The Boston Bluegrass Union has announced today that the popular Joe Val Bluegrass Festival, inactive since 2021, will return to the Sheraton Hotel in Framingham, MA in February of 2026.
The initial cessation was a result of both the COVID restrictions still in force in 2021, and the fact that the Sheraton was undergoing a major renovation, which while still open, would not enable the BBU sufficient rooms to effectively host the festival there.
Those repairs and remodeling are now complete, so a return to Framingham is set for February 12-15 of next year.
2026 hits three major anniversaries for bluegrass in Boston: the 40th anniversary of the first Joe Val Bluegrass Festival; the 50th of the Boston Bluegrass Union; and what would have been Joe Val’s 100th birthday year.
Val himself was a legend among northeastern grassers, keeping an active band based in Boston from the 1960s through the early ’80s when cancer took him in 1985. Possessed of a strikingly powerful tenor voice, a skillful stroke on the mandolin, and a great love for traditional music, Joe left a legacy of many fine recordings, starting with the Charles River Valley Boys in 1965, followed by their epic Beatle Country record in 1966.
With his New England Bluegrass Boys, Val – shortened from Valiante by Tex Logan – became the face of New England bluegrass, providing employment for a series of musicians over the years, much as Bill Monroe and Doyle Lawson did before and after him.
He is a member of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, inducted in 2018.
The festival named in his honor launched the year after his death, and always provided a first-of-the-year break from the cold weather blues, with festival goers traveling from all over the US and Canada to enjoy some great bluegrass music in the dead of winter. The large hotel complex, now broken into three separate properties, became a chaotic mix of pickers and listeners throughout, and a marvelous time was had by all.
The return of the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival in 2026 will see an expansion, starting on Thursday evening with an all-star concert, all night jamming, and workshops during the day on Friday. Main stage shows begin on Friday night, along with a showcase stage, and the very popular BBU Kid’s Academy.
As in the past, a lottery for rooms will be offered this fall to members of the Boston Bluegrass Union, who typically book them all. The $15 annual membership not only gets you in the lottery for rooms at the Sheraton, it also helps support the organization and their work to promote bluegrass music in the region.
Full details can be found online.
Welcome back to the Joe Val festival!
