Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2022
One by one the big events in San Francisco have returned. It had been three years since Golden Gate Park had heard the twang of banjos and the screeching of fiddles that is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. Five hundred thousand were expected. It’s held over three days in early October. I had to miss Friday. I really wanted to be there for the return of the festival to Golden Gate Park, but duty called. I wasn’t in San Francisco in the Sixties, but I imagine that Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is the event that comes the closest to the vibe and atmosphere of those free shows in the Golden Gate Park. Most of the HSB crowd are white geezers, but it is a very family friendly event. There were plenty of strollers. People are encouraged to spread a blanket and picnic in the park. The crowd is still diverse. The event has changed. Security was increased after the shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival. It’s still a free festival, but cyclone fences surround the festival ground...