More than 100 people turned out Saturday night for a free bluegrass concert at the Milk Barn in Whitesville, marking the kickoff of the Daviess County Bluegrass Music Association’s 2025 concert series.
The association has announced free monthly concerts at the Milk Barn, located at 8283 Haynes Station Road. Starting in April, shows will be held the third Saturday of each month from 6-8:30 p.m., running through October.
“This all started as a conversation between Ronnie Beyke and the Daviess County Bluegrass Music Association,” said Teresa Jones, who served as the evening’s emcee. “When Ronnie reached out and asked me to emcee, I wanted to be a part of this new event. We’re excited to see it grow. This is our fourth event, and we’ve had over 100 people at every one.”
Jones said the crowds continue to impress, and she’s hopeful more people will get involved.
“I had so much fun being a part of it, and I want to encourage others to come out and join us,” she said.
The growing concert series has its roots in a simple idea, according to Milk Barn owner Ronnie Beyke.
After retiring two years ago, Beyke rebuilt a shed on his family farm where an old milk barn once stood. His original goal was to use it as a personal workshop — a “therapy barn” where he could tinker with tractors. But after offering the space to friends from a local jam session, the idea for something bigger started to take shape.
“I told a few of them I’d fix up a place for them to practice,” Beyke said. “Then others started showing interest, and next thing I knew they said, ‘Let’s do some concerts here.’”
The venue, which Beyke still affectionately calls “the Milk Barn,” now hosts bluegrass performances that are drawing crowds of 100 to 200 people, especially when local talent or well-known regional acts are featured.
“It’s just a great little venue — older folks can get out, listen to some music, socialize, and still get home before dark,” Beyke said. “And we hope younger people will get involved too, especially if we have some younger musicians performing.”
While the shows are free to attend, food is often available for purchase. Beyke said he prefers to have local nonprofits handle concessions to help raise money for good causes.
“This is country bluegrass,” he said. “So for the first show, we did barbecue bologna sandwiches. Then we did chili in January — it was cold, but we still had a great turnout.”
Saturday’s show was the first of the year and featured performances by Jasper Dale Beatty and The Rosine Sound followed by The Girl Makes Four Band. Guests enjoyed pulled pork sandwiches and gathered early for “shade tree picking” — an informal outdoor jam session open to any musician with an instrument, weather permitting.
More concerts are scheduled for April 19, May 17, June 21, July 19, August 16, September 20, and October 18.
Beyke said the association is still working to formally organize and is exploring nonprofit status, sponsorship opportunities, and ways to enhance the concert experience with high-quality sound equipment and strong lineups.
“We just want to keep good music coming so people keep showing up,” he said. “There’s a lot of talent in this area, and it deserves a stage.”
