Fans of bluegrass music from across the Midwest are in north-central Iowa’s Hamilton County and the town of Stratford this weekend.
The 33rd annual Stratford Stride Bluegrass Festival is underway and organizer Aaron Bradley says tonight’s (Friday) headliner is a band called Blue Highway.
They’re from Nashville, Tennessee, as is Saturday’s headliner, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, while other acts are from across Iowa as well as Kansas and Missouri. Bradley describes how the various bluegrass bands are selected to appear in Stratford.
“I scout them out during the off-season and go to different festivals around the area and awards shows to see new bands,” Bradley says. Performances are underway through Sunday afternoon. Learn more at: www.stratfordbluegrass.com.
(By Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)