The Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Railway in Alna is hosting its “Music on the Railway” concert series on the fourth Saturday of June, July, and August, featuring some of Maine’s best acoustic musicians. This series takes its inspiration from public concerts that the Railway held during the early twentieth century for people from throughout the Sheepscot Valley. Concert trains leave from the Railway’s Sheepscot station located at 97 Cross Road in Alna at 5 p.m.

The concerts are held rain or shine underneath a large tent surrounded by the beautiful fields of the Albee Farm adjacent to Alna Center station. The Museum’s classic 1930 Ford AA truck serves as the stage. Visitors are encouraged to bring blankets and picnics along for their enjoyment during the concert. Take out dinners are also available from the Alna General Store for pickup prior to the concert. They are just a five minute drive from Sheepscot Station.

“Darlin’ Corey” will be kicking off the concert series on June 22. The duo, comprised of Matt Shipman and Erica Brown, features a delightful blend of vocal harmonies accompanied by fiddle, banjo, mandolin and guitars. From thoughtful original and traditional songs as well as carefully chosen covers, traditional instrumentals from Maine, Canada, Southern Appalachia and Ireland they play a diverse and unique Americana mix of bluegrass, old time and folk.

Our July 27th concert features Jud Caswell. Maine singer/songwriter Jud Caswell has an eye for detail, drawing inspiration from the land like Mary Oliver, pushing into the specific, unfolding it into the universal. In 2006 he burst onto the national scene, winning the legendary Kerrville New Folk competition. His songs have been taught at Berklee, recorded by Judy Collins, and named “#4 Song of the Decade” by New York’s WFUV. Jud left the road to raise a family and make his music where his roots go deep. With a voice fresh as water over granite and soft as a pine needle bed, he wields his many instruments with the easy deftness of an old woodsman with an axe.

Closing out our music series on August 25 is this year’s Maine Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Stan Keach, with The Sandy River Ramblers. The Sandy River Ramblers are one the one of the oldest continually performing Bluegrass bands in Maine, having been established in 1982. The Sandy River Ramblers feature banjo, mandolin, fiddle, guitar and upright bass. Their specialty is original songs about Maine. Their critically-acclaimed album ‘Cry of the Loon and other original songs about Maine’ is, according to Keach, the best selling Bluegrass album in Maine.

Trains for each concert leave from Sheepscot station at 5 p.m. and return at 7:30 p.m. Parking and round-trip train fare are included in the price of the ticket. Tickets, available at wwfrytickets.simpletix.com are $20 for adults and $10 for children 4-12. Sales are limited to 100 tickets per concert, so get your tickets soon.