Appomattox Court House NHP Hosts 6th Annual Joel Sweeney and the Banjo Festival

Banjoist Dom Flemons and Park Ranger David Wooldridge hold instruments.

NPS Photo

Appomattox Court House National Historical Park presented the 6th Annual Joel Sweeney and the Banjo Festival at the park on Saturday, September 7, 2019. In partnership with the Appomattox 1865 Foundation and the North Carolina School of Traditional Music, more than 200 visitors participated in activities throughout the day that honored the legacy and influence of Joel Sweeney and the banjo in American music.

A highlight of the festival activities was the dedication of a new Virginia Historical Marker placed along the Appomattox River that honors the enslaved African American Banjoists who taught Joel Sweeney how to play the banjo. Sweeney then took this African-rooted music to the world stage. This ceremony recognized the these musicians for their contributions to the American musical landscape.

Following the dedication, visitors gathered at the historic Clover Hill Tavern to hear traditional musicians The Sweeney Players and headline act, Dom Flemons, the American Songster. Flemons delivered a stunning performance, playing original and traditional songs on banjo, rhythm bones, guitar, and harmonica. Visitors and musicians alike paid a fitting tribute to the roots of American music in Appomattox.