The Lakes Bluegrass Committee in Pine River has capped off another successful festival with nearly identical turnout as last year - despite a slowed economy and high gas prices.
Seventeen bands performed (one up from last year) at the Lakes Bluegrass Festival last weekend.
Attendance was comparable to 2007 and sponsorship was up, according to Tim Roggenkamp, festival co-coordinator.
Bands, festival-goers and the like all had positive things to say about the four-day festival held at the Cass County Fairgrounds Aug. 21-24.
"Everybody just had glowing reviews; I haven't heard any complaints about hardly anything," Roggenkamp said. "We're really happy with the reviews were getting."
Tim and his wife, Cindy, not only coordinated the festival but played four shows with their band "Tim & Cindy & Friends."
Tim said that they rotate bands to keep the lineup fresh each year; however, some crowd favorites like the Faris Family, the Platte Valley Boys and the Berge Family made a repeat performance this year.
Some changes were made this year to improve the festival.
Camping was rearranged, there were additional craft vendors in the courtyard outside the concert area, and picnic tables were added outside the food vendors.
Day parking was added at the Pine River-Backus High School parking lot. Shuttles carried concert-goers to and from the festival grounds and the parking lot.
The bands enjoyed themselves as well.
David Davis, lead of the Warrior River Boys of Alabama, enjoyed his visit to Pine River.
"I thought the festival was really great," he said. They performed to a good-sized crowd on Friday night and to an even larger one on Saturday night.
"The grounds were perfect for an event like that ... the crowd was very supportive of what we were doing." he said.
Davis and the Warrior River Boys performed at the Lakes Bluegrass Festival years ago when it was held at Ski Gull near Gull Lake.
Last weekend was the band's first time in Pine River.
"They have a great thing going there; I hope we can come back in the future," Davis said.
Roger "Rube" Matthews with Midnight Flight also had positive experience at the Lakes Bluegrass Festival. It was their first time performing at Lakes Bluegrass.
"It was wonderful, we had a big time; what a wonderful audience up there," Matthews said.
Midnight Flight played two shows on Friday and also hosted a workshop on Single Mic Performing that had a good turnout.
"We have high hopes of getting to come back sometime," Matthews said.
Festival attendants can mark their calendars for Aug. 27-30, 2009 for the Seventh Annual Bluegrass Festival.
