Sweet Appalachia: The Story of DelFest is a feature-length documentary that explores this celebrated music festival and its transformative impact on a rural city in Appalachia. Join Grammy Award Winning Bluegrass musician Del McCoury and his family as they share their deep ties to the region and how they give hope through music and philanthropy.

This film tells the compelling story of Cumberland, Maryland, a once-thriving textile and transportation hub in Western Maryland that has struggled with poverty, drug addiction and lost industries. In 2008, renowned bluegrass musician and multiple-time International Bluegrass Music Association winner Del McCoury chose Cumberland as the home for his annual festival, DelFest, marking the start of the city’s revitalization.

For the past 15 years, this family-friendly event has drawn over 40,000 attendees each Memorial Day weekend, providing hope and a renewed sense of identity for the community. The film takes viewers behind the scenes, following McCoury and his family as they set up and break down the festival, while offering backstage access to bluegrass musicians, festival producers, and the McCoury family. Through exclusive interviews with Del, Rob and Ronnie McCoury, as well as artists like Sierra Hull and Billy Strings, we learn how DelFest found its home in Cumberland and how the McCourys have embraced the area and its people.

This screening will open with a personal video message from York County’s own Del McCoury.