This Friday, the 15th annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival will kick off in Golden Gate Park. The free festival features over 100 artists on 7 stages in the park.
This year’s headliners include T Bone Burnett, Michael Franti, Lee Ann Womack, Joe Jackson, Boz Scaggs, Flogging Molly, The Brothers Gibb, Emmylou Harris, Indigo Girls, Nick Lowe, and Los Lobos. Download the schedule
The festival runs daily from 11am until 7pm each day and takes place in three areas of Golden Gate Park: Hellman Hollow (formerly Speedway Meadows), Lindley Meadow and Marx Meadow. Download festival map
There are some street closures in Golden Gate Park as a result of the festival – view the closure list and schedule here.
Some performances will be webcast. Visit the webcast page on the HSB website beginning Friday to see what’s streaming. Watch performances from 2014 here
If you live in the neighborhood and experience any issues related to the festival, there is a community hotline set up that begins Friday at (415) 702-6727.
And as in years past, neighborhood schools will open their parking lots to cars as a way to fundraise. The fee per car typically ranges from $30 to $50 per day:
- Argonne Elementary – 680 18th Avenue @ Cabrillo Street Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 8pm
- Lafayette Elementary – 4545 Anza Street @ 36th Avenue Hours: 10am -11pm, all 3 days, the hours are unknown
- George Washington High School- Enter on 30th Ave between Geary & Anza Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 10am – 8:30pm
- Lawton Elementary School – 30th Avenue between Kirkham and Lawton (SUNSET), Saturday and Sunday, 10am-8:30pm. $30 or $25 after 4pm. Prepaid Parking for Guaranteed Spot (any time) by emailing officers@lawtonpta.com
Have fun!
Sarah B.
And don’t forget Paul Weller on Saturday! Woohoo!!
It’s 9:50 on Friday night and I live in an apartment building on 26th and Fulton. One of our neighbors is having a party on the street outside, blasting bluegrass music from his window to close to 60-70 people. The police have informed us they arrived and asked the neighbor to turn the music down, and after leaving, the music was apparently immediately turned up again. I’m blown away that a neighbor can be this incredibly selfish to the rest of the neighborhood like this… this is why a lot of us us dread having concerts in the area.
This is the first time I have ever had any issues during festivals. I had two people camping on my stairs. They had towels all over the place and my butt bucket was full of I don’t know what. Fortunately, they moved after I said something, However, there is a towel next to my house if anyone wants it :).
I have to say that this year, as in previous years, HSBF managed to keep the sound of the music down–in stark contrast to the auditory hellish assault that is Outside Lands. I live near 18th & Geary, so people living closer to the park may have had a very different experience, but even walking along Geary, I barely heard the music. (I used to go to HSBF the first few years, but it’s gotten too crowded for my taste, unfortunately.) Thank you, HSBF organizers, for keeping the sound down. The out of town promoters of Outside Lands, who want us to believe that they give a damn about the neighborhoods most affected by music blasting and reverberating 3 miles out in any direction, are full of crap. OL: if HSBF can do it, so could you–but you just don’t care.
My own experience was that the concert was less noticeable from a sound perspective this year. But I think the sound loudness is significantly affected by sound reflected by nearby buildings as well. That said I think it is quite possible for the sound level to seem louder further away. If you’re shielded by buildings between you and the event you might hear little. But if you’re between the event and buildings bigger then yours across the street the sound waves might reflect back at you.
I agree. Expected to hear music, thought “Well, bluegrass is nicer than a lot of other music wafting through the air.” Don’t think I ever heard a thing!
I appreciate others keeping us updated on things like loud parties and encampment issues. Something else to be aware of!