Today, July 27, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass unveiled their plans for a virtual 20th anniversary celebration, along with the (unsurprising) news that the festival would not be able to take place in person this year. From Oct. 2-4, when the fest would've taken place this year, Let The Music Play On will keep the spirit of Hardly Strictly alive with music and memories from the best in American Roots music and beyond.

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Held during the first weekend of October in San Francisco's lush Golden Gate Park, the free three-day event draws in over 750,000 people for the best in bluegrass, folk, soul, alternative music and more. As the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has derailed festival and live events of all sizes, many have gotten creative with livestream concerts, archival shows, fan engagement and more.

With Let The Music Play On, Hardly Strictly is combining all of those, with a three-day event featuring new performances, archival sets from the vault and curated memories from fans. Past attendees are encouraged to submit their favorite event memories in the form of words, photos and videos to memories@hardlystrictlybluegrass.org for possible inclusion in the online event because "the HSB community is what gives the festival life."

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"The October broadcast will feature new performances from the expansive range of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass artists that include first-time performers to legends of American Roots music, along with archival footage from the festival's past two decades and memories from fans, performers, and staff and priceless gems from the festival's rich history," the press email explains.

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GRAMMY winners Booker T. Jones, Mavis Staples, Fantastic Negrito, John Prine, Asleep At The Wheel and Emmylou Harris, Latin GRAMMY winners/GRAMMY nominees Flor De Toloache, GRAMMY nominee Chris Isaak, Grateful Dead hero Bob Weir and rising Nashville star Adia Victoria, along with many more class acts, have performed at Hardly Strictly over the years.

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"The festival…was founded by [late finance executive and philanthropist] Warren Hellman [in 2001] on ten pillars: community, joy, creativity, collaboration, freedom, peace, love, respect, gratitude, and spirituality. It was Hellman's gift to the City of San Francisco, offering a free outdoor festival in the historic Golden Gate Park that is a celebration of American roots music," the email notes. 

"While we know we can't replace the feeling of being together physically, the safety of our attendees, artists, volunteers, and staff are our highest priority and our team has been hard at work creating a vibrant broadcast in line with what attendees have come to expect from HSB: community, discovery, and the all-time best in roots music," festival advisor Mick Hellman (and Warren Hellman's son), added. "We're excited to share parts of HSB that aren't feasible in a festival environment such as screening archival footage, sharing memories, and shining a spotlight on our non-profit partners."

The fest also announced the Hardly Strictly Music Relief Fund: Bay Area, a $1.5 million COVID-19 relief initiative for local San Francisco Bay Area musicians and venues. American Roots artists based in the Bay can apply for the one-time grants of up to $2,000, while local venues "with a track record of presenting and supporting roots music" are eligible to be considered for $200,000 grants.

More info on the Oct. online event, including the lineup, will be announced later at hardlystrictlybluegrass.com.

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