This October, one of San Francisco’s most beloved traditions is returning to Golden Gate Park. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is a free, 3-day music festival held across the city’s iconic park, inviting San Franciscans to enjoy a range of artists across multiple stages.
Golden Gate Park’s free music festival: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
A previous Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival in Golden Gate Park. Photo by eddie-hernandez.com on Shutterstock
The free music festival will start on Friday, October 2, and run through the end of the weekend on Sunday, October 4. The festival has a focus on Bluegrass, although, as the name suggests, you can expect a range of artists. So far, over 40 artists have been revealed in the lineup, which is being debuted in phases. In the past, the festival has featured 6 stages spread across the park, ranging from major stages to small, intimate meadows in the park.
The festival is completely free and open to all ages, and due to the size of the park, there is no need for tickets. You can simply walk into the park and enjoy the music for as long as you want. We recommend bringing a picnic blanket and some snacks to enjoy the music, but there are also plenty of food trucks throughout the festival if you want to grab a bite to eat.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass was started in 2001 by SF businessman Warren Hellman, who wanted to host a free show with his favorite Bluegrass artists. From there, the festival grew and soon became a San Francisco tradition. The festival started as Strictly Bluegrass, but as more artists were added to the lineup each year, the name changed to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.
Stay tuned for more updates about the iconic free festival.