SCOTT TADY

BIG BEAVER – Picking and grinning is guaranteed this weekend at the Ramada by Wyndham Hotel.

The January Ice Jam returns for a third year to Beaver County, presenting 28 bluegrass acts from throughout the tri-state region.

“Bluegrass music, fun, family, and tradition – that is what makes the January Ice Jam the huge success it has been for the past 25 plus years,” Amy George, co-founder of the event, said.

Originating in a Butler County hotel that closed in the pandemic era, the January Ice Jam is a free indoor bluegrass music festival inside the Ramada, off Route 18 just north of the Beaver Valley interchange of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

There’s no admission charge, though basket raffles, 50/50 raffles, instrument
raffles, donations and merchandise sales raise money for the Bluegrass Relief Fund, Inc., a charitable organization dedicated to
placing financial and emotional support where it is needed within the local bluegrass music community.

Performances start Friday at 7 p.m., with the music continuing that night until 10 p.m.

On Saturday, the music begins again at noon and continues until 10 p.m.

Different bands take the stage every 30 minutes to perform their favorite bluegrass music.

The Ramada’s restaurant and lounge will be open, with food sold inside the performance space, too. A coffee suppling food truck will be parked outside.

“Over the past
27 years and counting, we have raised well over $100,000 to help support countless friends of
the bluegrass community,” George said. All musicians and event staff proudly volunteer their
time and talents to ensure the event’s continued success.

For more information and to see the performance schedule, visit bluegrassrelieffund.org, or the event’s Facebook page.