Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 24 starts in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park Friday. Here's what to know.
San Francisco's free annual celebration of music returns to Golden Gate Park when Hardly Strictly Bluegrass kicks off Friday afternoon. Find out the details you need to know about the beloved festival.
What is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass?
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass got its start in 2001 when venture capitalist Warren Hellman decided he wanted to hold a free public concert to showcase some of his favorite bluegrass and country artists, including longtime festival closer Emmylou Harris and late bluegrass great Hazel Dickens (who would perform at every festival until her death in 2011). The festival was initially held on a single day. While Hellman was more interested in traditional acoustic bluegrass, the music featured reached beyond that genre from the outset with Harris taking the stage backed by her then current New Orleans-influenced group Spyboy.
Over time, the wide diversity of sounds the festival encompassed led organizers to add "Hardly" to the name by 2004. If anything, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass has grown in the breadth of music presented, with acts playing everything from punk, world music and blues to rock, soul, hip hop and avant-garde jazz.
The free festival would also expand during the decade that followed, growing to extend over a full three days and at one time featuring a special Friday children's program for San Francisco elementary school students every year. While the festival's benefactor passed away in December of 2011, he left an endowment that would ensure that Hardly Strictly would continue for at least ten years following his death. San Francisco's Rec and Parks Department named the site of the festival Hellman's Hollow in his honor.
When is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass?
The festival is traditionally held on the first full weekend of October, but organizers have occasionally held it during the overlap of the last Friday or Saturday of September. This year's festival will be held on Oct. 4-6. On Friday, things get off to a slightly later start with entrances opening at 11 a.m. and the first acts playing around 1 p.m. (insider tip: Friday is the least crowded and hectic day of the festival). On Saturday and Sunday, things commence earlier with gates opening at 9 a.m. and the day's first acts playing at 11 a.m. The music comes to an end at 7 p.m. all three days.
Where is Hardly Strictly Bluegrass?
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass takes place over a large area of Golden Gate Park, covering a somewhat smaller footprint than the annual Outside Lands Music Festival (which uses the Polo Fields as the location for the festival's main Lands End stage and more).
The grounds stretch west from Transverse Drive and includes the aforementioned Hellman's Hollow (which lies between the main Banjo Stage and the Arrow Stage), Marx Meadow (the location of the Rooster Stage) and Lindley Meadow (which lies just east of the back-to-back Swan Stage and Towers of Gold Stage, which alternate sets throughout the weekend). The festival has four entrances located at JFK Drive and Transverse Drive, Fulton Street and 30th Avenue, JFK Drive and 36th Avenue and the South Polo Field.
Who is playing at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass?
In addition to traditional HSB closing act Emmylou Harris (who plays in her usual Sunday slot at the Banjo Stage), and luminaries like songwriter Steve Earle and guitar wizard Buddy Miller, there are many returning guests who have played numerous editions of the festival including Texas troubadour Jimmie Dale Gilmore -- who teams with another regular HSB act, SoCal roots-rock great Dave Alvin -- noted U.K. songwriter Jon Langford, gospel soul great Mavis Staples. Some other notable acts at this year's HSB include singer-songwriters Cat Power, Jessica Pratt, Glenn Hansard, indie-rock bands Sleater-Kinney and Yo La Tengo, punk icon Patti Smith, and world-music artists Dakhabrakha, Combo Tezeta and Ustad Noor Bakhsh. A more detailed listing of highlights can be found here.
What can you bring to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass?
Attendees can bring their own food and drink, though some rules have been instituted since the more secure entrances to the festival were established in 2019. Soft-sided coolers and backpacks under 22" x 15" x 10" are allowed, as are collapsible wagons. Attendees using clear bags will get expedited screening and entry. Hard-sided coolers, high-backed chairs, beverages for the purpose of vending or in glass containers, selfie-sticks and flagpoles are not allowed. A more comprehensive list of what can and can't be brought to Hardly Strictly is available on the festival website. There will be food and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase from authorized vendors on the site and the festival has a general store where attendees can buy ice and other items.
How do you get to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass?
While many people will drive to Golden Gate Park this weekend, parking near the festival can be challenging and attendees are advised not to block driveways or crosswalks. While there is no designated parking for Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in or around the park, there are schools in the area who use the festival for a fundraising opportunity and allow parking on school grounds.
Festival organizers encourage attendees to take public transportation. Muni serves the north side of Golden Gate Park with the 5 Fulton, 5R Fulton Rapid, 31 Balboa, 38 Geary and 38R Geary Rapid buses, while the south side of the park is served by the N Judah train and the 7 Haight/Noriega bus. Additionally, the 29 Sunset runs through the park on Crossover Drive. There will be extra Muni service on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
BART posted on its social media accounts Thursday with suggestions of how to switch to Muni to get to the park from two different BART stations in downtown San Francisco.
Additional information on Hardly Strictly Bluegrass can be found at the festival's official website.
