Golden Gate Park on a sunny Sunday afternoon is quite nice to hang out in and relax. The park is large and a great place to go for a walk and explore. This past weekend though the park was invaded by the music of bluegrass. The patrons of San Francisco and people from all around California flooded the lawns of Golden Gate Park for the best festival of the year. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is a festival comprised of folk, bluegrass, and even some gypsy punk bands throughout the weekend. Now sadly we were not able to go the entire weekend due to work conflicts and Sunday was the only day that we both had off to go explore this free festival.
Now if any of you have been to an event or festival in San Francisco you know that they attract some crazy characters. With a festival like this you are not going to find your stereotypical Hipster, but you will find your classic San Franciscan dirty hippie and plenty of them, also of course your standard crustie, and many more characters all drinking beer while enjoying the music. Ashley and I are not the earliest of risers so we made it to the festival around mid afternoon. We came prepared with two 6 packs in the backpack and a couple of flasks filled with Irish whiskey, all prepared for a good afternoon with friends.
I would recommend this festival for anybody who likes bluegrass and anybody really who likes music and the outdoors. For the first part it is free, it last all weekend long and they always have a great lineup of bands. Now there are 6 stages spread out across the festival ground with music always playing. Ashley and I were able to start out the day with some classic bluegrass from Tim O’Brien & Darrell Scott. Laying on the grass with your shoes off and cold beer going down easily is always fun and put it with the picking of a banjo and guitar duet and life seems pretty carefree. After putting a few beers down and a couple of sliders, oh and talking to a guy who practices Dudeism, the number one religion from The Big Lebowski, it was time to move on to the main show.
We met up with Ashley’s friend Jessica and a few of her friends and headed over to another stage for a band I never heard of, but they rocked the house and everybody was there to see them. Their name was Gogol Bordello! They absolutely rocked the park with their Gypsy/Punk style music. They had us all up and dancing around, drinking our beer and whiskey. Everybody was going crazy during their set. It was a blast and worth the trip to see it all.
Now I wished I could have gone all weekend. My liver is thankful I am sure, that I only went for one day but I wish we could have seen more of it. The two bands I saw though were worth it and made our weekend. I would recommend this festival to everybody and can definitely bet that I will be back for the whole weekend next year.
Glorious Sunset over Golden Gate Park. Goodnight Hardly Strictly Bluegrass!
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A Little Background on the Festival
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has a story that explains why it feels so different from a ticketed festival. It grew out of a simple idea: a free gathering in Golden Gate Park, funded by a private benefactor, where the city could soak up roots music without a gate, a wristband or a wallet. The name is a wink at the lineup. Bluegrass is the anchor, but the bill happily wanders into country, folk, rock, blues and, as we found out, gypsy punk.
That loose definition of the genre is exactly why the crowd is so mixed. You get banjo purists parked in front of the smaller stages, families with strollers and picnic blankets, and plenty of people who just wandered in from a walk and never left. Nobody seems to be checking credentials, and that easy atmosphere is a big part of the charm.
How the Festival Works
The setup is straightforward once you get your bearings. The music is spread across several stages scattered through the western end of the park, with sets running more or less continuously throughout the day. Because the stages sit among meadows, trees and paths, you can drift from one to another on foot and often hear a bit of one band while you walk toward the next.
Since admission is free, there is no line at a ticket booth, but the crowds do build, especially in the afternoon. The big acts draw thousands onto the lawn in front of the main stages, so claiming a patch of grass early makes a real difference. Sound carries well across the open fields, which means even the spots toward the back are perfectly enjoyable.
Food and drink vendors line the grounds, and plenty of people bring their own supplies, as we did. A good rule is to check the park's current rules and the festival's official schedule before you go, since details can shift from year to year.
Tips for Your First Visit
Having been once, even for just a single afternoon, here is what I would pass along to anyone planning a trip:
- Bring a blanket or low chair. Most people end up sitting on the grass for hours, and a barrier between you and the ground is welcome.
- Layer your clothing. San Francisco weather can turn quickly, and a sunny afternoon can become a chilly, foggy evening once the sun drops behind the trees.
- Pack light. You will be walking between stages, so a small backpack beats a heavy cooler.
- Plan your must-see sets. With so many stages, you cannot catch everything, so pick two or three bands and let the rest be a happy surprise.
- Take public transit or walk. Parking near the park gets tight on a busy weekend, and getting around on foot is part of the fun.
- Stay hydrated. Between the sun, the dancing and the beer, water is your friend, and your liver will agree.
Why Discovering a Band by Accident Is the Best Part
I went into Gogol Bordello knowing nothing, and it turned out to be the highlight of the day. That is the beauty of a free, multi-stage festival: the cost of taking a chance is zero. If a band is not your thing, you simply stroll to the next stage. If they are, you end up dancing barefoot on a lawn surrounded by thousands of strangers who are all having the same realization.
It is a reminder of why live music belongs among the arts we love to chase. A recording can tell you what a song sounds like, but it cannot recreate the energy of a crowd all moving at once under a big sky. For anyone who loves travel and trying new things, a festival like this is an easy, affordable adventure right in the middle of a city.
Making a Weekend of It
If you can swing it, do what we could not and take in the whole weekend. Golden Gate Park has plenty to fill the hours between sets, from quiet gardens to long shaded paths, so you can mix music with exploring. Turn the trip into a proper getaway and you will be rewarded with a deeper sense of the city and its people.
For more ideas on getting out and enjoying the places you visit, browse our Travel Advice posts or see what else we have been loving over in My Favorite.