Florida’s panhandle may not be the first place you think of when bluegrass music is mentioned, but there is a thriving community there who love and support it.
Part of the reason is the bluegrass festivals hosted at the Holiday Hills Music Park in Laurel Hills, located near the tourist draws of Destin and Fort Walton Beach along the gulf coast. Twice yearly, in late spring and early fall, fans head out to the Park to spend time with friends, pick and sing, and hear good bluegrass music from bands all along the eastern seaboard.
Park owner Betty Alford keeps admission prices low by carefully choosing acts sure to entertain her loyal supporters, without bringing in big name artists that would necessitate higher ticket prices. Both last October and the upcoming late April/early May event show ticket prices of only $45 for a full weekend pass, at a time when fees well over $150 are common for larger festivals.
Justin Koch, who we profiled last month for his Bluegrass Memed apparel and merchandise line, has created a mini-documentary about Holiday Hills, which he has titled The Bluegrass Festival You Should Know About. He does a fine job capturing the spirit of these weekend festivals, largely through interviews with attendees, plus snippets of music – onstage and off – and talks with Betty Alford, who opened the Park with her husband in the 1980s.
Even if you live too far away to come to the festivals in Laurel Hills, you should enjoy this mini-doc if you love these smaller, community-based music festivals. Or if you are curious about why people keep coming back year after year.
Well done Justin!
