With the new year approaching, many of us start planning our calendars for the next year. When you think about what you want to do next year, be sure to consider live music.
San Francisco’s annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival happens the first week of October.
This year I didn’t plan ahead. My friend reminded me of the event with only a bit of advanced notice. At the time, I had a quick moment of stress, thinking that attending an out of town festival that was happening in only 7 days was not likely or affordable.
My anxiety was relieved when I realized I did not work those days and that the festival was free to the public, so all I had to do was pack a bag and I was ready to go.
When I arrived at Hardly Strictly I was immediately surprised at the amount of people attending. Entire grass fields the sizes of football fields filled with people excited to watch some live music.
You’re allowed to bring in your own food, drinks, and blankets so you don’t have to spend excessive amounts of money on typical festival prices. There were even folks who were selling their store bought beer for five dollars a pop, that’s roughly a $3.50 profit per can, with one source telling me they made about $400 that weekend.
Without the stress of underfunding, I got to spend two days sitting on a blanket in the sun, enjoying a normal priced beer and live music from the likes of Courtney Barnett, Lucinda Williams, and Emmylou-Harris.
With politically fueled performances and that special folk passion seeming to linger from the 60s and 70s, I found myself getting choked up a few times, one notable moment was while watching Lucinda Williams cover of “Rockin’ In The Free World” by Neil Young, which seemed to be her message to Americans as times get more complicated and as America’s political and economic turmoil rises.
With such a strong presence of free spirited sentimentality, the camaraderie was high. I met a number of friendly people, as members of the crowd seemed very comfortable simply starting a conversation with their neighbors. I left feeling rejuvenated and excited about the future of festivals.
So, next October, I encourage you to set aside a weekend to enjoy a free festival filled with friendly people and amazing music at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2026 in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
