Perhaps you’ve heard the old adage “If March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb.”

Well, even if this adage contains an element of truth “weather-wise,” it certainly doesn’t apply to bluegrass festivals. If you check the Bluegrass Now “Festival Calendar” you’ll discover that, musically speaking, March starts off like a lion and the lion continues to roar through October.

Any bluegrass fan desiring to attend a live concert can do so, with little effort, from early spring to late fall. I sincerely hope that you are among those fans who support live bluegrass music in your area, as that is the only way for high quality bluegrass festivals to continue to thrive.

I know that for many bluegrass fans, the annual local bluegrass festival is a regular part of their summer fun, but for the ultimate festival experience, you need to plan your vacation around one of the major festivals. For the ultimate fun, I’d recommend that you consider a festival that is at least 600 miles away from your home. Select a festival that is in some region of the country, or Canada, that you’ve always wanted to visit, but never availed yourself of the opportunity. What you are going to discover is that a significant number of the major festivals now have daily special activities for the entire family, where the children, as well as adults, can combine vacation fun with exceptional music.

Depending on your interest, various festivals now offer everything from golf courses to casinos. There are hot air balloon rides, nature walks, education seminars, tours of historic battlefields, swimming, fishing, boating, horseback riding, special stages for different age groups, and culinary experiences too numerous to even begin to list. What’s even better is that at most of the major festivals, the promoter has also arranged for local accommodations at reduced rates and the promoters will provide information regarding additional vacation opportunities in the area

If you would like to plan your vacation around one of the major festivals here in the U.S., or in Canada, and you don’t know where the best opportunities may be for your family’s interest, be sure to check your January 2004 issue of Bluegrass Now which featured hundreds of festivals, plus competitions, cruises and camps. Call us to order a back issue if you need one (573-341-7336).

While we’re thinking about new bluegrass festival opportunities for the family, why not think even bigger and consider something such as the European World of Bluegrass? (Look them up at www.ewob.org. Until you’ve experienced it firsthand, you won’t believe the warm reception you’ll receive from bluegrass promoters around the world.)

March will definitely come in like a lion, bluegrass festival-wise, but just remember that the festival roar can literally be hear around the world..

Wayne Bledsoe