In recent years, there has been a revival of bluegrass music.

The traditional sounds of the acoustic instruments and the plaintive sounds of the songs are working their way in the hearts of music lovers everywhere.

Realizing this, Mike Swindall decided to provide a time and a place for those who love bluegrass music to gather and pick and sing and enjoy the fellowship that always abounds in "bluegrass."

"More and more people are getting involved in bluegrass - as pickers, singers or just listeners," Swindall said. "We had the perfect gathering place for these folks, so we organized several bluegrass festival through out the year."

The festival planned for Feb. 6-8 is the Cabin Fever Bluegrass Festival.

"We call it that because it's at a time of the year when everybody's been cooped up on these cold winter days and are ready to get our and have some fun," Swindall said. "What's more fun than a bluegrass festival."

The Cabin Fever Bluegrass Festival will feature five bluegrass bands on Friday and Saturday that are known far and wide as the some of the best bluegrass pickers anywhere.

The headline group will be the Gold Wing Express.

"They are a Native American bluegrass group and they really put on a good show,"Swindall said. "They wear Native American headdress and they are excellent musicians and they have some comedy routines that will really keep you entertained."

Four other popular bluegrass bands will also perform.Those familiar with bluegrass already know Cedar Creek, Southern Comfort, Southern Gentleman and Fair River Station. Those who aren't familiar with the band will come away fans of theirs, Swindall said.

"The bands will perform at 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday at 1 and 6 p.m. " Swindall said. "You'll get to see all of the bands at every performance. And, there will be pickup jam sessions going on all over the park. Everyone is invited to stop by and listen or join in the singing. If you have an acoustic instrument and want to bring it along and play along, they'll be glad to let you join in."

On Thursday, opening night of the festival, Pike County's own country music sensation Duran Burton will be on stage at 7 p.m. along with national recording artist and song writer Lamar Morris.

Tickets for the Thursday and Friday performances are $15 and $20 for the Saturday performances.

A weekend pass is available for $35 and allows ticket holders to come and go as they please.

"We have a great weekend of bluegrass planned and we expect between 1,000 and 1,200 people for

the Cabin Fever Bluegrass Festival," Swindall said. "We'll have campers from about 10 states. And, we invite local people to bring their RVs out for a weekend getaway close to home. They will enjoy the fellowship of other campers and all the great entertainment."

Swindall said the park has a great concession stand for those who want to grab a bite or they can fire up a grill and cook and eat to the enjoyment of the bluegrass music.

The bluegrass festivals, which are held each season, bring a large number of visitors to Pike County and give the local economy a boost.

"The first thing the women do is head out to do some shopping," Swindall said. "They eat in our restaurants, buy gas and shop in our stores. Anytime that many people come into a community, they do have an impact on the economy. Why, one time a man bought a Cadillac while he was in town. The bluegrass festivals do more than provide good, wholesome family fun. They also help promote our community and put some extra dollars in the pockets of our merchants."