The holidays are over, the Patriots have finished their regular season with record breaking performance, winter chill is fully entrenched in the northeast, but for bluegrass fans anticipation is building for the upcoming Joe Val festival to be held in February.

The Boston Bluegrass Union once again is gearing up for another full weekend of bluegrass music featuring top national and regional bands and endless hours of picking and jamming in the corridors, rooms, and any convenient corner of the Sheraton Tara in Framingham, MA. The 2008 Joe Val Bluegrass festival is being held over President's Day Weekend, February 15-17, 2008. This year marks the 23rd festival honoring the late Joe Val. Massachusetts born, Joe is remembered as New England's first bluegrass musician. This festival is considered one of the best picking parties around.

Rooms at the festival hotel sold out within 3 hours of opening on November 27, 2007 but don't despair there are other accommodations near by to be had for patrons of the festival. You can find out more information about these alternative accommodations on the Joe Val web site. The key to getting reservations for the Sheraton, lies in BBU members having 1st choice; thus members jump on the reservation system as soon as it opens for sale because its well known how quickly it sells out.

This year's line up features:

• 2006 IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year - Steep Canyon Rangers
• 35+ year veteran Award Winning – Seldom Scene
• Emerging Artist – Alicia Nugent
• IMBA Award winning supergroup – Blue Highway
• 2007 IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year, and Instrumental Group of the Year –Michael Cleveland and the Flamekeepers
• Newly formed duet - Daily and Vincent
• And many more

This festival sells out annually because it has consistently presented top notch talent with a rock solid lineup of great bluegrass artists, is located in the heart of New England, and provides excellent educational programs at no extra charge. All this for a reasonable price of $75 when you take advantage of the early bird special which ends on January 15th.

Boston Bluegrass Union consistent delivers a well organized festival event with a strong line up and variety of activity from which to keep patrols entertained throughout the weekend. Plus you cannot discount that Joe Val is the ONLY winter festival held in the Northeast. Joe Val is one festival you truly do not want to miss.