Danny Paisley and Mark Delaney at the 2026 Joe Val Bluegrass Festival – photo © Tara Linhardt
February 12-15 2026 brought back the Joe Val Festival with its great line up of main stage and showcase acts, and its many workshops and jam sessions. But this year it seemed more special in many ways than in some past years.
There was much to celebrate. It was the first Joe Val since the pandemic, so it had been six years since the community that comes to this special mid-winter hotel festival had had a chance to get together. It was the 40th Anniversay of the Joe Val Festival and the 50th year of the Boston Bluegrass Union (BBU) sho hosts the event, and the 100th anniversary of Joe Val’s birth.
There was also much to mourne as the New England Bluegrass community deeply felt the loss of two of its much-loved members with the recent passing of Gabe Hirshfeld and Stan Zdonik. Stan had been a friend to so many and had been the first Boston Bluegrass Union President, who had served in that role for much of the BBU’s history. He had also been on the Board of the International Bluegrass Music Association and had received the IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement Award. In his honor they have retitled an award in his name – the Stan Zdonik Industry Heritage Award.
In honor of Gabe Hirshfeld, the beloved banjo playing phenom with a sterling sense of humor, there is now a Gabe Hirshfeld Memorial Fund, whose mission is to support the musical education of young banjo players, while preserving and advancing the musical community. One can make tax-deductible donations to this fund as well online.
This fund was set up as a partnership between the BBU and the Hirshfeld family.
Friday had a Celebration of Life on the main stage with various musicians, family members, and friends of Gabe’s sharing stories which illustrated his special sense of humor, compassion, creativity, and musical brilliance. This year’s festival had a silent auction, and they also sold Gabe Hirshfeld shirts to raise money for the fund named in his honor, designed by Grace Van’t Hof. A long line of folks took the stage sharing funny and heart-warming Gabe stories, and a number of performers came on playing some of Gabe’s original tunes and ones that Gabe had like to play.
Here are a few tastes.
Eli Gilbert performing in “Hirshfeld tuning.”
A Gabe Hirshfeld tune performed by his old band mates.
Matt Flinner performing a Gabe Hirshfeld tune in his honor
Later in the day began the regular festival performances, like these by the Joe Val All-Stars and Danny Paisley & Southern Grass, just to name a couple of the many bands that took the stages.
Here is a clip from the Joe Val All-Stars with Micheal Daves, Matt Flinner, Missy Raines, Alison Brown, with Stuart Duncan singing Lonesome Day.
And another All-Star clip, this time with Missy Raines singing Cold Wind with a special verse written and added about Joe Val especially for the festival.
Ryan Paisley with Danny Paisley & Southern Grass performing a Hershel Sizemore tune called Amandalina.
And for some off stage fun, here is a little hallway jam to hear and see some of what goes on at Joe Val. You can sometimes find some great stuff as you wander the hallways and rooms of the hotel any day of the festival!
Here are some photos from the day of great music, stories, and memories. So many people happy to finally see each other again, to make lots of new friends, and for many, to have a chance to learn some cool new music ideas as well.
