We are so excited to be returning to the Sheraton in Framingham again this year for JamVal 2025. JamVal 2025 is a weekend-long bluegrass “non-festival” focused on jamming held over President’s Day Weekend (February 14 – 16, 2025) at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel. There will be dozens of workshops and jams hosted by loads of amazing musicians and teachers, and one big difference from usual festivals: no big stage show to distract from the picking!

Due to the high demand for rooms at the Sheraton, the BBU will be holding a room lottery to determine who gets a room at JamVal 2025. If you’d like a chance to stay at the Sheraton (including the Fairfield Inn and TownePlace Suites), either in a picking room or a quiet room, you must enter the room lottery before it closes at the end of the day on Friday, January 10th. Most BBU Members can enter the room lottery for FREE by claiming their No-Cost Lottery Entry. Please read the complete description of the room lottery at https://bbu.org/events/room-lottery-2/

• This year’s discounted room rate is $149 per night plus taxes and fees.

Although we had hoped to return with the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival this winter, ongoing renovations at the Sheraton make that impossible for February 2025. So instead, the BBU has decided to host one more JamVal, which we hope will be our last. And, we are looking forward to a full Joe Val Bluegrass Festival in February 2026 (our 50th year as an organization!).

The Sheraton building has been divided into three different hotels: the Sheraton is still in the front, but now there is a Fairfield Inn and TownePlace Suites on the back side of the building. JamVal 2025 will be spread across all three hotels. Because the Sheraton itself has been downsized and is currently under renovation, if you stayed in a specific room in the past, please do not expect to get it again this year.

We are so excited to announce our amazing group of “guest jammers” for JamVal 2025 that we’re calling the JamVal All-Stars:

Kenny Smith (guitar, Kenny & Amanda Smith Band)

Maddie Denton (fiddle, East Nash Grass)

Harry Clark (mandolin, East Nash Grass)

Bill Evans (banjo, Steve Martin Banjo Prize winner and member of the American Banjo Music Hall of Fame)

and 5-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year Mike Bub (formerly of The Del McCoury Band, with whom he won nine IBMA Entertainer of the Year awards)

The JamVal All-Stars will be hosting jams, teaching workshops, performing a set on Saturday night, and on Saturday afternoon they will be the house band for Bluegrass Karaoke! This will be a great chance for anyone who wants to sing and play a song on stage with these incredible musicians.

The JamVal All-Stars will also be teaching separate paid classes on Friday of JamVal from 3 until 6 pm. These classes will be similar to the Master Classes held at Joe Val but will be shorter and less expensive. The JamVal All-Star classes will be geared towards High-Intermediate and Advanced musicians, and we will also be offering a wide variety of other paid classes at the same time that will be geared towards Beginner and Low-Intermediate folks.

The chart below shows where we are allowed to pick and areas that must remain quiet at all times. Please note that picking is only permitted starting on Friday at 3 pm. Picking on Sunday must be confined to the Lower Level of the Sheraton, but can go as late as we want.

Much like the full festival, we will be allowed to jam almost* everywhere in the hotel:
(*see below for where we cannot jam)

(1) On the Picking Floors (in and around the guest rooms): from Friday at 3 pm through the end of Saturday night (into early Sunday morning).

(2) On the First Floor of the Sheraton (including in and around the Lobby, Bar & Restaurant): from Friday at 3 pm through the end of Saturday night (into early Sunday morning).

(3) On the Lower Level: from Friday at 3 pm through the end of Sunday night (into early Monday morning).

The chart below shows where we are allowed to pick and areas that must remain quiet at all times. Please note that picking is only permitted starting on Friday at 3 pm. Picking on Sunday must be confined to the Lower Level of the Sheraton, but can go as late as we want.

Much like the full festival, we will be allowed to jam almost everywhere in the hotel with just a few exceptions:

(1) All Weekend Long: No jamming on the Quiet Floors (in and around the guest rooms).

(2) Friday Afternoon Only: No jamming on the Lower Level before 3 pm on Friday.

(3) No jamming on the Picking Floors (in and around the guest rooms): before Friday at 3 pm and after the end of Saturday night (into early Sunday morning).

No, you will not need to reserve a room at the Sheraton to attend JamVal, but you will need to have a valid wristband to participate in any of the scheduled activities such as workshops, teacher-led jams, etc.

All of the scheduled activities such as workshops, teacher-led jams, etc. will be held on the Lower Level of the Sheraton. We’re excited to share this new map of the Lower Level to help everyone get where they’re going, but please don’t be put off by the room numbers not being sequential – they’re numbered this way to guide folks to the correct area first, and then the specific room second.

Unfortunately, we are not able to offer a Kids’ Academy at JamVal, however, we hope to return to the Sheraton Framingham Hotel for a full festival in 2026, including the Kids’ Academy. And children under 12 are FREE all weekend long.

The BBU is excited to announce 12 different classes on the afternoon of Friday, February 14th, immediately before JamVal begins. The classes are three hours long, from 3 until 6 pm, and the cost is $40 ($45 for non-members). All of the proceeds go directly to the teachers (the BBU doesn’t take a cut), and you don’t have to attend JamVal to join one of these classes. Here are the classes and teachers:

For high-intermediate and advanced musicians:

• Kenny Smith (2-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year, Kenny & Amanda Smith Band)
• Maddie Denton (fiddle, IBMA New Artist of the Year East Nash Grass)
• Bill Evans (banjo, Steve Martin Banjo Prize winner and member of the American Banjo Music Hall of Fame)
• Mike Bub (5-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year, formerly of The Del McCoury Band, with whom he won nine IBMA Entertainer of the Year awards)
• — these JamVal All-Stars will be joined by:
• Nate Lee (mandolin, formerly of The Becky Buller Band)
• Roger Williams (Dobro, BBU Heritage Award Winner)

For beginner and low-intermediate musicians:

• banjo — Catherine “BB” Bowness
• guitar — Flynn Cohen
• mandolin — August Watters
• lead singing — Taylor Ackley
• harmony singing — Tony Watt
• bass — Steve Roy

All of the classes will meet on the same schedule (from 3 until 6 pm on Friday, February 14th), so you can only sign up for one of them. It’s quite possible that the teachers would be willing to sit down with you another time during the weekend – just email them to ask!

All you need to do to register is to email your teacher directly. Class size is limited to 15 and pre-registration is strongly encouraged.

The schedule will vary from day to day, but here are the most important details:

Friday
3 pm: Hotel check-in begins

3 until 6 pm: Jamming begins on the Picking Floors (in and around the guest rooms) and the First Floor only

6 pm: the Lower Level will officially open (please come to the ticket table on the Lower Level near the elevators to get your wristband)

7 pm: the first scheduled jams and workshops will begin on the Lower Level

Friday, Saturday & Sunday Late-Nights
We will have access to the entire Lower Level for 24 hours a day from 6 pm on Friday through the end of Sunday night (into early Monday morning), so Friday, Saturday & Sunday nights’ jams can go all night!

Saturday & Sunday Morning
Workshops and jams will begin at 10 am on both Saturday & Sunday

Sunday
10 am: workshops and jams will begin
1 pm: the final scheduled workshops and jams will end
After 1 pm: we’ll still be able to jam on the Lower Level through the end of Sunday night (into early Monday morning)

Yes, the main styles other than bluegrass that will be represented at JamVal are Old-Time and Swing. We will have a variety of Old-Time and Swing workshops and jam sessions. But it’s also likely that other related styles of music will also be represented at JamVal… anybody interested in Swedish nyckelharpa? It just depends on who shows up!

Here are a few important details about tickets for JamVal:

• No physical tickets will be issued, although registered attendees will receive a wristband when they check in. All ticketing will be done online, and we will have a list of registered attendees when you arrive. Please bring your ID with you when you come to check in.

• Single-day passes will be available for sale in mid-January.

• Tickets will still be available for sale at JamVal itself. Both weekend and single-day passes will be available for sale at the ticket table on the Lower Level (near the elevators). You can purchase tickets at the event with cash, credit card, or by check.

Yes, single-day passes are valid until 7 am the next morning as follows:

Friday-Only Pass: Friday at 6 pm until Saturday at 7 am

Saturday-Only Pass: Saturday at 10 am until Sunday at 7 am

JamVal is for jammers, learners, and listeners alike, and just like other weekend-long bluegrass events, we do not have discounted tickets for those who don’t jam.

Yes, The Postern Grille Restaurant and Bar will be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner during the duration of JamVal. The Sheraton will also be providing a variety of quick eats at different times throughout the weekend. The food concession will be set up at the base of the Central Staircase, just across from the Carlisle Room for the following meals:

Friday Dinner: from 6:30 until 8 pm (and possibly later)
Saturday Lunch: from noon until 1:30 pm (and possibly later)
Saturday Dinner: from 6:00 until 7:30 pm (and possibly later)

Yes, the room closest to the elevators on the Lower Level, the Ashland Room which is normally used for the Showcase Stage at Joe Val, will be used for the JamVal Stage on Saturday from noon until 9 pm as follows:

• Open Stage at noon & 3:30 pm: Bring your jam to perform on stage. Sign up immediately beforehand to perform a short slot on the JamVal Stage.

• Band Scramble Performance from 1:30 until 3 pm: Sign up by 11 am in the Carlisle Room to join a band for the afternoon and perform! See below for further details.

• Bluegrass Karaoke from 5 until 6:30 pm: Sing or play a song with The JamVal All-Stars!

• Performance from 8 until 9 pm: Performance by The JamVal All-Stars!

If you’ve ever played in a jam session, or if you can play three chords in rhythm, then you can join the Bluegrass Band Scramble at JamVal! People enter the Band Scramble individually, and bands are created by picking names out of hats – roughly one for each instrument so that all the bands have the musicians they need. You and your new bandmates then have a two-hour practice session to prepare songs for a short stage performance. Rich Stillman will guide you through the process; here’s the schedule:

11:00 am until 11:15 am — Band Scramble Sign-Up
11:15 am until 11:30 am — Band Formation
11:30 am until 1:30 pm — Rehearse with your new bandmates
1:30 pm until 3:00 pm — Band Scramble Performances

Goals: The Band Scramble will give people a chance to develop their jamming and performing skills. No one who enters has any idea who they’ll be playing on stage with just hours later – your bandmates are picked at random, and it’s up to you as a group to find your strengths – and even your band name – and get ready for a short performance on stage in front of your friends.

Entry and Registration: Participants should sign in at noon on Saturday and indicate their instrument and whether or not they sing. If you sing but don’t want to play an instrument, please indicate “singer” as your instrument. Please note: singers are encouraged to join us even if they don’t want to play an instrument!

Band Selection: Bands will be selected by choosing roughly one of each instrument from a hat. The decision of the hats is binding, although we reserve the right to make adjustments to be sure all bands have enough pickers and singers.

Preparation and Performance: Each band will be assigned a practice space and will prepare roughly three songs for stage performance, including introductions of the tunes and the band members. Preparation should include the selection of a band name as well. The tunes selected for the performance should include one instrumental at most. Rich will provide a list of common songs on Saturday, but you can also email him in advance at rich.stillman@gmail.com

Space in the Band Scramble is limited, so please try to arrive early!

Yes, we are excited to welcome back Rick’s Musical Instruments!

Send an email to voladmin@bbu.org indicating your interest and you will receive details about volunteering at JamVal.

We are very excited to announce that the BBU has a pre-release web app to help navigate the schedule of workshops and jams at JamVal. The JamVal Session Finder app is loaded with the full JamVal schedule and features a set of filters to show you a more focused list of sessions. To build your own schedule in the app, click the star icon to mark a session as a favorite, and then use the Favorites filter to show your personalized list. The pre-release designation refers to the fact that we’re still working out the bugs in the app, and if you have any feedback, please email us at lottery@bbu.org. Please find the app online here:

https://bbu.org/jv-finder