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Hundreds of Islanders suffered through a sunny 80 degree day at Fort DeSoto Park in Florida to greet old friends, talk about the weather back home, and enjoy their picnics and some good old down home music supplied by Guinness, Harold and Marnie Noye and Dino Dunsford, just to mention a few.
The proceedings got under way at about 11 am and went on until 3 pm. Alex Campbell and Sherideth MacNeil sang The Island Hymn to officially open the festivities. Although the official count was 670, the attendance seemed much larger as Islanders, married-ins, and wannabe Islanders soaked up the sun shine and listened intently to MCs J. P. Gaudet and Kevin Lewis as they brought their Saturday Night Hoedown schtick to the sunny south. From start to finish it was a wonderful day.
On March 10 we took the trip to Arcadia for the Spring Bluegrass Homecoming. The featured groups this year were Randy Kohes and Kohrs light, Audie Blaylock and Redline featuring the amazing fiddle of Michael Cleveland and Island favourites, The Bluegrass Brothers. Other groups on hand were the Boohers, The Florida Bluegrass Express, and Higher Vision, also Island favourites.
This event happens twice a year with the next homecoming in December. The Wickies, Alan and Vicky, do a great job with this festival and have put a lot of money into making improvements to the park after hurricane Charlie passed through a few years ago. They built a new sun shade, new state of the art washrooms and a totally new concession and vendors area. The atmosphere is relaxed and the performers very accessible. A lot of Maritime festival promoters could profit from a trip to Arcadia to observe how things are done there.
We also attended part of the 1st annual Clearwater Seafood and Blues Festival at Coachman park in downtown Clearwater. The lineup was stellar, and the venue perfect—right on the water with a good view of passing sail boats and lots of shade. I missed Johnny Winter on Saturday due to a previous commitment, but on Sunday we went out to catch some of the local blues acts such as, Angel For The Blues and Rent Money, both superb with mostly guitar driven sets backed up by the trusty old B3 Hammond. Atlanta, Georgia's Tinsley Ellis stole the show with a great set of Southern rock/blues. He can make that Gibson cry.
Before we leave for home we'll be going to Country in The Park to see Dan Seals and Ronnie MacDowell and to the Chasco Fiesta for Bluegrass Night with The Larry Gillis band and The Bluegrass Parlour Band out of Tampa. We'll be home on or about Good Friday after a trip to the Blueridge Parkway.
Until next time don't forget to support live country and bluegrass music.
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