Shenandoah Valley Music Festival facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Shenandoah Valley Music Festival |
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Shrine Mont, Shenandoah Valley Music Festival's venue
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| Genre | Rock, Country, Bluegrass, Americana, Symphonic |
| Location(s) | Orkney Springs, Virginia |
| Years active | 1963-Present |
The Shenandoah Valley Music Festival is a super fun concert series! It happens every summer in Orkney Springs, Virginia. You can enjoy concerts from mid-July all the way through Labor Day weekend.
The festival started in 1963. Its first goal was to bring classical music to the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. Today, it still features classical music. But you can also hear many other styles! These include rock, country, bluegrass, folk, and Americana. Many famous artists have played here, like The Beach Boys and The Temptations.
The Shenandoah Valley Music Festival is a nonprofit organization. This means it's run by people who want to help the community. They use any money they make to keep the festival going.
Concerts take place at Shrine Mont. This special place used to be the Orkney Springs Hotel. It is now owned by the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia. The concert stage is inside a large pavilion. Shrine Mont is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The festival has happened every summer since 1963. Even during the Coronavirus epidemic in 2020, the music played on! All concerts that year were held in September. The festival made sure everyone was safe. They asked people to wear masks and keep a safe distance.
Festival History
In the early 1960s, two people had a great idea. Helen M. Thompson and Col. Robert Benchoff wanted to bring classical music to Virginia. They worked with a conductor named Dr. Richard Lert.
The very first concert was in 1963. It took place in a gymnasium at the Massanutten Military Academy. Since then, the festival has grown a lot! It now hosts many different types of music. You can hear rock, country, bluegrass, and pop music.
