Best of the Welcome Columns


Best of the Welcome Columns

Author: Alston, Ed
FESTIVAL FEVER -- GET IT!

In spring of 2004, I did something new. I went to a bluegrass festival. It was held just 60 miles up the road, in Paso Robles. It turned out to be such a delightful event that I attended another bluegrass festival soon thereafter, held in Parkfield, about 90 miles from where I live. By then I’d been struck -- some would say felled -- by festival fever. In due course I ventured farther and farther from home to attend bluegrass events. By January of 2005 I found myself driving some 400 miles (one way) to the Colorado River Festival, held in Blythe. Midway through that mind-numbing trek I began to doubt my sanity. I had committed to driving some 12 hours round-trip, and to spending several hundred dollars on gas, lodging, meals and festival tickets. All I’d get in exchange was maybe 16 hours of live bluegrass music, mostly performed by artists about whom I knew little. It would have been much easier and cheaper to just stay home and buy those artists’ cd’s. Isn’t that why God created Amazon.com? I was still pondering why I couldn’t be content simply listening to cd’s, when I took my seat for John Reischman & Jaybirds’ opening set at Blythe. No more than 15 seconds into their first number, all my misgivings evaporated. The Jaybirds’ exquisite sound enthralled me. I no longer doubted whether it was worth expending so much time and money to be there. On occasion I’ve shared that epiphany with friends and relatives who’ve never attended a bluegrass festival. Whether it’s had much impact, I can’t say. But at least a couple dozen of them have wound up coming to various festivals from Grass Valley all the way down to Vista. Of all these festivals, Parkfield -- held every Mother’s Day weekend -- is the one that‘s turned out to be most popular with family and friends. The 12th annual Parkfield bluegrass fest concluded just 10 days ago. For myself and scores of other volunteers, life is pretty well back to normal…and we’ve already started planning the 13th annual festival. For those not fortunate enough to have attended this year’s Parkfield fest, sorry, you missed out. By all accounts it was the best ever. The stage line-up, work-shops, jams, food concessions were all first-rate. Even the weather was superb , except for the last few hours of Sunday…many thanks to our last three bands, who graciously agreed to perform their sets sans mics in the warm, dry Parkfield Café. Another vital part of the Parkfield experience begs acknowledgment: To wit, all of you who undertook to attend. Thanks very much for being there. Our attendees always seem to be the most personable and devoted of bluegrass aficionados. And, as we’ve seen time and again, the more people that attend, the more fun it is for everyone. That’s surely true of all bluegrass festivals. So plan now to attend other fun-filled events scheduled over the next several months. By just being there, you’ll make it more enjoyable for everyone else…and, in turn, you’ll have that much more fun yourself. As I’ve noted here before, Parkfield marks the opening of California’s outdoor bluegrass festival season. [Blythe doesn‘t count, as its temperatures plunge to freezing when the January sun sets -- and both stages close -- at 5 PM.] For the next five months, warm-weather festival opportunities abound all over the state. Consider, if you will, the festivals held between June and October at the following locations (in chronological order, as best I know): Grass Valley, Victorville, Susanville, Etna, Hollister, Vista, Hemet, San Martin, Lower Lake, Plymouth, Julian, Sanger, San Francisco. Let’s put GRASS VALLEY in caps, as it’s the granddaddy of them all -- and just four weeks away! -- CBA’s own 35th annual Father’s Day Festival. In addition to these festivals, keep in mind the multi-night camp-outs in August and October, held at Booneville and Colusa, respectively. For more info on all these events, see links provided at cbaontheweb.org. Better yet, talk to someone who’s attended in past years. No doubt you’ll hear what it’s like to be struck by festival fever. Seems no one ever wants to recover.

Posted: 5/21/2010