Musicians, fans to gather in Powderly for Home of the Legends Thumbpicking Weekend

The Merle Travis Center in Powderly is preparing to host the annual gathering of thumbpicking guitarist and their fans, for the International Home of the Legends Thumbpicking Weekend on Sept. 29, 30 and Oct. 1.

Performers and enthusiasts will get together to celebrate the music made right here in Muhlenberg County, with Hall of Fame inductions and a little friendly competition.

The weekend will also provide a chance to see country music singer and songwriter Steve Wariner perform.

Steve Wariner will perform on Saturday night. (Photo/Facebook)

The annual gathering began in 1989, with the Thumbpicking Championship contest. About a decade later, in 1998, inductions into the Thumbpicking Hall of Fame were added to the weekend’s events. This makes it the longest running music festival in Kentucky, according to event organizer Joe Hudson.

The weekend kicks off on Sept. 29. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. with a performance at 5:45 p.m. before the 6:30 p.m. Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

A special concert will be held after the induction ceremony, featuring Deke Dickerson and Eddie Pennington. Dickerson is the author of a 2022 biography of Merle Travis, titled “Sixteen Tons, The Merle Travis Story”, published by BMG Books.

Doors open early Saturday morning, Sept. 30, for the Thumbpicking Championship contests. The competition begins at 10 a.m. and will run throughout the day. There is a division for players under the age of 17, and one for the adults, with two lucky winners receiving a new Gretsch guitar.

At 7 p.m. on Saturday night, country music singer and songwriter Steve Wariner will perform to close out the day’s events. Wariner is best known for a string of hits including “All Roads Lead to You”, “Some Fools Never Learn” and “You Can Dream of Me”. This Grammy Award winning musician has collaborated with Garth Brooks, Clint Black and Glen Campbell, just to name a few.

The weekend always brings a host of talent to the Merle Travis Center, and this year is no exception. Those who attend will likely see performances by Merle Travis’s daughters, Merlene Travis-Maggini and Cindy Travis, as well as weekend regulars Parker Hastings, John Knowles and Paul Mosley.

Sunday, Oct. 1 is reserved for an open jam session with some old fashioned pickin’ on the porch at Paradise Park, next door to the Merle Travis Center. Music starts at 11 a.m.

Tickets are available in advance at merletraviscenter.org and at the door while they last. The Merle Travis Center is located at 750 Cleaton Road in Powderly.