Change of venue for festival grounds for debate
4:48 p.m. Monday, September 22, 2008
It's music fans plan for all year.
"We're all leveled in. We had this big stake down and the rains came," camper-festival goer Russel said.
Heavy rains flooded the Cowley County campgrounds for the annual Walnut Valley Festival, forcing a last minute land rush at Winfield Lake up the road.
"It was just a lot of fun watching everybody, 'cause new camp, new setup," Russell said.
It's a set up that's getting widely mixed reviews.
"I personally think that it's nice to be at the fairgrounds," one camper said.
"When you're down in the campground, it's a lot better, tighter. It's good," Russell said.
"It was a nice little change. Love being at the lake," another camper said.
Many debated if Winfield Lake should be a permanent change for the festival.
"You couldn't see as many shows as you wanted to. You couldn't just walk over. You had to plan out your day a little bit more," camper Mark Emde said.
That meant hopping on the bus or hitching a ride to make the 20 minute drive into town.
For many, the best bluegrass is right next door.
"You can't just sit up here and doll about at night like you do in the campgrounds," Russell said. "In the campgrounds, the music is starting up in one, it's fading out in another."
"Everybody got jumbled up and it was fun to camp with people you don't normally get to camp with."
The last minute change meant people camping here at the lake didn't have to pay. That enticed many of the locals to come out and enjoy bluegrass, american roots music under blue skies.
"The weather. We've been blessed. We got punished so we were blessed," Russell said.
A blessed event that's still more about the music than it is the location
"This is Winfield, the people. This is the Bluegrass Festival."
At least half of the campgrounds at the lake didn't have hookups for electricity.
Many had to rely on battery power.
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