[Ambient road noise] DEL MCCOURY: Howdy folks, this is Del McCoury, reminding you that DelFest is coming to Allegany County Fairgrounds on Memorial Day weekend.

And to hear many of the bands featured in this year's DelFest, listen to 91.9 WFWM, listener-supported public radio for the mountains of Maryland.

WFWM RADIO HOST: Thank you so much, Del, and welcome to another evening of Bluegrass and Americana music here on WFWM.

And I tell you folks, the excitement is certainly building up.

As we're just days away from this year's DelFest, and I know each and every one of you are looking forward to all the great music, food, and fun that's coming up during those four days.

As we always do in the days before the festival, this is a DelFest edition of our "Evening of Bluegrass and Americana Music."

So for the next four hours, we'll present music from many of the artists scheduled to appear at this year's DelFest.

And here to kick things off is the Travelin' McCourys with "Cumberland Blues" on 91.9 WFWM Frostburg: always good company.

♪♪ ♪ I can't stay much longer, Melinda, ♪ ♪ the sun is getting high ♪ ♪ I can't help you with your troubles, ♪ ♪ If you won't help with mine ♪ YOUNG CHILD: That's Del!

♪ I gotta get down, I gotta get down, ♪ ♪ Gotta get down to the, mine ♪ ♪ A lot of poor man make a five dollar bill, ♪ ♪ Keep him happy all the time ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Some other fella's making nothing at all ♪ ♪ And you can hear him cry ♪ ♪ "Can I go, buddy, ♪ Can I go down take your shift at the mine?"

♪ ♪ Gotta get down to the Cumberland mine ♪ ♪ Gotta get down to the Cumberland mine ♪ ♪ That's where I mainly spend my time ♪ ♪ I make good money, five dollars a day ♪ ♪ Made anymore, I might move away ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Lotta poor man got the Cumberland blues ♪ ♪ He can't win for losing ♪ ♪ Lotta poor man got to walk that line ♪ ♪ Just to pay his union dues ♪ ♪ I don't know now, I just don't know ♪ ♪ If I'm going back again ♪ ♪ I don't know now, I just don't know ♪ ♪ If I'm going back again ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I don't know now, I just don't know ♪ ♪ If I'm going back again ♪ [Playing instruments] [Band members backstage conversation] MALE VOICE: [off camera] Have a great set!

Watch that back, ok?

BAND MEMBER: Oh, it will be alright.

[Cheering and applause from audience] DEL: Oh, I know you're here.

[Laughs] [Cheering continues] Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Oh we're just doing soundcheck, so don't pay any attention to us.

♪♪ ♪ I'm going down, this lonesome road ♪ ♪ To find my fate or victory ♪ ♪ Our God must help us there to win ♪ ♪ I'm coming back but I don't know when ♪ ♪ I hate to leave my mother dear ♪ ♪ And father who is old and gray ♪ ♪ But my true love I know you'll wait ♪ LITTLE GIRL: I see him.

SARA BOZICH: You see him?

[Laughs] ♪ I'm going down, that lonesome road ♪ ♪ To find my fate... ♪ PRODUCER: [Off camera] How long was your trip?

SARA: 4.5 hours from Cleveland.

So yeah, we've been coming since 2011.

But yeah, we have a lot more stuff and less room now.

[Chuckles] PRODUCER: Do you think he'll do okay with everything?

SARA: I think so.

He's been camping a couple times.

He's not too bad with staying up late.

LITTLE BOY: Daddy, coming.

SARA: We just hope that he gets a nap.

[Chuckles] PRODUCER: I know... LITTLE BOY: Down.

SARA: You want, daddy?

See, sometimes he needs both of us so nobody can get anything done.

LITTLE BOY: I'm coming.

KAT CHRONIS-ROSSMILLER: We actually come from Wisconsin in Port Washington, and then we drive to Surf City, North Carolina, and camp oceanside.

And then we come to DelFest.

So, we're doing a lot of camping.

[Chuckles] ♪ To find my fate or victory ♪ EDDIE EYLER: Over here.

All right.

Here we have my wagon.

Um, chairs.

Snacks.

Right over there.

My mom's sitting on it.

[Laughs] Mom, get on camera.

Get on camera; too bad.

Over there is the neighbors.

Whatever that is.

Oh, Starburst.

No one saw that.

Over here you have the bag.

Mine.

Uh anyways, sorry.

Time to get to DelFest.

DelFest... Is um, a good place, I love it.

It's the most funniest place on earth that I could ever live.

And yeah, I love it.

Ten out of ten.

♪ But I don't know when ♪ [Cheering] DAVE WILLIAMS: DelFest is a, is a very unique festival in that it has many, many different angles for appeal.

It's now a four-day destination music festival.

The majority of the people who come to the festival come as couples and as families.

The vast majority of them camp as opposed to staying in hotels.

And the vast majority of them buy tickets for all four days.

So, it's a total immersion experience that has, you know, positive uh roots culture, incredible musicianship, and this kind of camaraderie that comes from, stems from the attitude of the family that hosts it.

DEL: I remember how the idea for DelFest came about.

Uh my manager asked me one day- he said, "Did you ever think about having a festival, you know, a music festival?"

And I said, "Well, I have, but I didn't want the headache, you know."

I just... I got enough headaches without having a festival.

But he said, "well, you know, you...would have a lot of help, you know."

And, I worked for uh Roy Carter out in High Sierra, California, you know, at his festival several years before this.

And, he came and he looked at several places, I think in New England and New Jersey and down in Carolinas and all kind of on the East Coast, you know.

And uh but the first place he called Stan up, he said, I want you to fly to Baltimore, bring Del down, fly to Baltimore, and we'll go out to the first place 'cause it's close.

STAN STRICKLAND: The original idea was to put it in York, PA, because that was that's where their home.

That's where they all grew up.

And we looked at York and... and other places and just found that, that at that time, Pennsylvania was going to be a little more difficult to do business in.

And so we got on the bus and started touring sites.

The very first city we come to, the first site we come to is Cumberland, and we roll into downtown and I remember just wondering, you know, because it didn't look like it was... the town was particularly well-to-do and we were looking at the numbers going there's not a huge there's not a, you know, big population base nearby so we roll out to the fairgrounds, the bus pulls up to the edge of the field, um Del starts walking to the center of the field.

He's looking at the mountains across in West Virginia.

He's looking around.

And he said, this'll work.

And Roy Carter said, "Well, then we'll put it on the short list".

And Del says, "No, I think I'm happy here."

And we literally did not visit another site.

DEL: Uh when I saw this place, I said, "you know, I've played a lot of festivals outside, you know."

And as far as a, as a site, this is a- this is as as pretty a site, or prettier, than most, you know.

We've got a river, and it's not a small river either you know, and we've got a rock cliff over there, which is nice, you know.

And yet where we're at here is just as level, you know.

You couldn't ask for a better spot to put campers and a stage and a parking lot, you know... all that stuff.

ROB MCCOURY: Well, as a family we basically we came up and met with Roy and his team, we all rendezvoused here and looked it over and you know, there's some other festivals that we play that are, you know, like that have the mountain backdrop to them, you know... and when we got here and saw that, I saw what my dad saw, then he's like, "Oh, it's beautiful," you know.

It's a really pretty place.

RONNIE MCCOURY: We've played all over the country, all kinds of festivals, um all kinds of settings.

And you just roll in here, and it's just unbelievably beautiful, you know, and uh I think, a lot of people take that away with them, the beauty of it, you know is, it's unmatched.

DEL: I guess it was just uh something we all knew that, we knew that the family would want to be involved, you know and it worked out that where they all kinda have their own things that they do, you know, to help uh, keep things moving along.

You know.

I've got grandkids now that uh, got one of my grandkids, he plays, he's got his band here.

And also my, two boys: uh Ron and Rob, they have the Travelin' McCourys band along with Alan Bartram, and Jason Carter, and uh Cody Kilby.

My wife Jean, and the- a lot of people are over there folding up T-shirts because a lot of the acts send their T-shirts and all their product in ahead of time.

And uh my wife and my daughter they take care of that.

My daughter-in-law, she takes care of the Academy, you know.

[Cheering from audience] LISA MCCOURY: DelFest Academy is a three-day workshop that we have um prior to the actual festival starting.

And um, we have The Travelin' McCourys host the Academy.

And at the Academy we teach banjo, guitar, fiddle, dobro, mandolin, and upright bass.

It's my baby and I love it.

And it's a great time.

It's a great opportunity for anyone of any age or any level to come to.

We have a nine-year-old, all the way up to a 92, excuse me, I think she's 91.

But that would be the largest um in age difference.

And it's incredible, I mean, to see the age difference and everybody here welcomes everyone in.

ROB: It is extremely family-friendly.

That was a priority, you know.

We wanted to have a festival where you know, people aren't afraid to bring their kids with them, you know, 'cause, you know, its...and it is that way.

You know, we have the Kids Zone and stuff.

I mean people can, you know they can take their children over there, they can, they'll uh, you know, babysit 'em they'll watch their kids for a while if they need a break from the kids [laughs].

But- they do, they do fun stuff with the kids, you know, and then the kids love going over there and, but we, we definitely wanted to have that, that element, you know, that people could uh, you know, bring their children and the whole family and, and camp out and just have a good time.

♪♪ [Bells ringing] DEL: Delbows, alright.

Alright.

ED BOZICH: You see a lot of families.

Ever since I was coming here without kids, that's one thing I've noticed.

There was kids.

It was kid orientated.

So now I guess being a new parent, it kind of helps seeing that and see how much it actually really matters... to- for the kids to be safe and have fun here, too.

So... I love it.

I think we'll always, I think we'll always be coming back here.

It's definitely uh family friendly.

It's like some people hear "festival" and it's like party time festival "festival."

No, it's actually- SARA: There's enough room for all of that.

There's definitely plenty of room for kids to have fun and family just to have a good time and you know?

If you don't want to stay up late, music starts at ten.

If you do want to stay up late, you could see it 'til four.

[chuckles] You know, there's just a little something for everybody.

PRODUCER: [off camera] You know how like some concerts are like lame, and if you have to go and listen to a big concert... EDDIE: This is not lame, I love this.

OLIVIA LEONARDI: Love it.

PRODUCER: It's not?

You don't think it's like a boring adult thing?

EDDIE: No.

OLIVIA: 'Cause, look, there's all this grass that you can just run around and play in.

EDDIE: It's a field.

It's an amazing field.

Amazing music.

Amazing food, that costs a lot of money.

[Both kids laugh] [Background festival music] [Audience cheers] ♪♪ ♪ Well you only need the light when it's burning low ♪ ♪ Only miss the sun when it starts to snow ♪ ♪ Only know you love her when you let her go ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Only know you've been high when you're feeling low ♪ ♪ Only hate the road when you're missing home ♪ ♪ Only know you love her when you let her go ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And you let her go ♪ [Instrumental] ♪ Staring at the bottom of your glass ♪ ♪ Hoping some day you'll make a dream last ♪ ♪ But dreams come slow and they go so fast ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Well you see her when you close your eyes ♪ ♪ Maybe someday you'll understand why ♪ ♪ Everything you touch surely dies ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Well you only need the light when it's burning low ♪ ♪ Only miss the sun when it starts to snow ♪ ♪ Only know you love her when you let her go ♪ ♪ Only know you've been high when you're feeling low ♪ ♪ Only hate the road when you're missing home ♪ ♪ Only know you love her when you let her go ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And you let her go ♪ [More instrumental music] ♪ Staring at the ceiling in the dark ♪ ♪ Same old empty feeling in your heart ♪ ♪ Her love comes slow and it goes so fast ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Well you see her when you fall asleep ♪ ♪ But never to touch oh never to keep ♪ ♪ 'Cause you loved her too much and you dive too deep ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Well you only need the light when it's burning low ♪ ♪ Only miss the sun when it starts to snow ♪ ♪ Only know you love her when you let her go ♪ ♪ Only know you've been high when you're feeling low ♪ ♪ Only hate the road when you're missing home ♪ ♪ Only know you love her when you let her go ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And you let her go ♪ [Instrumental section] ♪ Well you only need the light when it's burning low ♪ ♪ Only miss the sun when it starts to snow ♪ ♪ Only know you love her when you let her go ♪ ♪ Only know you've been high when you're feeling low ♪ ♪ Only hate the road when you're missing home ♪ ♪ Only know you love her when you let her go ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Well you only need the light when it's burning low ♪ ♪ Only miss the sun when it starts to snow ♪ ♪ Only know you love her when you let her go ♪ ♪ Only know you've been high when you're feeling low ♪ ♪ Only hate the road when you're missing home ♪ ♪ Only know you love her when you let her go ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And you let her go ♪ [Crowd cheers] [Patter of raindrops] [Background chatter] [Child crying] [Children playing and laughing] SARA: I'm going to let you walk now for a little bit, because you are heavy, lead the way.

[Sound of soft rain] BARB BUEHL: The one thing that I really love about DelFest is how far word reaches about Cumberland itself.

And in tourism, you can see that people may come here for the festival and then they look around and quite a few people will come back later to explore the area more.

STAN: We're starting to hear of how many people come back to this area a couple of times a year, because they enjoy the bike trails, they want to come back and raft or coming back, to you know, nearby skiing.

So, you know, it's- it's doing what we wanted, which is introducing people with, you know, relatively high disposable income to an area that's a great value.

A lot of stuff to do here, and it's a great value.

BARB: And not only the people that attend DelFest, but when you think of the number of bands, performers that play at DelFest and they go around not only the United States, but some of them go outside the country and they'll talk about "come to DelFest, come to Cumberland."

And that's the first time people even hear about this area.

And you can't buy that kind of advertising, when you have thirty something bands going around the country inviting people to visit our town, you can't buy that.

There's no amount of money that would.

[Music plays in background] SIERRA HULL: I mean I've played in the Baltimore area and different places here in, here in Maryland before, but um the first time coming to Cumberland was for DelFest.

So definitely, you know, it's brought me-- I've spent more time in Cumberland now than I ever thought I would.

You know, it's like I think most of the time when I come here, I get to be here for almost a week because I've taught the Academy the last several years, and that's always a real treat to get to do that.

So, I'm kind of like, wow, I've really spent some good quality time here in Cumberland at this point.

CHRIS HARRIS: I love spending time up here and, you know, and it's uh, and I'm really glad this became DelFest's home.

And I'm glad we've been able to stay here.

[Background music] BILL RUDD: I think before DelFest, I would have been one of those people who couldn't imagine why people still lived in Cumberland, or why somebody would want to move to Cumberland.

BARB: I think what struck me more than anything here was sort of the lack of hope that there was any way for the town to grow since the factories had left.

[Background music continues] DARRON JONES: Right now like the major employers are going to be like Western Maryland Health System, um, the prison system.

Uh, the crime rates kind of picked up, but I think that's kinda any area with drug use and all the things that are associated with that.

BARB: We need more universal access to high-speed Internet.

Uh, we need access to cell phone in all areas.

Where I live, I only have one provider that even reaches my area.

BILL: But the sense of community amongst people who love the outdoors and who love music and who love the arts in town has really galvanized around the concept of DelFest and the celebration music festivals can bring to town.

You know, we really- I think there are lots of people that now live here or have stayed here just simply because DelFest exists and how it's changed the way they see the community.

When you see people come from all over the country to DelFest and they have this... such a positive view of our town and our area, it makes your own view of the town and area really change.

And after four or five years of going to the festival, I was one of those people that was like why aren't more people living in Cumberland?

Because I could really start to see what great stuff we have here.

BARB: Now I think people are beginning to realize that maybe there is hope.

We just have to look at success differently.

Those that are younger were losing hope that, they didn't have anything they could really be proud of, and they were leaving the area.

And I've heard many of these young people say, "This is one thing I can be so proud of now."

And they get enthusiastic that, we're the home of DelFest.

And now you can't go to a bar or a restaurant it seems without live music.

And most of this started to increase when DelFest was here.

DAVE: Today, when you go to a local brewery and you enjoy a roots acoustic act and you enjoy a local food truck, you're living the legacy of what the DelFest family introduced to us.

These are people who have traveled all over the world, they're worldwide celebrities.

And they understand things on a global basis.

That sometimes we haven't seen here in our community when they bring it to us.

DARRON: Since DelFest came here, I think people have kinda, really become attached to, to the music part of it.

And uh the family part of it.

BARB: When DelFest first arrived the first year, I remember that a lot of people were very skeptical about what it would be, what type of festival it would be and I'll be honest with you, a lot of people had very negative thoughts um, and weren't sure they wanted it here.

And boy, as time's evolved, more and more people have grasped onto it.

And they become aware more and more with each day, how much the McCoury family really cares about our community.

DARRON: I believe that um, that we that we love the fact that DelFest put down roots here, and they, they love the area.

Del McCoury loves the area.

His family loves the area.

And they give back so much.

And the, you know, the, the people have kind of taken to that.

DAVE: When they realized the food bank needed help, they didn't just put up money.

They went out and shopped for and purchased a van, and Del drove it to the food bank.

So, their commitment to everything is personal.

BILL: The most obvious way that DelFest has impacted the community is through the DelFest Foundation, which has contributed over $500,000 in charity money.

BARB: The DelFest Foundation was formed the second year of DelFest.

Initially, at the fairgrounds if you wanted a liquor license it had to be obtained by a nonprofit.

So, the first year we used a local nonprofit, but we decided that, that is something that we'd like to get involved in.

So we formed the DelFest Foundation.

DAVE: Even though the county commissioners created a new law that was approved by the General Assembly that allowed somebody like DelFest to get direct permission from the commissioners and not have a nonprofit pour, the DelFest Foundation continued in that role.

Because the... the income, the profit from that pouring was charitably redirected into our community directly.

And that was just one of the good works, you know, we talk about uh, good works through music and so the DelFest Foundation didn't have to be created because of all the changes and they did it anyway.

And then it became very personal.

So the DelFest Foundation isn't just a hand out of checks.

If you get a check from the DelFest Foundation, either the McCoury family or somebody really close to the DelFest organization has actually visited your site and talked to you, and they want to know exactly what you are doing and what exactly what you're going to do with that money.

So it's all direct.

There's no middle man in any gift, um and so to this day, you know, Jean McCoury and Del McCoury will drive to Cumberland and they personally oversee it.

That's how much they care about good things happening, because that's the kind of people they are.

That's the kind of life they lived.

BARB: It's done a lot for the community.

And right now, we're at about a half a million dollars that has been given back locally, and I'm not sure what local business may be able to match that.

And these are people that aren't even from this area.

So, it's been very helpful.

RONNIE MCCOURY: In the beginning, when we had a lot of things pushing us back, we kinda relied a lot on the community to stand up for us, if that's what they wanted.

And they did, and they did in a big way.

And um, you know, we're there for them.

DARRON: When I say this is home.

Like this area is my home.

But this festival, that's my home.

You know what I'm saying.

That's my home.

JACOB MATHEWS: My real home.

I've been in every area of this campground, every part of this, and it's home to me now.

And I have so many family members by choice and by coincidence.

It's just the biggest family reunion now for me.

I haven't seen, more than a couple of minutes go by without someone I know with a smiling face walking around.

[Guitar music] JESSICA MUESSEN: DelFest is our absolute favorite festival.

It has the best family atmosphere and we have a little girl, and um, of course, you know, it's like kind of in our backyard.

It's our stomping grounds.

So it's really, really nice to just come down here and vacay for, for the weekend, get away from everything and see all of the familiar faces.

And we've met so many people in our DelFest family that is from different areas as well.

So uh to meet up, meet up with our family, [laughs] our DelFest family.

JODY MOSSER: This is home.

So, this is friends and family that you get to see here every year.

I mean, living in this, in this area for the last 20 plus years, you know, you being such a small town, you get to know a lot of people and, and, and usually it's funny because everybody ends up camping around about the same spot so you kind of know where you can find everybody.

NEIL ELSOHN: Our son, Earl Dean was a uh, a DelFestian for many, many years.

Unfortunately uh, he passed away in the summer of uh 2017 and we were determined to celebrate his life in every way we could, including, most importantly, DelFest.

KAREN FULLERTON-ELSOHN: What we feel lucky to have found is the family here at DelFest that loved him and made him feel like he belonged and he was loved, and that makes us feel it too.

NEIL: Yeah.

RONNIE: I care about a lot of the people here that I have met that are just, they're wonderful people.

And what they.... the stories they tell us, you know, and what this has meant to them and their family, and everyone that uh has really taken care of us.

And now we realize, you know, nobody wants us to leave.

STAN: Our relationship with the community um, it really has become like extended family.

And, you know we joked about it, it's like a family reunion filled with family we actually like.

CHRIS: We've met so many great people and have so many great friends, and it all came down from that one decision of where to hold this event.

And there's just something really neat about that and uh, and really getting to know, there's a lot of people in this town I could call on if I needed something.

And it's, it's it's great.

JON KEHOE: When I'm walking around in the suit, and I will call myself the mascot at this point, um so many testimonies, so many people who come here the first time, and it may be even their first day come up and just tell me how wonderful it is.

You know again, I go back to, well we call it DelFest.

And if you study the character of the man Del, and the way he lives his life, I think that bleeds through to everybody coming here kind of understands that.

And I've been to a lot of places where you run into you know, tough guys or rascals, or guys who get a little too partied up and that happens here; but in some respects, people are a little kinder and understand that that's kind of the McCoury way.

BILLY STRINGS: Del is riding around on a golf cart saying hello to people.

And uh, everybody from Del McCoury to his grandkids are here, you know, and then there's the even bigger extended musical family, the whole bluegrass community which Del and the McCourys embrace as a true family, you know?

SIERRA: I think at this point I can easily say it's my favorite festival.

It's just the community, the family feeling that you get from all the wonderful people that run the festival, all the people here in Cumberland, just it's a- it's just a wonderful, beautiful event that I always look forward to.

[Guitar music] [Crowd cheers] JOE CRAVEN: [Singing] ♪ A song that he will sing.

♪ ♪ A sound his band will bring.

♪ ♪ Hi Ho the Del I know, the music he will bring.

♪ Ladies and gentlemen, Del McCoury and the Del McCoury band.

[Cheers] [Various announcers introducing musical acts] ANNOUNCER: Please give a warm DelFest welcome to Sierra Hull.

ANNOUNCER: Billy Strings.

ANNOUNCER: Broomestix.

ANNOUNCER: Fruition.

ANNOUNCER: Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.

ANNOUNCER: The California Honey Drops.

ANNOUNCER: This is Cabinet.

ANNOUNCER: Railroad Earth.

ANNOUNCER: Sam Bush.

ANNOUNCER: Leftover Salmon.

ANNOUNCER: The Old Crow Medicine Show.

ANNOUNCER: Bring it on Greensky Bluegrass.

ANNOUNCER: This the Infamous Stringdusters.

ANNOUNCER: They're the Travelin' McCourys.

[Bluegrass music crescendos] BILLY STRINGS: How's your DelFest going?

[Crowd cheers] [Music fades out] FORMER GOVERNOR LARRY HOGAN: The sad reality is that all across America, uh more people are getting infected with COVID-19, more are being hospitalized, and more people are dying.

While Maryland uh, is still much better than most of the country, we are now seeing widespread community transmission in every corner of our state.

Now more than ever, I'm pleading with the people of our state to stand together and help us battle this surging virus.

DAVE: Everybody in the music industry was obviously totally crushed by what was happening with COVID.

Nothing in the lifetime of any of the musicians that we knew, or any of the DelFest family had ever completely shut down their industry.

And there was this long process by which they decided they couldn't hold the festival, and then there was a longer private process where they said "what might we do as a placeholder?

What might we do to keep that date alive for our fans?"

[Chatter in background] BRAD MASNOSEVITZ: Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have imagined or conceived that what we were doing, would be, would provide content for an entire online festival.

We're obviously doing the image magnification we're doing the IMAG, um but we're also capturing, um everything that happens on the main stage, we're capturing uh late-night performances, we're capturing interviews and getting b-roll of the festival experience um, so that they can be archived.

And the word came down.

We are going to go through our archives and pick out some choice shows, and we're going to have an online festival with everything that Delevision has ever captured.

DAVE: The idea of this multi-day um, digital event started to evolve, and then suddenly it accelerated to the point where they put a tremendous amount of effort in it.

And the McCourys themselves curated the acts.

They looked at all the videos they had taken over the years, and Ronnie and Rob and Del said that was good.

That was good.

So they put together a super show of previous DelFest performances that was really amazing in its quality.

So, it ended up literally reaching almost 2 million people and the audience size was stunning when they started seeing how many people had viewed the stream on Thursday night and Friday night.

And so we literally had by the weekend, we had a million people watching a stream that included ads for Allegany County, included ads for every sponsor that had been at the festival, and DelFest At Home turned into a huge success.

Arguably didn't make a penny for DelFest, you know, they spent money to produce it.

Um yet everybody around the festival either got great entertainment or great exposure.

And it may be years until they see the benefit of those million people that saw it.

But it didn't bother them at all.

ROB: Hey y'all, Rob McCoury here and all my crew, Lisa, Monroe, Del, Vasser.

We sure are missing everybody at DelFest this weekend, I guess you might say we're all a little bit Delpressed about DelFest, but uh, anyway, hope you guys are going to enjoy this, the "DelFest at Home" that's going on and hopefully, I hope you're home with your families and loving on them.

I know uh, it's a drag to not be at DelFest, but you know, we'll uh we'll all be together again soon, I'm sure.

And, we miss you guys.

Take care.

The Delbow.

Alright.

We'll see y'all soon.

LISA: Bye.

FAMILY ALL TOGETHER: Bye.

PRODUCER: [off camera] What was it like not having DelFest the past two years?

EDDIE EYLER: Uhhh, sad.

Depressing.

OLIVIA LEONARD: Boring.

EDDIE: It was Del Blues.

DEL MCCOURY: Well, it's been a long time hasn't it?

[crowd cheering] ♪ ♪ ♪ I can't stay much longer, Melinda, ♪ ♪ The sun is getting high ♪ ♪ I can't help you with your troubles, ♪ ♪ If you won't help with mine ♪ ♪ I gotta get down, I gotta get down, ♪ ♪ I gotta get down to, the mine ♪ ♪♪ ♪ You keep me up just one more night, ♪ ♪ I can't sleep here no more ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Little Ben clock says quarter to eight; ♪ ♪ You kept me up 'till four ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I gotta get down, I gotta get down, ♪ ♪ Or I can't work there no more ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ A lot of poor man make a five dollar bill, ♪ ♪ Keep him happy all the time ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Some other fella's making nothing at all ♪ ♪ And you can hear him cry ♪ ♪ "Can I go, buddy, ♪ ♪ Can I go down take your shift at the mine?"

♪ ♪ Gotta get down to the Cumberland mine ♪ ♪ Gotta get down to the Cumberland mine ♪ ♪ That's where I mainly spend my time ♪ ♪ I make good money, five dollars a day ♪ ♪ Made anymore, I might move away ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Lotta poor man got the Cumberland blues ♪ ♪ He can't win for losing ♪ ♪ Lotta poor man got to walk that line ♪ ♪ Just to pay his union dues ♪ ♪ I don't know now, I just don't know ♪ ♪ If I'm going back again ♪ ♪ I don't know now, I just don't know ♪ ♪ If I'm going back again ♪ ♪ I don't know now, I just don't know ♪ ♪ If I'm going back again ♪ [Crowd cheers] ♪♪ EDDIE AND OLIVIA: Del Yeah!

[Music ends and crowd cheers] ["To Make Love Sweeter For You" plays] ♪ You've done so much for my world ♪ ♪ 'Til all I wanna do ♪ ♪ Is try my best... ♪ CHRIS: There's there's no one greater than Del McCoury.

I mean he is just such a genuine human being with an incredible amount of talent and he's had a long, prosperous career but, but DelFest just seems like the way to be able to really put a spotlight on that.

And so to be able to come together once a year and just celebrate Del is a really special thing.

SIERRA: Traditional bluegrass music lovers adore Del.

The jam band music fans adore Del.

And then you can go outside of that and find people in country music, I mean he's a member of the Grand Ole Opry and you know there's all these people that adore him kind of in that country music side of things.

And so, you know, he's just so universally loved and you know, has spread that into his entire band and the whole family.

I can personally say they've always treated me, um just utterly well and made me feel like you know, part of the family.

DAVE: He's nobody's fool in business, uh he has very, very high standards of how he presents his music these days, but still there is this natural, country, family based person whose whose appeal is in his honesty and it's in his sincerity and it's in his interest in others.

BILLY STRINGS: Del McCoury has inspired me musically, you know, a lot.

But even more, he has inspired me just to be kind.

And that's a, you know, a really important lesson to learn as a young, dude.

It was a huge impression that he made on me just because of how kind him and the rest of the McCourys are to everybody.

And how they treated people.

I was able to work with them on gigs and um open up the show and stuff and I would see how, you know they treat people at the venues that they're playing or at wherever I mean and it's always just with so much kindness and compassion.

And that's, that's the way to be.

And you can't sing like that without a big old heart.

[Chuckles] ROB MCCOURY: People see Dad on stage and that's, that's the way, you know, he's Del McCoury on stage or off stage.

He's the same guy, you know, so, there's... [laughs] There's no act to it.

[Laughs] He's that guy and he is.

He's very uh, very caring.

You know, he cares about people.

Trying to uh, always tries to do the right thing.

DAVE: What we know now that we didn't know in 2008 was that the McCoury family story is our community's family story.

That they came from very humble beginnings and they worked hard all their lives, literally.

And we look at the history of our community, that's how it rose, it rose from the working class.

So, our community history matches their family history.

And that's one of the reasons they clicked so well, that they hung in there with us because they understood us.

And we will always owe them that.

ROB: My dad, when I was growing up, he was a logger.

He played music on weekends mainly, and worked in the log woods all week.

And uh that's, you know that's how he raised us.

And uh, I know when I was a kid learning how to play music, he'd come in, he'd come in from the woods and they'd been working all day and I'm sitting there trying to learn to play something.

[Chuckles] And I'm sure, there were plenty of times the last thing he wanted to hear was "Hey Dad, show me how to do this."

[Chuckles] But he always would.

He's been a great father, you know, and a mentor and teacher, you know.

SIERRA: I don't see this festival going anywhere anytime soon.

I think it's going to be around for, 'til- probably 'til I'm an old lady.

And then beyond, you know.

And that's such a cool thing to think you can leave something like that behind.

I mean, you know that this family has brought something here that that so many people love and cherish.

That that- it would be you know such a loss if it wasn't here, I think.

ROB: Yeah, we had that talk and said, "Yeah absolutely.

We want to keep it going."

As long as we can keep it going, you know... RONNIE: I think it's the greatest way to honor my father you know, and and what he has done and accomplished and instilled in us.

And uh... That's our whole goal is to, to keep it going, you know.

ROB: I hope it goes on for... I hope I hope after I'm gone my kids are out here running this thing.

[Laughs] DEL MCCOURY: I see this festival going on, you know, just forever, I reckon.

As long as the community will have us, we'll be here.

We'll just stay here.

You know?

[Chuckles] DEL: ...Count me out.

Alright, Sweet App- Sweet Appalachia, somebody wanna hear that, didn't they?

[Crowd cheering] [Del laughs] DEL: We better do it now, she's not gonna make it to the next song.

[Laughter] ♪ ♪ ♪ I got that sweet mountain soul ♪ ♪ Down in my bones ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I can feel it when I sing ♪ ♪ Them lonesome songs ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I can tell by the way I feel ♪ ♪ That it comes, from somewhere else ♪ ♪ I got that sweet mountain soul ♪ ♪ Down in my bones ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I got that sweet mountain spirit ♪ ♪ Down in my veins ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And it flows through my heart ♪ ♪ Like a mountain rain ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And no matter where I might go ♪ ♪ These hills and hollers ♪ ♪ Are my home ♪ ♪ I got that sweet mountain spirit ♪ ♪ Down in my veins ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Some people call me hillbilly ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Some people call me mountain man ♪ ♪ You can call me Appalachia ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Appalachia's what I am ♪ [Instrumental section] ♪ Got that sweet Appalachia ♪ ♪ All over me ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Look at me Appalachia, it's what you'll see ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ And no matter where I might roam ♪ ♪ Appalachia, is my home ♪ ♪ I got that sweet Appalachia ♪ ♪ All over me ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I got that sweet mountain soul ♪ ♪ Down in my bones ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I got that sweet mountain spirit ♪ ♪ Down in my veins ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I got that sweet Appalachia ♪ ♪ All over me ♪ [Crowd cheers] DEL: You got it, you got that Sweet Appalachia, didn't ya?

["This Kind of Life" performed by the Del McCoury Band] ♪ Oh, the rain keeps falling on the window ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ These old blues is creeping in on me ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This old road it just keeps getting longer ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ This kind of life is not for me ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The songs of love in life don't cheer me ♪ ♪ My friends try to keep me company ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ I long for home, momma and papa ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ If I were there my mind would ease ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Oh, the days and nights they run together ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ These old bones are tired and a running down ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ The dream I envision is getting smaller ♪