2025 Texas State Championship Guitar and Banjo Contest Winners Crowned
August 2, 2025
The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation was excited to present the 2025 Texas State Championship Guitar and Banjo Contests on August 2, 2025 in conjunction with the 2025 Farmers Branch Bluegrass Festival. Photos are available in our gallery.
The Championships were held at the DoubleTree Hotel near the Galleria in Farmers Branch and were sponsored in part by the City of Farmers Branch Texas, Central Texas Bluegrass Association, Southwest Bluegrass Club, Paluxy River Bluegrass Association, Bay Area Bluegrass Association, J&S Body Shop, Camp Bluegrass, and Huber Banjos.
The top three finishers in each contest received cash prizes of $500, $250, and $100, along with commemorative plaques and other items donated by contest sponsors. Both contests had a strong field of contestants, and the winners on each instrument were as follows:
Guitar (1st): John-Samuel May (Waco, Texas)
Guitar (2nd): Jed Clark (Nashville, Tennessee)
Guitar (3rd): Scott Owen (Garland, Texas)
Banjo (1st): Luke Lastelick (Dallas, Texas)
Banjo (2nd): Read Horton (Savoy, Texas)
Banjo (3rd): Kalip Cole (Deville, Louisiana)
We were thankful to host so many excellent pickers here in Texas and hope for another great round of contests next year. The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation thanks all the contestants, volunteer staffers, sponsors, and fine folks in attendance who made this Championship successful.
Why won’t Bloomin’ Bluegrass return in 2025?
A special message to our friends and supporters
from Alan Tompkins, President of the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation
January 15, 2025
—————————————————
SUMMARY: The cost to the City of Farmers Branch of producing the annual Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival in the Historical Park had risen to the point that it could not be sustained beyond 2024. The City and the Foundation wanted to continue bringing world-class artists and music fans to Farmers Branch, so the Foundation created the new (smaller) Farmers Branch Bluegrass Festival, and the City became the naming rights partner and a major financial sponsor.
—————————————————
There’s no doubt that we will all miss the big, fantastic bluegrass experience in the near-perfect weather at the beautiful Farmers Branch Historical Park each October. Many have asked why Bloomin’ Bluegrass 2024 (the 15th in a row) was the last one, so we wanted to offer some insights on its history.
Bloomin’ Bluegrass was a very special event presented and paid for by the City of Farmers Branch, Texas. It was designed to highlight the City’s magnificent Historical Park, increase tourism, and bring new business to the City’s hotels, restaurants, and merchants. Over its 15-year lifespan, the festival was wonderfully successful. It received national recognition from the International Bluegrass Music Association with four nominations for the IBMA Bluegrass Event of the Year Award and its receipt, in 2024, of the IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award.
The idea for the festival was proposed by the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation in 2010, and in every year of its existence, Alan Tompkins and the Foundation staff managed the festival’s main-stage musical presentation. This included booking artists, managing artist contracts and show and hotel arrangements, coordinating backstage operations (including stage setup and takedown, sound and lighting services, bus parking, etc.), stage and backstage volunteer management, and much more – all at no charge as a labor of love.
The Foundation (a 501c3 non-profit) held raffles and offered t-shirts in the stage-side tent in exchange for donations to support the its operations (including its Play it Forward!® Free Instrument Lending Program, now in its 17th year!). A great number of friends and supporters generously contributed, and those contributions enabled the Foundation to continue bringing more bluegrass music to Texas.
The festival required year-round planning and a great deal of time and effort by City staff – as well as a great deal of money. But the City made sure it was affordable – in fact, for its first eight years, the festival was FREE for everyone! The City continued to provide free admission to host hotel guests through 2024 as a way of thanking them for traveling to stay in Farmers Branch. And ALL artists who played the festival were paid their agreed-upon performance fee. (Some assumed that because attendees got in free, the artists played for free – that was not the case.) Festival ticket sales, food and beverage, and vendor fees covered only a portion of the total festival cost.
In November 2023, the City informed the Foundation that due to several factors – including the rapidly rising costs of putting on the festival, the limited number of City staffers available to support it, and a shift in the type of events requested by Farmers Branch residents, they could not continue presenting the festival in the Historical Park after October 2024.
The City and the Foundation agreed that we did not want the music (and the smiles) to end. The City expressed its gratitude for the incredible support of music fans from across the country who frequently traveled to Farmers Branch to stay in its hotels, eat at its restaurants, and support its merchants. The City agreed to become the primary financial sponsor for the new Farmers Branch Bluegrass Festival, which will be held inside the Doubletree Dallas Hotel near the Galleria. Bringing the festival inside will also greatly reduce the risk that the event might be cancelled due to bad weather, wet grounds, or other factors.
The City’s financial support is crucial to the success of the new festival, as it will enable us to bring in GRAMMY®-winning Grand Ole Opry® stars and world-class supporting artists. The hotel showroom is much smaller than the Historical Park meadow (we only have 450 seats), and the City’s sponsorship covers only a portion of our event cost, so we will have to sell all the tickets and fill up our hotel room block to make the event a success. Thanks to you, we are already well on our way!
We are thankful for the support of our Bloomin’ Bluegrass friends and family over the past 15 years, and hope that you will join us in our latest adventure in Farmers Branch! Send us an email if you have questions. Thank you for listening, playing, jamming, and helping us to preserve and promote bluegrass music in Texas.
Farmers Branch Bluegrass Festival – July 31 – Aug 2 2026
Texas State Championships – July 31 – Aug 1 2026
DoubleTree Dallas invites us to come and jam all night!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Click here to book.
Click on “Edit Stay” at top right to specify your dates!
DoubleTree Dallas (near the Galleria)
4099 Valley View Lane, Dallas, Texas 75244
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bluegrass Star Award® presented to Michael Cleveland
October 19, 2024
GRAMMY-winning bluegrass fiddler and bandleader Michael Cleveland was honored with the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation’s Bluegrass Star Award® on Saturday, October 19, 2024 at the Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival in the Farmers Branch Historical Park in Farmers Branch, Texas. Cleveland was joined by Rhonda Vincent, Dan Tyminski, and Del McCoury, each of whom have received the Bluegrass Star Award (in 2010, 2021, and 2015, respectively).
Alan W. Tompkins, President and founder of the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation, began the presentation by explaining that the Foundation created the Bluegrass Star Award in 2010 as a way to honor artists who respected the traditions of bluegrass music and preserved its character while doing an exemplary job of bringing the music to new audiences. Previous Bluegrass Star Awards have been presented to Rhonda Vincent, J. D. Crowe, Peter Rowan, Sierra Hull, Ricky Skaggs, Del McCoury, Jerry Douglas, Bobby Osborne, and Dan Tyminski.
Tompkins gave the crowd a short summary of Michael’s incredible achievements as a bluegrass musician and bandleader, noting that he has (so far) been recognized twelve times as the Fiddle Player of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association and, in 2018, was inducted into the National Fiddlers Hall of Fame. His 2018 album Fiddler’s Dream was nominated for a GRAMMY award, and he won the GRAMMY the next year for his album Tall Fiddler.
Also in 2019, Cleveland’s amazing life of adversity and achievement was the subject of a documentary film entitled Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story. In 2022, Michael received the National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship. More recently, Michael toured with Bela Fleck and an all-star lineup of musicians on the My Bluegrass Heart tour.
“Michael’s incredible talents have brought bluegrass music to many thousands of new listeners over the course of his career, and he is a worthy recipient of the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation Bluegrass Star Award®.” For information about Michael Cleveland, visit his website or the Michael Cleveland page on Wikipedia.com. Photos courtesy of Randy Watkins.
FARMERS BRANCH BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL
Friday – Sunday July 31 – Aug 2, 2026
DoubleTree Dallas Hotel near the Galleria
4099 Valley View Lane, Dallas Texas 75244
artists scheduled to appear include
Balsam Range | Carter & Cleveland
Kenny & Amanda Smith Band (Friday) | Authentic Unlimited
Kody Norris Show | The Cox Family (Friday & Sunday)
Texas & Tennessee feat. Steve Huber & Dennis W. Parker
Bobby Giles & Texas Gales | Riley Gilbreath & Lone Star Blue
Make your hotel reservations today for our festival and jam weekend experience! Your reservation includes breakfast buffet for two people per room! (Note that festival tickets are NOT included with your hotel room and must be purchased separately.) Check into the DoubleTree and stay all weekend! Listen, jam, eat, and socialize with your friends!
Farmers Branch Bluegrass Festival tickets include all festival performances and “jam with the band” experiences. Your ticket also includes the Sunday morning GOSPEL SERVICE. Click to see the showroom seating diagram with ticket prices.
NOTE: If the festival is not sold out, single-day general admission tickets will be available at the door.
Remember – even if you can’t get a ticket for the show, please plan to come stay at the hotel and join your bluegrass friends for jamming and fun!
Music is scheduled from 5-9p on Friday, 1-9p on Saturday, and 10-11a on Sunday morning. We have several jam rooms so that festival attendees can jam into the night, and the DoubleTree has designated areas so we can jam during the Festival!
The Farmers Branch Bluegrass Festival is all about JAMMING! We’ve arranged for “jam with the band” sessions where Festival attendees (wristband required) can participate in jams with some of our performing artists! This is family-friendly fun you won’t want to miss!
Download the printable festival flyer here!
Also enjoy the TEXAS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP Guitar, Mandolin, and Banjo Contests!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our Host Hotel ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The DoubleTree Dallas Hotel near the Galleria invit
es us to a weekend of non-stop jamming! DESIGNATED JAMMING ROOMS will be available for 24-hour jamming – a list of at least three designated jam/meeting rooms will be provided at check-in. Jamming in hotel guest rooms will be permitted until bedtime (hours posted at check-in), but you can still jam in the 24-hour jam rooms.
DISCOUNTED ROOM RATES of $135/night for the Farmers Branch Bluegrass Festival are available at this link. and includes breakfast buffet for two people per room. NOTE: Your hotel room does not include festival tickets, which must be purchased separately.
The Foundation has partnered with the DoubleTree to make this weekend possible, and we need your help to make it work. Rooms booked through our links are the only ones that count toward our quota.
You may also book by phone by calling (972) 385-9000 and asking for the BLUEGRASS rate.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Schedule ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our tentative schedule of artist performances and Jam with the Band sessions (ticket required) is below. Remember that travel arrangements can be unpredictable, so the schedule may change without notice.
[2026 Schedule coming soon!]
Farmers Branch Bluegrass Festival Sponsors & Partners
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You Can Be A Sponsor ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our events simply could not happen without support from our sponsors. Ticket sales alone rarely cover the band costs. If you’d like to help and get valuable exposure for your business, we’d love to have you! Sponsorships begin at $550 for the festival and include two VIP Sponsor seats, two nights at the DoubleTree during the festival (including free breakfast for two both nights), two t-shirts, sponsor recognition from the stage and in the program, and more! You can buy the $550 package directly on our TICKET page or e-mail us (use the Contact page) for more information and if you would like to help! Thank you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Frequently Asked Festival Questions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How Does Ticketing Work? With our ticketing service, TicketTailor.com, you can select your own seats. If you have difficulty, please email us (use the Contact page). We will take care of you.
Can I come and go at the Festival? Of course. When you arrive at the hotel, check in with your ticket and get your wristband. The wristband will be your pass to get into the show and any/all workshops and “jam with the band” experiences.
Can kids come? We always encourage young people to come and enjoy the music. Kids 15 and under will be admitted free for GENERAL ADMISSION seating with their parent or guardian. All reserved seats are reserved for the ticket holder, so if you have reserved seats and want your kids to sit with you, they need reserved seat tickets as well. But your kids are welcome to sit with you in the general admission seating.
What about food and drinks? The DoubleTree is a full-service hotel with an excellent restaurant and bar, and of course hotel guests may bring food into their rooms. There are also dozens of restaurants within easy driving or Uber-ride distance of the hotel.
Showroom Seating Policy. Reserved seats are reserved for the reserved seat ticket holders at all times. Your seat number will be shown on your reserved seat ticket, so please keep your reserved-seat festival ticket with you while you are in the showroom. General admission seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis. General admission seats that are not occupied may be used by anyone with a wristband.
A festival wristband is required for all seats. Please keep your wristband with you and visible at all times. Any personal items left in GA seats more than 15 minutes may be removed by staff or other patrons. BHF is not responsible for lost or stolen personal items, including musical instruments. Instruments will not be allowed in the showroom seating area because they may inconvenience other attendees seated in the area.
Is there something other than the Festival for my family to enjoy? Absolutely! If you have family members who want to do something other than jam and listen to great bluegrass, let them enjoy one of the other area attractions. The Farmers Branch Historical Park is close by, and the Dallas Zoo, John F. Kennedy Memorial, Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, Dallas Museum of Art, Perot Museum of Nature and Science, Frontiers of Flight Museum, Cavanaugh Flight Museum, George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum, Dallas World Aquarium, and Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens are all within easy driving distance of the hotel. Arlington is about 30 minutes away, which is the home of the Texas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys, Hurricane Harbor, and Six Flags over Texas. If you love shopping, the Galleria Dallas, Grapevine Mills Mall, Sam Moon center, North Park Mall (with Neiman Marcus), and many more are all a short trip away.
Foundation receives IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award
for Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival at IBMA World of Bluegrass
September 26, 2024
The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation, together with the City of Farmers Branch Texas, was proud to receive the Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association in honor of the 15-year history of the Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival, held from 2010-2024 in the Farmers Branch Historical Park. The award was presented on Thursday Sept. 26 2024 at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, North Carolina, with award show program hosts Mike Compton and Joe Newberry opening the ceremony.
Alan Tompkins of the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation presented the award on behalf of IBMA. Mayor Terry Lynne, Jessica Alvarado, and Jocelyn Avina were on hand to accept the award on behalf of the City of Farmers Branch Texas. Board members Matt Tessier and Gerald Jones accepted the award on behalf of the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation. The presentation and award acceptance acknowledged and gave great thanks to the City of Farmers Branch and its staff members, to the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation and its leadership and volunteers, to the many artists who have performed at Bloomin’ Bluegrass over the years, and to the bluegrass fans who have supported the event and made its incredible success possible.
IBMA Distinguished Achievement Awards honor those individuals and organizations in bluegrass music who have proven to be forerunners in their particular field of endeavor and have fostered bluegrass music’s image with developments that will broaden the music’s recognition and accessibility. The awards extended to individuals for their contributions shall fall into specific categories and are especially appropriate when they provide acclaim for those not recognized by other IBMA award categories.
The Foundation thanks the outstanding photographers who have been associated with Bloomin’ Bluegrass Festival over its 15-year history and whose photos were used in the award presentation, including Derrick Birdsall, Bob Compere, Nate Dalzell, and Kirsten Coutts. We thank Heidi Holloway for the presentation photo above.
