Ah, the summer bluegrass season has arrived and is in full swing. The weather has been great and lots of pickers and listeners have been out and about enjoying local and nearby bluegrass events.
Bluegrass Day at the Fair. The annual Bluegrass Day at the Del Mar Fair took place on Sunday, June 4, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. There was a great crowd, seven bands in concert (the Virtual Strangers, Rusty Gait, High Mountain Road, Sunnyside Strings, Gone Tomorrow, Desperado, Volcan Mountain Boys, and the Front Porch Music Preservation Society. In addition, there was a youth performance that brought 50 some youngsters to the stage in two groups to perform with their instructors, a top-notch fiddling demonstration by the California State Old time Fiddlers Association (District 7), and a popular band scramble. Here are some pictures, courtesy of David Cupp, to give you the flavor.
There was also the Route 66 Bluegrass Festival held in mid-June in Victorville that presented great bluegrass bands, including bands from San Diego. And, the big daddy of them all is coming soon in Vista–Summergrass held over the third weekend in August. Read about the lineup, get tickets, etc. at www.summergrass.net. If you missed the June events, you owe it to yourself to get out this summer and enjoy some of the great bluegrass music our wonderful city has to offer.
Sam Hinton Folk Festival and its Bluegrass Jam. The annual Sam Hinton Festival was held in Old Poway Park on Saturday, June 3. There was lots of great music ranging from traditional and modern folk, to Irish and bluegrass. Here are some pictures from David Cupp:
