Darrell Mooney is a name known by many in the Valley. He lives in Horton Township, but he grew up just outside of Renfrew, “RR6 Hurdʼs Lake, a suburb of Ashdad”. Darrell is a musician with the long running band The Countrymen, a former truck driver and recently retired as a sub-contractor with Canada Post. Heʼs married to a Lake Dore native, Carole Morrison and they have one son as well as two grand daughters. Darrell and Carole are two of the founding members of the Valley Bluegrass Festival.
They joined forced with other couples, Bob and Julie Johnston, Arnold and Barb Dickson, Kirk and Shelia Warren, Kevin and Shelly White to make the musical event a reality. It was held in Renfrew for itʼs inaugural year and then moved to Horton to the Johnston Farm. The festival thrived for 23 years and organizers behind the event decided to give something back, and began making donations to the Renfrew Victoria Hospital and eventually to Hospice Renfrew as well.