October 4th 5th & 6th, 2013.
http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/2013/
One of the best FREE festivals in California. World class, diverse line up every year. An amazing festival founded by Warren Hellman, it was his gift to the city, and i believe it is bankrolled until 2015. This is the 13th year of this great festival, which takes place in beautiful Golden Gate Park in S.F. Many late night shows from headlining artists take place at clubs & venues across the city.
To give you an idea of the festival, you can still stream performances from the Arrow stage in 2012:
http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.c...ream-fri.shtml
http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.c...ream-sat.shtml
http://www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.c...ream-sun.shtml
I would definitely take city transit if possible, parking is a nightmare & very hit or miss. I usually park down by the Safeway at Fulton & La Playa, take the #5 Bus up to the 30th or 25th st. entrances.
Chairs, blankets, coolers, backpacks are all allowed, get there early to get a spot on whatever stage you think you'll spend the most time at. There are 5 stages and there are many food vendors & port-o-johns.
They do not serve alcohol, but there are many savvy people that sell out of their coolers, but if the cops see you blatantly vending they will give you a warning first & then write you a ticket. People sell their paintings, & wares pretty easily, it is very relaxed. Just bring your own booze & you're set.
They have been releasing the line up the past couple of years by putting together medleys of tracks from artists on the line up. They posted the first medley of 2013 on Monday.
*I will update all CONFIRMED artists on the lists below*
FRIDAY OCT 4 (10:30am - 7pm)
Conor Brings Friends For Friday Featuring: Jake Bellows, The Cave Singers, The Felice Brothers, The Evens, First Aid Kit, Conor Oberst, Freakwater, Low, Seldom Scene, Manchester Orchestra, Calexico, Father John Misty, Jesse DeNatale, MC Hammer (Friday morning middle school program), Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band featuring Yungchen Lhamo, Jesse Dee, Poor Man's Whiskey (Friday morning middle school program), Bonnie Raitt
SATURDAY OCT 5 (11am - 7pm)
Mike Scott & Steve Wickham of The Waterboys, Kat Edmonson, The Handsome Family, Bettye LaVette, The Go To Hell Man Clan, Dave Alvin with Greg Leisz, Natalie Maines, Sonny & The Sunsets, Paul Kelly, Los Lobos Disconnected, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Mark Lanegan, The Forest Rangers with Katey Sagal, Alison Brown, Boz Scaggs, Elvin Bishop, Loudon Wainwright III, Tim O'Brien with Bryan Sutton & Mike Bub, Buddy Miller & Jim Lauderdale, Steve Earle & The Dukes, Nick Lowe, Joy Kills Sorrow, The Flatlanders featuring Joe Ely, Jimmie Dale Gilmore & Butch Hancock, Spirit Family Reunion, Supermule, Jon Langford & Skull Orchard acoustic / FREAKONS, Patty Griffin, Martha Wainwright, Sturgill Simpson, G. Love & Special Sauce, Robert Earl Keen, The Jerry Douglas Band, LP, Holler Down the Hollow: A Hardly Strictly Salute to the Masters
SUNDAY OCT 6 (11am - 7pm)
The Brothers Comatose, Steve Martin and Steep Canyon Rangers featuring Edie Brickell, The Wood Brothers, Pieta Brown, Mike Farris & The Roseland Rhythm Revue, Justin Townes Earle, The Time Jumpers featuring Brad Albin, Larry Franklin, Paul Franklin, Vince Gill, "Ranger Doug" Green, Andy Reiss, Dawn Sears, Kenny Sears, Joe Spivey, Jeff Taylor & Billy Thomas, Tim O'Brien & Darrell Scott, Trampled By Turtles, Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers, Chris Isaak, Tift Merritt, Tumbleweed Wanderers, Shovels & Rope, Billy Bragg, Evolfo Doofeht, Ryan Bingham, Kate McGarrigle Tribute with Martha & Sloan Wainwright & Special Guests, The Deep Dark Woods, Richard Thompson, Buddy Miller, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Allah-Las, The Warren Hood Band, Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands, Robert Ellis, Moonalice, Emmylou Harris & Rodney Crowell, The Devil Makes Three, Kevin Welch, Kieran Kane & Fats Kaplin, Della Mae, Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, Gogol Bordello, The String Cheese Incident