert!!!  Defcom 2. Emergency dammit. The rains shut down Greensky Bluegrass and Jon moved in under Heather’s canopy. Emma’s shitter started to come undone as the seals were moving far down deep in the pooness. She left if for the groundscore squad on Monday morning. Congratulations Sarah. Three song sin.

Just what is wrong with Brie and Loraine?

Many who crossed their paths thought they were crazy, or special, or touched. They were known witches and could put spells on a man when needed. Both were sink drinkers. The kind of broken savages that would make force a man to watch Dr. Phil and listen to the Deliha show. Cruel mistresses to be sure.

Questions.

Was that Chase Holiday playing the standup bass and standing on one leg like a flamingo? Was that Roadblock Randy handcuffed to a golf cart, dragging it backwards through the woods? Liz the Biz used to say that one couldn’t save the world handcuffed to a golf cart. Truer words have never been spoken. Nuggets of wisdom.

Was that Nikki Tally’s daughter on stage singing? Gotta love Suwannee.

Haley and Duder brought their merch tent Shop of Fools to the row for the first time. The thugs from Mi Kulture brought their crushed velvet and butt drums to the party. Lucy figured to run into all of them at the freakshow known as Summer Camp on Memorial Day. Umph Love you know.

Thanks to everyone who contributed photographs to the cause and towed the line with the absence of Katie Magic and her ice chest of bad intentions. This is the way.

Thanks to DreamSpider Publicity for letting the wranglers be part of the continuing fun for five years running. These things don’t turn into hot waffles of buttery fun by themselves.

Toward the end of the weekend Lucy could feel the early itch of poison ivy and what appeared to be an unusually large number of insect bites. She’d only slept outside one night but that was enough. She was soon to be marked in seriously unattractive ways.

The Waterfall of Eternal Youth

“Follow me. I know the way.” Ka’aoli definitely did not know the way and he had broken his own code and began smoking the dope while the sun was still up. Lucy had walked far enough down what she was sure was the Florida Trail and was ready to throw her wallet at him and slit her own throat. Three song sin. Hidden meth lab on the Florida Trail. 3 song sin. Filet and release? What is the slot for a ditch mermaid in April?

Visit the Suwannee Spring Reunion website and like their social media sites on Facebook and Instagram. Visit the Spirit of Suwannee Music Park landing page to see what’s coming up in the future. There are still a couple of surprises left in the Florida Spring Festival season.

Visit the archives for more recent silliness along the lines of Grassroots at Virginia Key and No Resolutions Festival. Like our Facebook channels on wook wranglers and nailtravels and the nailtravels Instagram page. Are you not influenced?

Follow the wranglers as we head south to Ultra in Miami and revisit the beach fairy tale wonderland that is Virginia Key. After that, it’s back to Suwannee Rising, Rockville and and the gradual wrap-up of the Florida Home Invasion Tour. Chillicothe awaits.

Wrangled?

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