Boats And Bluegrass!

[itchmesir]

Anyone familiar with this kick [PoorWordUsage] bluegrass festival in Winona, MN? 3 nights of music and camping.. 22-24th. This festival is nothing short of fun. It's held down at Prairie Island campground.. so it's right along the river... you get a free canoe trip and camping included in the price of the ticket. Charlie Parr.. Pert Near Sandstone, Greensky Bluegrass, 357 String Band, Johnson Family Band, Pistol Whipping Party Penguins.. just to name a few of the 30 or so bands playing over the 3 days...

Last year was pretty crazy because the river was rising the whole weekend.. by sunday morning around 8am.. the area where the stage was was covered in water.. and by mid day the whole campground was flooded.

[ted4887]

Didn't know they had anything like this in Winona. Any of these bands locals?

[itchmesir]

Didn't know they had anything like this in Winona. Any of these bands locals?

almost every single band is based out of minnesota... otherwise they are from ND, WI, IA, IL..

btw.. its 1 of 2 music festivals in Winona.. we have one in the spring called Midwest Music Festival which has all types of musicians from the midwest.. playing around town at different venues for 2 days

[Slabasaurus]

My buddy's band is playin friday evenin on the main stage... which is why i was thinking about heading down. I had some stuff come up that I need to take care of that weekend so if i go at all it will only be for friday, unfortunately.

[itchmesir]

Which band is that?.. I'll be working thurs/fri night.. serving up chili and cornbread at the festival... im excited for saturday night.. gonna be a blast!

[Slabasaurus]

Boys n the Barrels. I've been friends with the fiddler for a while, we went to college together (although I graduated 2 or 3 years before he did).

I missed their show last week up here at the turf club, sounds like it was a blast though.

If you're servin up Chili and cornbread odds are I'll run into ya.... if there's chili around I'm not too far from it

[itchmesir]

nice.. I like Boys n the Barrels.. they played last year.. really good. Think they also opened for the Trampled show that was here last winter

[Gordie]

They used to have the Blue Grass Festival up here at Camp in the Woods out of Zimmerman but its now a housing devolpment which bites. I live 3/4 of a mile as the crow flies and it used to be nice to be able to sit on my deck and enjoy the music.. I may have to start taking the journey south to listen next year.. its been I think 6 years since they left the Woods

[itchmesir]

They used to have the Blue Grass Festival up here at Camp in the Woods out of Zimmerman but its now a housing devolpment which bites. I live 3/4 of a mile as the crow flies and it used to be nice to be able to sit on my deck and enjoy the music.. I may have to start taking the journey south to listen next year.. its been I think 6 years since they left the Woods

The one you're talking about was that Log Jam?

B&BG its a good time.. and nothing too crazy... i bet they break at least 600 folks this year... last year was over 400.. it keeps getting bigger every year... nothing like signing/listen to music around a campfire til the sun rises

Here is me playing with fire last year there

[itchmesir]

So Slab did you make it down? I just found out this weekend that I know the mandolin player.. use to play in a band here in town.

Weekend was amazing! Made a lot of money, had a lot of fun. Weather was great every day.. nights got cold.. but thats what the campfire is for! Also everyone got a nice surprise! There was a rumor going around since Dead Man Winter, Too Many Banjos, and Erik Berry were all playing B&BG that Trampled By Turtles was going to play... Now this rumor has been going on the past 2 years.. kinda skeptical.. but times past usually 1 member of TBT was not there.. So Friday night during Dead Man Winter's set.. they Dave goes "im gonna bring a couple friends up on stage now" and Trampled played a 3 song set!! What a great extra!

I suggest if you love bluegrass that you add this event to your list of "things to do in 2012"..

Some you may be swayed away cuz it seems like a "hippyfest".. sure there are plenty.. but this festival really has a real unique crowd mixture of housewives and husbands.. families.. businessmen.. college hipsters.. professors... age range from 2-60+ and everything in between..

[Slabasaurus]

I didn't end up making it down unfortunately, just didn't have the time to. I will put it on the calendar next year ealry though and might see if I can make a nice weekend of it.

I heard BnB added the mandolin player from winona, thought you might know who that was.

Bluegrass will attract some hippies, but the crowd will be more non-hippies to hippies for sure.