Bluegrass Festival a big success
Annual event attracts crowdBy JEFFREY SAULTON, jsaulton@newsandsentinel.com
POSTED: May 12, 2008
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Sunday’s lineup featured three groups at shelter No. 3 where the show was moved due to the weather: Mark Templeton and Pocket Change, Stoney Creek and Johnny Staats and the Delivery Boys. The Vaughans performed Sunday at the park lodge.
Jennifer Cogar, activities director at North Bend State Park, said the three-day festival drew large crowds on Friday night and Saturday which featured bands from 1 t o 9 p.m. In all, 15 groups performed during the festival.
“We usually have 200 or more for this,” she said, noting Sunday’s crowd was held down by the unseasonably chilly weather. “We had a downpour Friday night, but the crowd stayed and the Hillbilly Gypsies performed despite the rain.”
About 30 people were in the audience for Sunday’s performances.
Cogar said organizers were pleased with the response to the lineup for the 2008 edition of the festival. She said planning will begin in the next two weeks for the 15th annual event.
Cogar said the festival has its faithful fans who show up year after year.
“It’s a very small and intimate gathering,” she said. “There are some who show up here year after year.”
Headlining the final day was Jackson County native Johnny Staats and his band, The Delivery Boys.
Staats said Sunday was the first of what he hopes will be several appearances at the festival.
“We have never performed here,” he said. “We’re looking for a good time playing some good old-fashioned bluegrass music.”
Staats said he made it back home for the festival after performing Saturday night in Oil City, Pa.
“I got back just in time to make it here,” he said. “On Monday it’s back to work for UPS.”
While on stage Staats said after the show he was planning to go home to Sandyville and get a few hours of sleep before heading out to work for the delivery company.
Staats is well-known in musical circles for his bluegrass mandolin. He also plays guitar and violin. Staats won Vandalia Gathering-Mandolin championships in 1996, 1997, and 1999. In 1997 he also won the guitar title and placed third in the fiddle competition.
