Hardly strictly Bluegrass festival returns for 21st year

Kassie DeJean City Life Editor

Following the postponement of the 2020 and 2021 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festivals, the festival is set to return at the end of Sep.

The event will take place at Golden Gate Park in Hellman Hollow, Lindley Meadow and Marx Meadows during the weekend of Sep. 30-Oct. 2.

“My friend invited me to go with her in my freshman year and even though I had never really listened to Bluegrass music before, I decided to go,” senior Isabella Mercado said. “I ended up really liking the vibe of the festival and the music was really interesting.”

The confirmed lineup for the festival includes over 40 artists ranging from roots, to Americana, with sets both in and outside of the park, according to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.

“I have never been to the Bluegrass festival,” senior Emma Cameron said. “I would like to go because I’ve never really listened to bluegrass music but the festival seems really fun and it would be cool to try something new.”

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is partnering with various local venues such as The Fillmore, the Palace of Fine Arts and Sweetwater Music Hall for night time shows costing $1, all of which will be donated to the organization Music in Schools Today.

“I don’t know any of the art ists who will be performing,” Mercado said. “When I leave I will have discovered new music to listen to which is great because I’m always looking for new songs and albums to add on Spotify.”

The festival is expected to bring in over 750,000 attendees from around the United States. In the past it has featured artists such as the Lumineers, Hazel Dickens, Gillian Welch, Earl Scruggs, and many others.

“In 2012, I got to see the band the Lumineers perform at Hardly Strictly,” Chemistry teacher Jessica Yates said. “It was during Fleet Week that year which was really cool and the Blue Angels flew over while one of the bands was performing.”

Artists perform over the course of three days from one to seven pm on Friday and 11 to seven pm on Saturday and Sunday. Entry for all days is two hours before the first performance begins.

“I think it’s really cool that Hardly Strictly is free because it allows so many people to be able to enjoy it,” junior Isabel Knott said. “Instead of limiting it to people that can pay over $300 for a ticket to a festival like Outside Lands.”

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass’ mission is to carry forward the wish of Warren Hellman and his family to make a gift to the people of San Francisco and the world of a free annual outdoor music festival.

This festival is meant to celebrate the American ‘roots’ music and its many outgrowths in doing so it fosters joy, creativity, freedom, peace, inclusivity, collaboration, love of music, mutual respect, and spiritual community, according to the Hellman Foundation.

The festival honors the legacy of Warren and Chris Hellman, the two founders and benefactors of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Each year the festival continues to bring forward new acts to surprise audiences.

"I’m excited to go back to Hardly Strictly this year,” Mercado said. “It’s been awhile since I have been to a concert and it will be fun to listen to new music again.”

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