This year’s Festival welcomes several local favorites to the stage at the 2007 Labor Day Weekend music event. Featuring over fifteen acts, the free festival is located in Hinton WV at the confluence of the Greenbrier, Bluestone, and New rivers.
The New Age Hillbilly and One-Man-Band of Hinton WV takes the stage at 3:45 on Saturday. He describes himself as “…a man with a vision. Using the love for all genres of music, genetics, homemade style with new age products, and a lot of curiosity…. "The New Age Hillbilly" With his three-string electric Cigar Box Guitar and foot-controlled drums, music will never be the same...” His performance will personify the nature of the Cigar Box Guitar movement and has been a favorite of festival attendees over the years. For a sneak preview visit: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=66360170 .
On Sunday at 3:45 he will return in a more conventional style with The Hartwells, a three-piece band performing traditional favorites. The band includes The Hillbilly, his father - Mr. Hartwell, and John Harbert – all natives of Hinton.
On Saturday from 11 to noon, the international event will also include a “How to Build and Play a Cigar Box Guitar” class with all materials provided for participants. Seats are available to anyone ages five and above. All participants will have an opportunity to learn about guitar history, construction, and theory, and how to build and - will be able to take home their own cigar box guitar. The class will be taught by Tom Hartwell, proprietor of Tomi-O Music aka "The New Age Hillbilly.", a cigar box instrument builder and player extraordinaire. The pre-registration fee of $10 (or $15 at the door) is non-refundable for the “rain or shine” event and seats will remain available until the class is full. To guarantee a seat, checks should be made payable to FMH, and sent to Flannagan-Murrell House, P.O. Box 1504, Hinton WV 25951. To learn more about the class contact Fred Long at (304) 466-0005 or by email at hinton1000@aol.com.
Beginning at 10 am and ending at 10 pm daily, the Saturday and Sunday event at Hinton’s City Sidetrack Park, "Festival of the Rivers 2007", remains FREE to the public. The festival features something for every member of the family and the Water Slide will be open each day from 11 am till 7 pm.
Hinton’s “Jewel of the Hills” features traditional, regional, and international music performed by musicians from around the world. For more information please visit the event website at www.hintonwva.com/festrivers.html .