Free San Francisco Festival October 27th

[Todd A. Gracyk]

There will be a free bluegrass, old-time country, and folk music festival in
the west end of San Francisco's Golden Gate Park on Saturday, October 27th
from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (it is dubbed the Strictly Bluegrass Festival
but the music featured is not strictly bluegrass). The event is being
coordinated by Slim's, a nightclub in San Francisco. Reportedly, some rich
fellow is paying for the event.

Headliners include the contemporary bluegrass bands Alison Krauss and Union
Station (featuring Dobro great Jerry Douglas), Dale Ann Bradley and Coon
Creek; and Blue Highway. Other headliners are the legendary
singer/songwriter Hazel Dickens and folk/country star Emmylou Harris.

It is unclear to me if Dickens and/or Harris will front bluegrass bands.

A second stage will feature local bands including a fairly traditional
old-time stringband (the Crooked Jades) and 2 bluegrass/folk units (Keystone
Station and Batteries Not Included). Another band named the Road
Oilers.will also be featured on the second stage; I can find no information
about them.

Here is a website for the event:

http://www.slims-sf.com/sbf

Speedway Meadow cannot be found on many maps of Golden Gate Park; it is
between John F. Kennedy Drive and Middle Drive West, just to the east of
Golden Gate Equestrian Field and Stadium (old Polo Field).

Here is the best map that I can find of Golden Gate Park (click on the
middle map to view the event location; note the Saturday street closure
mentioned at the bottom left of the middle map):

http://parks.sfgov.org/GGP/ggpmap.HTM

There is a free park shuttle service that originates from the UCSF Medical
Center. Parking is free throughout most of the park and the surrounding
neighborhoods but I not am not certain if parking is free at the UCSF
Medical Center (the festival website has a link to information on the park
shuttle).

Todd A. Gracyk
Petaluma, CA
ta...@home.com

[Cleoma]

For those in the Bay Area that want even MORE bluegrass, please come over to
Berkeley to Ashkenaz on Tues. October 30th, where there will be a concert of
bluegrass and oldtime music, to benefit the NY Firefighters Fund, with Peter
Rowan, Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum, Jody Stecher & Kate Brislin, Mike Marshall
(probably with Scott Nygaard), Bluegrass Intentions, Kathy Kallick Band, and
Detour. Evie Ladin will dance a few for us too.
It starts at 7:30 and tickets are $20. Ashkenaz is at 1317 San Pablo Ave (near
Gilman) in Berkeley. For more info, directions, etc., go to the Ashkenaz
website: http://www.ashkenaz.com
Suzy T.
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