Preserving the Past, Embracing the Future – Music and Memories at Camp Springs Bluegrass Park
Current photo of new stage. Courtesy of Cody Johnson
If you spend a little time driving through the wooded roads of Caswell County, you’ll find yourself in a little patch of heaven called Cherry Grove. Peppered with charming little houses, cow pastures, and butterflies, my recent journey through the area proved to be as much of a pick-me-up as it was an opportunity to take a load off. I was kindly chauffeured by my 16-year-old brother, D.J., and we found our surroundings to be the perfect backdrop for good music and conversation. As we enjoyed the fresh air and pleasant weather with the windows down, we spotted a sign on Boone Road that read, “Camp Springs Bluegrass Park” – just the place we were looking for. Not knowing what to expect, we turned onto the gravel drive and were greeted by the owner of the park, Cody Johnson.
As I stepped out of the vehicle and into Camp Springs Bluegrass Park, I was taken by what I heard ringing in the air. Despite the venue being empty, and no musicians playing, the park was filled with its own special song. Its music was layered with bright, melodic birdsong, the hum of bees buzzing rhythmically, and the steady comings and goings of the wind through the trees, like a vocalist breathing out a wordless harmony. Somewhere in the mix, I could make out a faint voice beckoning, “Stay awhile, slow down, enjoy”. This voice does not call out to the ears, but to the heart and soul, and every part of me listened and heeded its invitation.
The park is on 45 acres of land, featuring a two-acre fishing pond, a stage and open seating area, a bathhouse, a concession stand, and a new addition of over 50 electrical hookups for visitors who need power for their campers and other camping setups. The downward slant the land makes towards the stage makes it a natural amphitheater with great acoustics and plenty of spots from which to get a good view. The tall oaks that beautify the grounds sway with the breeze and offer shade to those who might place their lawn chairs in the cool of their shadows.
We shook hands with Cody, an amiable man with a constant smile, and he invited us to sit down at one of the picnic tables. It felt like a unique opportunity to plant ourselves in the park in the tranquility of a quiet (but never silent) spring day. The conversation that ensued was not only a walk down memory lane, but also gave me a glance into a much hoped-for future for the venue.
A Little Bit of History
The very first Camp Springs Labor Day Bluegrass Festival was held in 1969, the same year the park was built and cultivated. This event, hosted by the original owner, Lawrence “Carlton” Haney, was the first multi-day bluegrass festival in the state of North Carolina. Carlton had also produced what is considered the first weekend bluegrass festival in history four years earlier in Fincastle, Va.
“Carlton was a visionary,” Cody explained, “He’s in the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, he was one of the guys who pretty much started the [bluegrass] festival [as we know it].” Indeed, Carlton played an integral role in putting bluegrass on the map from the 1950s through the 1970s. He wrote songs, managed bluegrass and country talent acts, and saw many festivals through from planning stages to execution.
Through his various connections in the music industry, Camp Springs Bluegrass Park was able to book some big names from its inception to the mid-1980s. “Dolly [Parton] has played here, Conway Twitty, and the one that people remember the most was Alabama,” Cody said. “I actually threw baseballs with Alabama’s drummer over there. July 5, 1982. I was eight years old,” he recalled, pointing to a patch of grass between the bathhouse and the stage.
By 1971, the annual Labor Day Bluegrass Festival had garnered enough attention to inspire Albert Ihde, a filmmaker from California, to come down to the park to make a documentary. Bluegrass Country Soul, which was released the following year, captured the sights and, most notably, the sounds of the event. The acts featured that year included the likes of Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Ralph Stanley, The Country Gentlemen, and The Osborne Brothers. As Cody puts it, “Back then, it was the who’s who of bluegrass music all on the stage over that one weekend.” With nearly 10,000 attendees, it would have resembled a mini-Woodstock, bluegrass style. Carlton himself commented in the film that “The ‘long-hairs’ and the ‘short-hairs’ are all here together,” noting how the event brought people from all walks of life together in the name of bluegrass.
Over the years, what started as a bright, shining star for Caswell County fizzled into faded glory. Carlton entrusted the handling of the park events to other stewards, who eventually moved the festivities to a different venue altogether, and Camp Springs Bluegrass Park fell into ruin. Cody speculated on this matter, “I guess Carlton had his hands in a little bit of everything, and I just don’t think he took the time to stay with this place for the long haul. I think he let it deteriorate.” Carlton passed away in Greensboro in 2016, leaving a deep footprint on the bluegrass world, with the number of annual festivals in North America growing from one in 1965 to over 500 as of 2022.
The Turnaround
Second chances tend to make appearances at just the right time. This was certainly true in 2018, when Cody and his wife, Donna, stepped in to restore the property, buying the park from Carlton’s family and getting straight to work. They found the land to be extremely overgrown, the stage literally falling apart, and a dry weather pond had formed near the road. Cody summed it up quite succinctly: “It was a mess.” Cody, his family, and other helpers worked as a team to clear and clean up the grounds, renovate the bathhouse, and build up the stage, bigger than before. A single metal green beam stretches across the width of the stage from above, a tribute to the original stage and all that took place upon it, as it was the only piece that could be salvaged from the previous structure (aside from the basement portion). Cody certainly had a special motivation for carving out all of the excess to reveal the park’s former glory: “I live the next road over, I came here as a kid and I always wanted to relive my childhood days… My mom and dad took me all over to watch bluegrass… To me, those were the good old days.”
By September of 2019, Camp Springs Bluegrass Park was ready for the 50th anniversary of its very first festival. The lineup for the two-day event included Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, Blue Highway, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, and Ralph Stanley II & The Clinch Mountain Boys. In 2021, the Johnsons marked the 50th anniversary of Bluegrass Country Soul by showing it on the silver screen in the park for visitors to enjoy. The audience included a handful of musicians that starred in the documentary, as well as the director himself, Albert Ihde. Festival patrons can purchase DVD copies of the film during the yearly celebration, and, if like many attendees, you arrive earlier in the week, you can catch a screening of the movie the Thursday before the festival begins. This Labor Day weekend, the annual festival will enter its sixth consecutive year since the restoration of the park.
The Lineup
Camp Springs Bluegrass Park is not only home to its annual bluegrass festival, but annually hosts two other family-friendly music festivals. Power & Sound Revival, spearheaded by Michelle and Olivia Williams of Reidsville, is described as “a unique two-day music, van/car/bike show and art revival.” It features classic rock-style bands and artists and plenty of interesting, varied vendors and exhibitions. Always held during the third week of May, the event will return to the park for its fourth year on Friday, May 17 and Saturday, May 18.
The park’s other annual festival is also fast approaching. The Tony Rice Memorial Day Music Fest is returning for its second year in honor of the bluegrass legend. Tony Rice is undoubtedly Camp Springs Bluegrass Park’s best success story. “A lot of people got their start here. Actually, Tony Rice was found here, out in the parking lot, playin’ and pickin’, and joined a band.” Cody stated, “He touched a whole lot of people… If you play the acoustic guitar, you know who Tony Rice is.” After Tony passed away in 2020, Cody and his family wanted to pay tribute to the musician in a special way. “We approached his wife and daughter and wanted to make sure it was okay to do something in his honor, and they thought it was a great idea,” Cody continued, “It’s not only a bluegrass festival… It’s a mix of bluegrass and classic country”. Thanks to Tony’s network and legacy, festival goers can expect an exciting program this Memorial Day weekend. “We’ve got Ricky Skaggs coming this year, Exile, and Lonesome River Band,” Cody remarked. Aside from big festivals, the park is also rented out as a venue for weddings, class reunions, and other such occasions.
Keepin’ On…
When it comes to the future of Camp Springs Bluegrass Park, Cody is hoping and planning for expansion, in more ways than one. In addition to clearing more of the land, Cody hopes to book more varied festival events: “We want to try and have different kinds of music. We would like to appeal to everybody but still keep our roots,” he said. He also would like to partner with more sponsors and vendors in the future, local and otherwise.
Cody’s most ambitious goal is to make greater strides in the park’s promotion and preservation of bluegrass music, culture, and history, which is already underway. Last year, the Camp Springs Music and Historical Foundation, a non-profit, was established, and the efforts won’t stop there. The next big project will be constructing a building to serve as a hospitality center for performers, a small indoor concert hall, and a museum. “It was always Carlton’s dream to build a museum here,” said Cody, “I think a lot of people don’t realize how much history is here.”
As well as displaying objects of historical significance, Cody hopes to preserve and perpetuate bluegrass through partnering with the next generation of talent. “I try to book as many young bands as I can. There aren’t as many young kids playing the music as there used to be,” Cody lamented.
I think there is hope yet for the future of bluegrass music, as our conversation caused my brother D.J., who is a gifted guitarist, to chime in, “I guess I need to start learning some bluegrass!” With its history of being a launching pad for performers, and its pro-jam-session atmosphere, entertainers of all ages should consider attending the Bluegrass Festival. As Cody explained, “What’s totally different about bluegrass festivals is that there are great musicians on the stage playing, but then you can go out in the parking lot, in the campground, and listen to music that is just as good.”
Hittin’ the Road
Upon leaving the park, my brother and I both immediately knew we wanted to return as festival attendees and enjoy the outdoor music experience Cody raved about. Watching and listening to spirited acts perform pure, down-home, powerful music in the open air with friends and family is certainly our idea of a good time. Driving out of Caswell, we passed a sign that marked the county line, which bears the motto: “Preserving the Past – Embracing the Future.” Through their stewardship of Camp Springs Bluegrass Park, the Johnsons live out those words each and every day.
540 Boone Rd
Elon, NC 27244
(336) 213-1944
CampSpringsEvents.com
