Bluegrass Festival
Ronnie Reno and the Reno Tradition. photo by Cindy Steele
Talking with the stars and band members up at the shelter house after they perform is a festival tradition. In most areas of the show business world there is a wall of separation between the audience and the performers— but not in Bluegrass. I have always found the performers to be friendly, happy to provide autographs, and even helpful.
I was taping some interviews with various folks one time at the festival when a pretty good storm suddenly blew in. I needed to get back to my truck to get some garbage bags to protect my recorder and laptop but I didn’ t want to leave them alone at the shelter. I wasn’ t sure what I was gonna do when a couple of members of a Grammy-award winning band offered to baby sit my equipment for me.
A big difference between the first“ celebration” and this year’ s festival is the park itself. Primitive is the first word that comes to mind when I think back to the early days. The old barn was torn down back in 1986 and replaced with the“ Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum” in 1992. The outdoor stage has been rebuilt and refurbished but the original“ Back Home Again in Indiana” sign is still in its place above the stage. I am happy to report that the sanitary facilities have also been suitably updated.
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Exhibition and Sale
A Juried Fine Art Exhibition of Indiana Artists
38 th annual
june 11- july 2, 2016
Brown County Art GAllEry Corner of Main & Artist Drive · nashville, Indiana
812.988.4906 · IndianaHeritageArts. org
· Fr EE ADMISSIon ·
2015 IHA Gold Award“ Spring Carriage Ride”
Forrest Formsma
May / June 2016 • Our Brown County 31