Del McCoury Band to play free Memorial Day concert at Canal Place

May 5—CUMBERLAND — The Del McCoury Band will play a free concert at Canal Place on Memorial Day.

DelFest liaison Barb Buehl said the event will be from 2 to 5 p.m on May 31 with a yet-to-be-named band also on the bill.

The McCoury family will be in the area that week taking part in DelFest Lite at the B Chord Brewery in Round Hill, Virginia.

Buehl said it was Del's son Ronnie McCoury, the mandolin player for the Del McCoury Band, who had the idea.

"It was Ronnie who said, 'how can we be that close to Cumberland and not stop by on Memorial Day weekend,'" Buehl said. "That's the McCourys. They care about this community and they know we've had a tough year.

"They are doing this free," Buehl said. "They will cover their own expenses to come in and do this. People have been so great since they heard they wanted to do it. It is really a feel good thing."

Charis Winery, Crabby Pig and Dig Deep Brewery will supply food and beverages with the shops being open for business.

The event is made possible by Mayor Ray Morriss and the city of Cumberland and Dee Dee Ritchie, executive director of Canal Place.

"We thought it would be a great way to start the summer," said Ritchie. "We are very excited that (the McCourys) think enough of our area to come here and do this for free. We are very pleased.

"It's good for the economy. The shop owners are over the moon. We hope this is the start of something good for us."

Ritchie said a display of the proposed River Park Project will be posted at the concert. The River Park Project is a plan to bring a whitewater course and walking trail to the North Branch of the Potomac River behind Canal Place.

The annual DelFest event normally held on Memorial Day weekend at the Allegany County Fairgrounds was pushed back due to COVID concerns to Sept. 23-26.

DelFest organizers scheduled a DelFest Lite event in Round Hill, Virginia for May 28 -30 featuring Del McCoury, the Travelin' McCourys, Seldom Scene, Fireside Collective, the Price Sisters, Sierra Ferrell, Frank Solivan, Serene Green, Furnace Mountain Band, Level Best, Plate Scrapers, and the Gibson Brothers with Dre Anders.

Greg Larry is a reporter at Cumberland Times-News. To reach him, call 304-639-4951, email glarry@times-news.com and follow him on Twitter.