Tickets are now on sale to the Old Time Bluegrass Festival, taking place Saturday, Sept. 23 at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park.
“AMIA has been around for a long time and has had its ebb and flow,” said committee co-coordinator Anna McAtee, speaking Wednesday, July 12 before the Lower Lake Community Action Group. She explained that the Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association, which is hosting the bluegrass festival, had always been involved with three things: with community, or with pulling people together as a group; with promoting the use of the park and promoting the ecology of the area.
With a loss of volunteers, the annual Blackberry Festival had fizzled out, McAtee said, but AMIA directors decided to “keep the music” and put on a benefit for living history education in Konocti Unified School District. Proceeds will go toward developing a third-grade curriculum that showcases local ecology.
Posters featuring the artwork of Andrew Smith, a Lower Lake High School student, have been distributed at local businesses. “We had a contest at Lower Lake High School to design a logo for the festival,” said McAtee, describing Smith”s winning entry, a “Heron on The Strum.”
A variety of well-regarded artists have been booked for the day”s event including the Stairwell Sisters and the Road Oilers. One of the musicians, Don Coffin, is also on the AMIA board. Other local performers include Andi Skelton and the Konocti Fiddlers, the Elem Indian Colony Native Dance Group and the Clearlake Clickers. There will be musicians” workshops and contra dancing, along with wine and beer, children”s events, art in the barn and homemade crafts.
The Old Time Bluegrass Festival takes place from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23 at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, located off State Route 53 in Lower Lake. Attendees are advised to please bring your own lawn chair. Admission is $15 per adult and $7.50 for youths aged 6 to 18. Children who are younger than 6 will be admitted for free. An after-hours jam takes place at a private resort, the Funtime RV Park and Campgrounds, 6035 Old Highway 53 in Clearlake.
Tickets to the bluegrass festival are on sale at the Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce in Clearlake, Sandy”s Rock Shop in Lower Lake, Moontide in Middletown, Bandbox Music in Lakeport and The Last Record Store in Santa Rosa. Tickets can also be purchased on the Internet at www.andersonmarsh.org or through the U.S. Mail at PO Box 672, Lower Lake, CA 95433. There is a $3 processing fee per order through the Internet or mail. Presale tickets will be limited to 3,000.
Commercial vendors are invited; there is a $30 fee that will be waived for non-profit groups or fund-raisers that benefit local schools. For more information about vendors or about helping to sponsor the event, please call Anna and Frank McAtee at 994-0958.
Contact Cynthia Parkhill at cparkhill@clearlakeobserver.com.
