August 11, 2021 Update
We are sad to report we have decided to cancel the Fraley Festival for 2021. Park staff and I have spent time discussing this and we are in agreement on this decision.
The main reasons are:
● Concern about health and well-being of people who attend. We are uncertain of the risk of the Delta variant of Covid and of how it would play out at the festival.
● The incidence of cases is high in Carter County (in the red) and the health department cannot confirm that it would be down by the time the festival begins. Indoor mask and social distancing requirements are currently in place.
● Though much of the festival takes place outside, the weather could force much or all of it inside (as it has multiple times in the past few years) and would increase the risk of exposure to the virus.
We have missed getting together and had hoped so much that it would feel very safe to do so. We are considering of having something online so stay tuned for more information. We plan on having the festival next year, Sept. 7 – 10. 2022. We will once again be able to have the music we make, the friends we see, and the traditions of the festival we share. We hope you will be able to join us.
Barb Kuhns — Festival Director
August 7, 2021 Update
Due to the recent increase in Covid-19 cases in the State of Kentucky, we have received updated occupancy and masking guidelines from the Kentucky Department of Parks. We are currently reviewing the guidelines to ensure we can still have an enjoyable festival while operating within the bound of the directions from the state government.
Check back often for updates.
Andrew Bevan — Media Admin
We are pleased to announce that the Fraley Festival of Traditional Music will be taking place at Carter Caves Park on Sept. 8-11, 2021. It will be the 50th anniversary of the festival! It will be so good to gather together and play music again. We expect it to be pretty much the same as previous years, though we will not have the square dance in the cave this year. But the workshops, evening concerts, and jamming will be back. The festival will go on, barring any major changes. Hope to see you there!
Barb Kuhns — Festival Director
