Bluegrass festival attendance surpass expectation

Bluegrass fans of all ages were delighted as several local and national bands performed Thursday through Saturday at the three-day Bootheel Bluegrass Festival held at the Bavarian Halle in Jackson.

This was the seventh consecutive year for the festival, which has been gaining more momentum over time due to advertising and the ability to promote online.

"We almost cut the Thursday night performances out of the show because we weren't sure if the crowd would be what we expected. Instead, we took a leap of faith and made changes elsewhere to improve the festival. On Thursday alone we sold 50 more tickets than we predicted," event organizer Bull Harman said.

This was Harman's first year organizing the festival, but he's not a newcomer to the bluegrass scene. He and his wife have been playing together in their band, Bull Harman & Bull's Eye, for several years, gaining accolades across the country.

The Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America honored Harman's band as Bluegrass Band of the Year at their 38th annual music awards event. Harman has also won Guitarist of the Year on four occasions and just produced his third recorded album, "Aiming to Please."

Harman's band was one among several that took their turn entertaining fans during the three-day event. The Gipsons from Marquand, Mo., perform melodic gospel bluegrass and are a fan favorite. They have their young children accompany them onstage to play along and make it a family affair.

"Bluegrass musicians have been in our family for at least 30 years," said Tara Gipson, who shares singing duties with her sister-in-law Julie. "We love to travel as a family and play at different churches, venues and festivals to meet new people. We always have great crowds at festivals and they make us feel right at home."

"The music we play is great for kids," she said. "We love all of the teaching experiences they get from it and they seem to love it too. There's nothing like a family of bluegrass."

Tom and Joan Baker of O'Fallon, Mo., said they enjoyed seeing the Gipsons for the first time, as well as the other bands in the lineup. The Bakers said they travel to festivals all over the state and that the coordinators of the Bootheel Bluegrass Festival were doing a great job.

The Harmans said they didn't want to change many things when they took over organizing duties because the event has been amazing every year. When they first started planning the festival they were contacted by local vendors who sell goods at other various venues throughout the year and were curious in participating.

"I'm glad I decided to add a few more vendors," Harman said. "The attendees really seemed to like the array of different items for sale. I was standing by the stage earlier today and felt a little chill. I looked around and saw ladies selling scarves and sweaters and that's when I realized how convenient it actually was."

Pertinent Address:

225 Drury Lane, Jackson, MO 63755