Curtis Blackwell is one of many acts coming to Rudy's Bluegrass in the Woods for the Autumn Festival Sept. 11-13.

Each year hundreds of people come from all over the region and the nation to Anderson, S.C., for a bluegrass festival. They roll to Rudy’s Bluegrass in the Woods for three days of camping, jamming and enjoying some of the best bluegrass artists in the nation.

And while these people from as far away as Texas, New York and Ohio know about the annual Bluegrass in the Woods Autumn Festival, it tends to get lost among the more local residents.

“It’s kinda funny when locals come out here, because they can’t believe it’s been here so long and they don’t know about it,” said Stephen Lowe, who runs Rudy’s Bluegrass in the Woods alongside his father’s wife, Bessie. “But more and more locals are coming, and we hope that holds up this time around, too.”

The evening of Sept. 11, the afternoon and evening of Sept. 12 and all day Sept. 13, bluegrass bands from Golden Valley and Curtis Blackwell to Lizzy Long, Ronnie Reno and Last Road will be playing for the masses who assemble at the outdoor facility on U.S. 29 North in Anderson. For 15 years, Rudy’s Bluegrass in the Woods has served up bluegrass for anyone who wanted to come, and the last 11 years have been continually successful with the Autumn Festival.

This weekend, RVs will start parking at Rudy’s Bluegrass and spend the week setting up and visiting old friends as they wait for the bands to come on Sept. 11. Lowe said this festival is much like a family reunion in that many old faces come back year in and year out to see each other and enjoy the tunes.

“We are keeping alive what Rudy started,” Lowe said. “Bessie and I want it to feel like you’re getting together with family, just the way Dad did 15 years ago.”

The festival will be $15 for Friday, $18 for Saturday and $20 for Sunday. Two-day passes are available for $30, and a three-day pass is $35 per person. Some RV spots still are available, according to Lowe, and camping is available as well for those who want to take part in the “24-hour jamming” that tends to accompany the event.

Lowe said this festival is unique because the talent on stage looks to interact with the talent off-stage as much as possible. And when a set is done or a night of stage music is complete, things are just getting started at the campgrounds.

For more information or to order tickets, call Rudy’s Bluegrass in the Woods at 864.356.3444 or 864.225.3705. Or visit the Web site at www.rudysbluegrass.com.