Hey y'all, I've never been to any of the IBMA festivals. Just recently IBMA is selecting Chattanooga as the city of their venue, used to be Raleigh.
Question I have - What's your experience with these festivals? Do you like going? Is it underwhelming or definitely worth going to? I'm really excited to go this year, just waiting for the tickets to be released to the public.
Anything that's a must-do or must-see while I'm there? Things to avoid, etc. I'd ask the IBMA themselves, but I'd like to hear from the people that have been there.
Be aware that the first several days of the nearly week-long event is the trade show. Yes, there's music there--showcases, late night jamming, etc.--but the focus is on the business of bluegrass, with seminars, panel discussions, and the like. If your interest is more recreational, the later part of the week will be more to your taste. This being the first year in Chattanooga, I don't know specifically how they're going to structure that.
