Party opens Aiken Bluegrass Festival
5/9/2008 12:24 AM   0 comment(s) on this story E-mail this story to a friend

By RACHEL JOHNSON
Staff writer
The sounds of banjos and the scent of barbecue wafted through the air at Highfields Event Center as campers and bluegrass lovers began to settle in for the weekend.
The 5th Annual Aiken Bluegrass Festival is under way with a fast fiddling, fingerpicking, boot-stomping lineup in store for today and Saturday. Drawing national attention, the Aiken Bluegrass Festival brings in music lovers from all over the Southeast and was recently featured as one of the top 50 festivals in the Southeast by Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine. Organizers expect crowds to reach 3,500 or more.
The music begins today at 3 p.m. as Bluegrass Lumber Co. hits the stage, followed by Michael Cleveland at 4:15 p.m. The guitars keep strumming into the evening with John Reischman and the Jaybirds performing at 5:45 p.m., Town Mountain at 7:15 p.m. and Larry Keel at 8:30 p.m. The Hackensaw Boys will entertain well into the night with their performance scheduled to begin at 10 p.m.
Saturday's musical lineup starts at noon and carries through into the wee hours of the morning with Drew Emmitt of Leftover Salmon hosting a late night all-star jam session. Saturday's schedule includes Savannah River Bluegrass, Dixie Bee-liners, Dappled Grays, Bluegrass Lumber Co., Cadillac Sky, Steep Canyon Rangers, Hackensaw Boys and the Drew Emmitt Band.
While there is plenty of entertainment for the adults, children have not been left out of the action. Instrument making, Appalachian crafts and musical themes are all a part of the interactive projects available at no cost to children.
In fact, children are a major reason behind the festival, as all proceeds benefit STAR Riding and Driving, an organization that enriches the lives of children and adults with mental and physical disabilities through safe interaction with horses. The Aiken Bluegrass Festival serves as the major fundraiser for the organization. For more information on STAR, visit www.starriding.org.
Tickets are available at the gate for $20 per day and camping is $15 for one night or $20 for two. The gates will open early today and camping onsite is encouraged.
Contact Rachel Johnson at rjohnson@aikenstandard.com

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