TRR photo by Tom Kane Three hundred people gather to listen to The Lineman. Banjo player Bob Goldring has a second home in Narrowsburg. (Click for larger image)

Crowds ignore heat and humidity to hear Bluegrass

By TOM KANE

NARROWSBURG — Lovers of Bluegrass music are a dedicated audience.

About 300 Bluegrass lovers gathered on Narrowsburg’s Main Street last Sunday, August 4, despite 90 degree temperatures and an equally high degree of humidity to hear The Linemen, one of New York’s hottest bluegrass groups.

Most of the music lovers hugged the shadows of the store-wide porch of Rasmussen Furniture Store.

It was the second annual Bluegrass on the River event, sponsored by Nicolina Country Place, a store on Main Street in Narrowsburg operated by Nicole Gonsalves, the Narrowsburg Chamber of Commerce and the Delaware Valley Arts Alliance.

“This is my way of thanking you for this wonderful community,” Gonsalves said. Gonsalves, who has a similar store in New York City in the theatre district, has operated her unique gift store on Narrowsburg’s Main Street for over two years.

The concertgoers came from near and far. “There was a man from Wurtsboro who saw an ad and came because he liked Bluegrass and didn’t have anything to do on a Sunday afternoon,” Narrowsburg Chamber of Commerce President John Grund said. “We’re very pleased with the turnout and we hope that people return to Narrowsburg for the other events we’re planning,”

National Park Service Information Center manager Connie Lloyd concurred. “There were several people in the bookstore who said they had never been to Narrowsburg before,” she said.

The next chamber-sponsored event will be the Town-wide Garage Sale on August 31. For more information call Grund at 845/252-7409.