The Gathering Place for Old-Time Music
“Come if you want to experience old-time music like you have never experienced it before. If you want to nerd out about something, this is the place to do it.”
Nestled at Camp Washington Carver right next to Babcock State Park in West Virginia, the Appalachian String Band Music Festival (commonly known as Clifftop) has been drawing music lovers for over thirty years. While newcomers might mistakenly call it a bluegrass event, regulars will quickly set you straight: this gathering is strictly dedicated to traditional old-time music. Anywhere between 3,000 and 6,000 visitors make the trip each summer, traveling from all 50 states and more than 20 countries. For just a $15 day pass, visitors step into a sprawling community where musicians of all skill levels camp out, set up in the parking lot days early, and pick strings together under the mountain trees.
Jams, Tradition, and Unforgettable Energy
“It is a community of like-minded people. Some of us are oddballs out in the real world, and we come here and feel at home.”
What makes Clifftop so special is its vibrant, spontaneous energy. The festival celebrates traditional jam sessions where string bands can keep a single tune rolling anywhere from two minutes to twenty-five minutes straight. You will find unique traditions scattered throughout the grounds, such as the famous Estrogen Jam where male musicians serve gin and tonics to celebrate female players. Down on the trails, dancers learn solo flatfooting and buck dancing, matching their steps rhythmically to the movement of a fiddle bow. From impromptu honky-tonk gatherings in the woods to neotraditional band competitions on the main stage, the entire festival feels like a welcoming home for anyone who marches to a slightly different beat.
Handcrafted Instruments and Mountain Flavor
“Everybody playing fiddle, banjo, whatever dulcimer, it is actually healthy I think.”
Beyond the music, Clifftop is a showcase of incredible Appalachian craftsmanship and local flavor. Walk down vendor row and you will meet master woodworkers who handcraft and number every single mountain dulcimer from their home workshops, or fiddlers who regard their instrument as the most versatile in the world. When hunger strikes, the food options are just as memorable. Festival-goers can dig into wood-fired pizza or head over to Outback Kate’s for Cajun favorites like alligator, Cajun greens, and hot jalapeno hush puppies. Between the heartwarming hospitality, communal phone-charging stations, and midnight tunes floating through the trees, it is an atmosphere of pure trust and mountain magic.
Ready to Experience Clifftop for Yourself?
If you want to see the flatfooting in action, hear the fiddles echoing through the hollows, and catch all the vibrant energy of Camp Washington Carver, you have to watch the original video! Grab a cold drink, sit back, and immerse yourself in one of the most unique music festivals Appalachia has to offer.
