Ten years ago festival founder John Hotze gathered in Bean Blossom, IN with a hundred of his friends and family and celebrated the life of his childhood friend, John Hartford. This inaugural gathering took place in the most appropriate form of jubilation, that of a festival. The first year included performances from people who worked with, and were inspired by Hartford, and ten years later we are delighted to continue that same tradition. John Hartford was a trend setting, genre bending, creative force that left a culturally rich legacy of musical history. We hope that our event, your event, honors this legacy and continues to inspire the next generation of pickers and grinners.
Speaking of pickers and grinners, we are so proud and happy to have felt the love from all of you, our loyal festival family. We ask you each year to bring someone you love, and you do. Just imagine who you would love to see dancing, jamming, camping next to you, tell them that you'll be in Bean Blossom, IN from May 27 - May 30, 2020.
We've got a major announcement about tent camping. For the first time in our 10 year history, free primitive tent camping at the Bill Monroe Music Park & Campground is included with all 4-Day Full Festival tickets! The Voils family (owners of the campground) have also re-opened the museum and cleaned up the lake to create a "Hillbilly Water Park" complete with a beach, rope swings, swim platform and a water slide. As the Hartford lyric goes, "Just when you think it can't get no better then it does."
Without further ado, we are tickled to announce the first wave of entertainers for the 10th annual John Hartford Memorial Festival "The Most Laid Back Festival in America". Stay tuned, as more bands will be added to the lineup.
Sam Bush, The High Hawks, The Dillards, Bad Livers, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Great American Taxi, The Freight Hoppers, Kind Country, Henhouse Prowlers, Damn Tall Buildings, The Slocan Ramblers, The Lonesome Ace Stringband, Julian Davis and the Situation, Never Come Down, David Davis & the Warrior River Boys, The Sweet Lillies, Good Morning Bedlam, The Whipstitch Sallies, Phillip Steinmetz and His Sunny Tennesseans, Short Round Stringband, Avocado Chic, One Way Traffic & More TBA
