At the very first Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, an audience member proposed on a survey form that the festival erect a shade structure for audience comfort on sunny days. The writer had no idea how this could be done by a small festival — and, at first, neither did the GOF festival volunteers. But we all knew it was a very good idea. By the third festival in 1996, the puzzle has been solved, and the GOF was the first California festival to place a temporary shadecloth above the entire audience. Until recently, it was the only event to do so.

Over the past two years, other festivals have recognized the value of targeted shade and have contacted NCBS for advice and assistance in setting up similar temporary shade structures.

In 2008, the California Bluegrass Association borrowed the NCBS shadecloth to try it out on the Vern’s Stage at the Father’s Day Festival in Grass Valley. After sitting  in luxurious NCBS shade for the weekend, the CBA has now acquired a shadecloth of its own for Vern’s, which will go into service this June.

The Bluegrass Music Association of the Central Coast, after admiring the NCBS cloth at the GOF, got the specifications and will debut their newly-made shadecloth at the 2009 Parkfield Bluegrass Festival.

The San Diego Bluegrass Club has obtained information from NCBS about shadecloth set-up and hopes to have one at their Summergrass Bluegrass Festival in Vista this August.

Other interested festival promoters can contact (Michael Hall) hallmw (at) gmail (dot) com of NCBS for more information.

Meanwhile, the trusty NCBS shadecloth will be back in service August 7-9 at the 16th GOF Festival. Enjoy!

Posted May 4th, 2009 by Michael Hall in GOF |