Annual Bluegrass Festival Returns To Howell

Members of the Bluegrass band Sonrise Mountain Revival perform during a recent Bluegrass Festival held at the Immanuel Bible Church off West Farms Road. (Photo By Bob Vosseller)

  HOWELL – Children’s crafts, food, and plenty of bluegrass music were all part of a free fall event held at the Immanuel Bible Church.

  The church grounds were filled with people, inflatable attractions, and two Bluegrass bands who performed during the day. A NJ State Police Trooper rode a police horse and answered questions about his duties during the afternoon.

  This marked the third year for the event which was the brainchild of the church’s pastor, Joe Suozzo. He is a bluegrass music fan who performed with members of the Immanuel Bible Church Worship Team during the day.

  “I play the guitar and I played with the group that is here today from Sussex County. I came down here 15 years ago and perform with our worship team. We are very happy to have the Sonrise Mountain Revival Band here with us,” Suozzo said.

Young people enjoy a crafty event during the recently held 3rd Annual Immanuel Bible Church Bluegrass Festival. (Photo By Bob Vosseller)

  Suozzo said he is considering ways the church might make this event bigger in the future. “We are thinking of expanding this Friday thru Sunday as we have a camp out this weekend as well.”

  Resident Vera Proulx joined the church a year ago but this marked her second year for the festival. “I really enjoy it. It is a very nice event that brings people together.”

  Jeanne Thomas, who oversees children’s activities at the church, was busy supervising a youth craft table where instead of painting pumpkins, young people were painting faces and other designs in wedges of wood.

  “Many people came here just for the festival but we have so many activities here including soccer. We are not trying to push religion or anything down people’s throats we just want them to come out and enjoy the experience,” Thomas said.

  Thomas added, “this is a nice family event. It is my second favorite event at the church, the first being our Christmas Eve service. It is an event that just brings people together and just shows love. We need some good news and an event just to relax at.”

  The church was founded in 1969. “I am the fourth pastor here and we are celebrating our 50th anniversary year,” Suozzo said.

  The event was just one way the church’s involvement with the community was showcased. Suozzo said it also has a community garden on its property.

A community garden project is seen on the grounds of the Immanuel Bible Church which is part of the parish’s commitment of community service. (Photo By Bob Vosseller)

  “We are partnering with the neighborhood across the street. We have 36 plots and our local Boy Scouts installed 15 plots recently. Our goal is to have it as an organic garden that people can come and get food from.”

  The church has two pastors. The second is Mike Tapia who was also busy enjoying the day and greeting parishioners and visitors to the event.

  “This is great weather for the festival. It really is a great day for it and we have lots of food,” Tapia said.

  Members of the Sonrise Mountain Revival performed first and their repertoire included bluegrass standards as well as some Christian bluegrass favorites. The band combines the American musical forms of bluegrass, folk, gospel and jazz as well as favorite hymn and secular song arrangements. 

  Members of the Sonrise Mountain Revival have presented a wide variety of concerts in venues ranging from small churches to concert halls, outdoor platforms to restaurant stages, bluegrass festivals to retirement villages, worship services to political rallies.

  SMR vocalist Greg Gaffney told the audience some exciting news about the band during a break between songs. “Next week around this time we will be going to Prague in the Czech Republic.”

A member of the NJ State Police rides his police horse at the 3rd Annual Immanuel Bible Church Bluegrass Festival. (Photo By Bob Vosseller)

  The group have previously performed across the northeast United States and as far away as Germany and Poland.

  Vocalist Megan Carlson sang the bluegrass ballad “Shady Grove” which is a traditional Appalachian folk song.

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  Gaffney explained a bit of the song’s history saying it is sung by both traditional folk musicians and folk revival musicians, and is often identified as a courting song. The song describes “the true love of a young man’s life and his hope they will wed.”

  Debi Paratore, who volunteers as Samaritans Purse regional area coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Region, joined a table at the church where shoe boxes were given out to later be filled with items for the Operation: Christmas Child program.

  Paratore said the boxes go all over the world. They usually include items such as a stuffed animal, soccer ball with pump, or clothing outfit that will capture the child’s attention the instant they open the box.

  “I just came back from a delivery in Tanzania in June and it is wonderful to see the sharing that is going on,” Paratore said.