The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum and ROMP Festival will take part in a nationwide Smithsonian initiative tied to the United States’ 250th anniversary, bringing expanded programming to this year’s festival in Owensboro.
The partnership is part of Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals, a series led by the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage that connects the Smithsonian Folklife Festival with community festivals across the country.
Between March and November, the Center will collaborate with roughly 40 festivals nationwide, working with local organizers to create programming that highlights regional culture, traditions, and community voices.
ROMP is scheduled for June 24-27 at Yellow Creek Park. Organizers say the partnership will add artists and workshops focused on bluegrass history and its role in American culture.
Newly announced performers include Dom Flemons & The Traveling Wildfires, Larry Cordle, The Hazel Project, Charm City Junction, Thomm Jutz, Michael Daves & Jacob Jolliff, Chris Roberts & Pat McGrath, and Ondra Kozak & Radim Zenkl. Additional programming is expected to be announced later.
Adam Engelhardt, executive director of the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum and ROMP Festival, said the collaboration will broaden the festival’s reach and connect local audiences to a larger national conversation about cultural traditions.
“It’s an honor to team up with the Smithsonian and bring Of the People to ROMP,” Engelhardt said. “Bluegrass represents the community and creativity this national celebration is all about. This collaboration will enhance our festival and connect our audience to a bigger conversation about our shared traditions and heritage.”
The Smithsonian selected participating festivals based on regional diversity and programming variety, ranging from music festivals to folklife events and marketplaces. The effort expands on nearly six decades of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., by bringing similar programming directly into communities.
Clifford Murphy, director of the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, said the initiative is designed to highlight cultural traditions while encouraging reflection on the nation’s shared future.
“The 250th anniversary is a time to celebrate our extraordinary cultural democracy, to visit with the people, places, and traditions within it, and to contemplate our shared future,” Murphy said. “By taking the Folklife Festival beyond Washington, we recommit to our original purpose to take the Smithsonian beyond objects and buildings; we also carry out our mission to connect communities across cultures — cultivating curiosity, understanding, and belonging for all people.”
The Festival of Festivals is part of a broader Smithsonian initiative marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, alongside additional programs focused on public conversations and educational outreach.
Produced annually by the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, ROMP is a four-day festival featuring live performances, workshops, and family-friendly activities centered on bluegrass and roots music.
