Photo by Jess deLaski
TO BOOK HICKORY GROVE call us at 703-855-3336
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES:
Saturday October 5, 2024: 11:00am – 4:00pm
Montgomery County 30th annual Harvest Festival at the Agricultural History Farm Park, located at 18400 Muncaster Road, Derwood, MD 20855
Enjoy a beautiful, fun-filled fall day on the farm with traditional crafts, activities, music and food. Hickory Grove’s Performance Time: 1:45pm to 2:35pm
This scenic 455-acre park features rolling hills, open fields, an apple orchard, and a variety of farm animals. Get a unique perspective on the county’s rich farming heritage while visiting barns, historic buildings, a modern farming activity center, and other facilities at the park.
Saturday October 12, 2024 Concert at Harriet Tubman Museum and Education Center is cancelled
If you are planning an event, we hope you will keep us in mind. If you are looking for examples of our performances here are a couple of videos (scroll farther down the page for more).
This first video was captured by a friend in the audience on her cell phone at the Cherry Hill Park in Falls Church, VA. [July 2018]. It features Larry Tapper cutting loose his harmonica to “Six White Horses”. Jamie Richardson is backing us on vocals and mandolin along with Dave Sargent on bass.
Here we are on the deck with our dear friend Larry Tapper (the finest harmonica player we know) playing Bill Staines’ “Piney River Girl”. It is a favorite song reflecting the beauty of our home state.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM RECENT PAST PERFORMANCES:
April 2023 Walk on the Hill and Green: This past Spring we performed our music on the Marci Cabin for the annual The Walk on the Hill and Green.
Hometown Thursday – On September 19, 2019 we played the final show of the 2019 season of the Hometown Thursday Concert Series at the Old Town Square Park in the City of Fairfax. It is a cozy little park next to the old Court House. When not serving as a concert venue, it features a splash pad for the children to frolic in the water and lights. Larry Tapper joined us on harmonica and Dave Sargent joined us on bass guitar. It was lovely to see familiar faces in the audience. Our friend Jim Frerotte of Alderson WV captured this image on his smart-phone. Thank you JIm!
The Connection – We were thrilled when the Vienna & Oakton Connection caught us last fall at Historic Vienna’s “ANTIQUES MARKET DAY” (9/8/2018) hosted at the Freeman Store and Museum. The Freeman Store – The Freeman Store remains a great cultural and community asset for Vienna.
Gas and Steam Engine Show – We kicked off 2018 in the early Spring performing as a duo providing music for the 22nd Annual Gas & Steam Engine Show at Montgomery County’s Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood, Maryland.
This is a lovely and fun venue! It was great to see the working antique tractors, the live animals, and all the other historical agricultural displays.
Photo from the “Gas & Steam Engine Show” by Mike Little
We played four public events in the summer of 2018 as a five piece band.
We we were joined by Jamie Richardson (vocals & Mandolin), Larry Tapper (Harmonica) and Dave Sargent (Bass Guitar).
Events included: “The 44th Annual Walk on the Hill & Green Expo” in Vienna, Va., “The Spring Festival” at the Walker Nature Center in Reston, Va.
Photo above from “Walk On the Hill & Expo” by Ted Pruitt
Also, “The Cherry Hill Park Thursday Night Concert Series” in Falls Church, Va., and ” The Swift Run Celtic House Concert Series in Fairfax Station, Va
Photo above from Cherry Hill Park by Sharon Dyrland
2017 WAS ALSO AN EXCELLENT YEAR FOR US – Here are some highlights:
We provided the music for the October 14 Little Library 120th Anniversary Celebration next to the Freeman Store and Museum in Vienna, VA. “The Little Library” is the Town of Vienna’s original library — a tiny one room building constructed in 1897. This sunny afternoon included games for children and adults, souvenirs, refreshments, and remarks by local dignitaries. Bev and Jack were joined on stage by Larry Tapper (Harmonica) and Dave Sargent (Bass Guitar).
It was a perfect day for Bluegrass on the Farm, at the Montgomery County Agricultural History Farm Park, in Derwood, MD on Saturday (September 16). This event is produced and superbly executed by a team of dedicated volunteers. “Bluegrass on the Farm” has been an annual event since 2006. The site is a 55-acre historic farm that includes the original house (built in 1908) that serves as a museum. The stage was set in a beautiful stand of tall trees providing shade for the audience.
Photo by Bruce Cohen
There were gardening, farm animal, and antique farm equipment exhibits, food and drink, and three bluegrass bands. We had a great time, but it so warmed our hearts to receive the following:
“It was a real pleasure to have Hickory Grove perform at our thirteenth annual Bluegrass on the Farm Festival in Derwood, Maryland. Hickory Grove has an obvious love for music, people, and entertaining. They bring top-notch vocals to their performances and pair that singing with smooth and accomplished instrument play. Hickory Grove’s enthusiasm for music and performing shines during every song. At Bluegrass on the Farm, Hickory Grove was a wonderful addition to our family friendly festival.” -Chris Suzich, Friends of the Agricultural History Farm Park, Board member
In July 2017 Bev, and Jack were joined by Larry Tapper (harmonica), and Ralph Gordon (bass) for a Swift Run Lodge Celtic House Concert in Fairfax Station, VA. Much of the folk and bluegrass music we play has deep roots in the Scottish, Irish, Welsh and English folk traditions. The Swift Run Celtic House Concerts are a series of musical performances, in an intimate out-door setting, offered each summer. The series features performers from both sides of the Atlantic.
May 2017 we played at the Walker Nature Center Spring Festival in Reston. Larry Tapper joined us on harmonica. The Stewart Sisters kicked off the day, followed by Song Garden (Tom Bodine & Kathleen Huber), and then Hickory Grove. The staff, volunteers, and attendees at the Nature Center were wonderful and hardy folk. While we didn’t sing “Singing in the Rain”, we were definitely Singing in the Rain! In spite of the weather, we all had a great time. We have some home-made video from this event below.
Here we are playing “Blue Skies and Teardrops” with Larry Tapper on Harmonica.
And here we are playing “Dark Hollow” at the Walker Nature Center Spring Festival in Reston.
April 2017 we played at Vienna’s “Walk on the Hill” Event. It was a beautiful day and a lovely setting. This was the 43rd annual “Walk on the Hill” in Vienna’s historic Windover Heights neighborhood.
Our stage was the porch of a cabin located on a lovely lawn and garden. That is Larry Tapper playing harmonica and Ralph Gordon playing bass.
THE FREEMAN STORE AND MUSEUM
In August of 2016 we had a great time playing and singing with our friend Jody Marshall (Hammered Dulcimer) on two occasions at the Freeman Store and Museum in Vienna, VA (pictured to the right). Bev and Jack also provided music for a book signing. The building was originally constructed in 1859. Over the years it has been used as a store, a residence, a post office, and now serves as a center for preservation of the Vienna Virginia’s history. It is located next to the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD) Bike Trail, across Church Street from the big red caboose – convenient for bikers to buy a cold drink!
Photo by: David Shelby
THE FOLK CLUB OF RESTON/ HERNDON
Many Tuesday Evenings you can find us at at The Folk Club of Reston/Herndon . The Folk Club meets every Tuesday at 7:15pm at the Amphora Diner Deluxe located at:
1151 Elden Street
Herndon, Virginia 20170
Hickory Grove performing live at the Reston/Herndon Folk Club:
This was recorded at a “Showcase” at the Folk Club of Reston/Herndon
Here we are performing Billy Edd Wheeler’s “Red Winged Blackbird” (featuring Bev singing lead).
A little history on “Hickory Grove”
We organized our band in 1989 to play Folk, Americana, and Bluegrass music. We named the band after an area on the campus of The Defiance College [in Defiance, Ohio] where Jack and Bev first met. It was called “The Hickory Grove”.
In the fall of 1993 we released Hickory Grove’s album “At the Mill”. The album received excellent reviews in the Times Community Paper Jan 1994; Northern Virginia Rhythm, April 1994; Bluegrass Unlimited, July 1995; Sing Out, May/June/July 1995; Dirty Linen, August 1995. Through the 1990s Hickory Grove played an array of regional venues ranging from Downs Park, MD to Waterford, VA including town festivals, county parks, and the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage. After the turn of the Millennium, Hickory Grove slowed their public performance pace as Jack and Bev both went back to school and continued playing music in other settings.
In 2013 we reactivated Hickory Grove with new energy and performances at the Swift Run Lodge Celtic House, Jammin’ Java, and other venues.