The 2nd annual Pickin' in the Park in Ridgway, CO is underway. This is my first year attending, and what a fun event! This is a free 4-concert series that combines musical acts from around the country with local and regional opening acts. The music, of course, is the main event, and the 2 concerts I've been to so far have been fabulous. Last Thursday, I especially enjoyed Carrie Rodriguez, a singer, songwriter, and fiddler from Austin, TX. She's really more of a rocker who also plays guitar and electric mandolin with a fantastic backup band. I was quite impressed that Ridgway could attract such a renowned artist. And Carrie said that she was quite impressed with the "prettiest view from a stage" she'd ever seen.
The week before, I enjoyed the very unusual but very entertaining music of California based Fishtank Ensemble. As described
by Pickin' Productions, this quartet's music is rooted in gypsy jazz, featuring familiar and unfamiliar instruments played by colorful, energetic virtuosos. I couldn't describe it better!
As great as the music is, equally, if not more entertaining, is just watching all the local folk (with a few tourists thrown in) and running into friends and neighbors. Kids run around having fun with the costumes and hula hoops provided for their entertainment. Every fathomable type of dog can be seen strolling or hanging out with its owner(s). Food and beer vendors add to the entertainment. Plenty of room in front of the stage allows for dancing. And, of course, the venue in Ridgway's Town Park cannot be beat.
Next up is a popular, local Bluegrass Band from Panoia, Sweet Sunny South with local picker, David Sneed opening the show. If you're in the area, do come out and enjoy the music and fun. It starts at 6:00 p.m. and goes till dark. This will be the last of the 4 concerts in Ridgway, but 4 more concerts will be held in the Paonia Town Park starting in August. Be sure to check out the Pickin' Productions' website for the line-up in Paonia.
A special thanks to our Ridgway Town leaders for bringing this free event to Ridgway with the help of Pickin' Productions and our local public radio stations KVNF, along with several other sponsors! It's great to be a Ridgway resident.
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