RALEIGH, N.C. — The biggest urban bluegrass festival in the world was back. The International Bluegrass Music Association World of Bluegrass festival was in Raleigh last weekend.

What You Need To Know

  • The IBMA World of Bluegrass festival is one of the largest urban bluegrass festivals of its kind

  • An organization called Wernick’s Method taught free bluegrass jam sessions during the festival

  • This was the last year the festival was held in Raleigh

However, IBMA said this would be the final year Raleigh will host the event. Organizers are looking to bring the festival to a new city in 2024. Meanwhile, representatives with the city of Raleigh said they are planning to host a new music festival next year.

Bluegrass music is the people’s music. It’s catchy, fun to listen to, and easy to play for millions around the world.

Jodi Harbin is a jam session leader at the bluegrass festival.

Harbin said she’s been playing instruments since she was 4 but started playing bluegrass in college over 25 years ago and fell in love with the genre.

“I love to teach jamming, because it’s such a community thing,” Harbin said. “It’s just, it’s very community oriented, and it’s a really cool support community to be a part of.”

Although Harbin and other instructors teach jam sessions all across the country throughout the year, this event is special. The bluegrass festival helps grow the music community.

While festivalgoers get to listen to some of the best bluegrass bands around, they’re also able to play some music of their own or organically create music by joining in with someone else.

Bass is one of the main instruments in bluegrass. (Jenna Rae Gaertner/Spectrum News 1)

“I’ve never played with any of those guys before,” Harbin said after a jam session. “And here we are. We’re playing music together, making a good song, you know? Making music.”

Bluegrass typically includes guitar, banjo, mandolin, bass, fiddle and a unique instrument called a dobro. The musicians know a standard set of songs that revolve around the same type of chord progression so anyone can join.

“If you know G chord, C chord, D chord and an A cord, you can play a ton of songs with just four chords,” Harbin said. “So it’s really easy for people to kind of get going.”

While people learn a lot in these jam sessions at the festival, the main goal is to start playing with others and just enjoy the beauty of bluegrass.