Twice a year, bluegrass musicians and fans arrive at Ole Rex’s Pickin Park in the small community of Henderson. Campers set up in the allotted RV spaces surrounding the covered stage that’s attached to what was once a 1-room schoolhouse. In time, the instruments come out — guitars, fiddles, banjos, and upright bass — as campers host their own jam sessions off-stage.
People have met, married, and brought their kids back to the biannual Henderson Jamboree, held the second weekends in April and October. The next jamboree will be October 11 through 13.
For 48 years, Rex Locklar hosted the event. He died in 2014 at the age of 87. A few miles from the park, a road sign marks Pike County Road 2262 as the Rex Locklar Memorial Bluegrass Highway.
“Everybody loved old Rex,” says Shelby Cargile, 1 of the jamboree organizers.
Music Everywhere
The atmosphere is like a tailgate party held before a football game, says Rodney Outlaw, 1 of several volunteers who help with the event. Regular attendees have even learned where to go for the best food.
“There will be a tailgate party over there — jammers eating, jamming,” Outlaw says. “ There will be 1 over here — eating, jamming, fellowship.”
Gatherings at what is now known as Ole Rex’s Pickin Park started when Locklar returned from service in World War II. e Locklar family owned the land surrounding the old schoolhouse and purchased the building when the school relocated to Goshen. Locklar began hosting square dances on Saturday nights. Pike County native Hank Williams Sr. even performed in Henderson.
Things shifted to bluegrass in 1965, and it grew from there.
“We’ve got people that plan their vacations for this bluegrass event,” says Wiley Locklar, Rex’s younger brother.
A Legacy
There were those who feared that the death of its founder would mean the end of the Henderson Jamboree. But 10 years after Rex Locklar’s passing, the jamboree is still going strong. It is his legacy and shows the impact he had on others, Cargile says.
Bluegrass musicians Amanda Cook, Brandon Bostic, and Carolyne Van Lierop-Boone have all performed at the Henderson Jamboree and gone on to successful recording careers.
A stone monument sits near the stage. There’s a photo of Locklar and lyrics from a song he wrote titled “Plain Ol’ Country.” Before Locklar died, he shared the lyrics with Cargile.
Over the years, larger venues have offered to take over the event — as long as it moves from Henderson.
“You can’t take Rex’s name over yonder and try to move this and think it’s going to work, because it ain’t,” Cargile says. “Rex’s legacy is right here.”
For more information on the Henderson Jamboree, visit the Ole Rex’s Pickin Park page on Facebook. The park is located at 236 County Road 2262. Walk-ins are welcome during the jamboree. There’s a charge for using the campground, but otherwise, admission is free.