The Annual Grays Harbor Bluegrass festival is an event that you definitely want to be part of! The residents of Hoquiam City have always been proud with their love affair with this genre of music that got its start from the end of the Second World War and continued on to be a favorite among communities who like Hoquiam are made up of hard working people who like to hear good stories that touch your heart. Bluegrass bands both professional and amateur, fans from all walks of life gather for a few days in Hoquiam's Olympic Stadium to sample the high lonesome sound that is distinct with true bluegrass melody.

The Grays Harbor Annual Bluegrass festival is attended by people from all walks of life, they come to Hoquiam city to partake of good music, good food, and good friends. Bluegrass music has always been welcome in Hoquiam, Washington and the Grays Harbor area, its long history of working class and their daily struggles to keep alive through hard work and doggedness, logging the surrounding forest long before the genre existed in its present form maybe explains the people's natural connection to this type of music.

During the festival you will be amazed as to the different pace and rhythm that each bluegrass band churns out their music, some fast and catchy with a nip of country genre but still not to be mistaken as such and other tunes being melancholic and heartfelt that the audience would feel like praying to the divine. This crescendo of notes is climaxed by the showdown between two of the bands members who alternately play tunes that are spontaneously dished out in an effort to wow the crowd and inspire or rather challenge the other guy to do better and this is all played out with two entirely different instruments, such as a mandolin going against an acoustic guitar or a banjo. Can you picture the excitement running through the audience at that point?

Most traditional bluegrass bands use a mixture of stringed acoustic instruments that deliver continuous melodies that touch the heart and soul of those who listen in a lively sort of manner, instruments like the banjo, acoustic guitar, violin and mandolin are all played together or in sequence or support to the main musicians' efforts.

Instrumental solos are a crowd pleaser and you will get a lot of these amazing displays of pure raw talent during the Bluegrass festival. Band members try their best to outdo other bands or even their own band mates not so much so to show who is the best soloist but rather to entertain the crowd and give them a good time.

Bluegrass music is very much alive in Grays Harbor and Hoquiam city, the festival brings together fans, bluegrass scholars and of course bluegrass musicians who enjoy each other's company and talent. In Hoquiam's Bluegrass festival it is not unlikely that some of the bands will play gospel songs and for the uninitiated this is considered as part of the bluegrass repertoire.

Aside from experiencing bluegrass with new style or others would say "Newgrass" instrumentation like the piano for instance. Bluegrass is recognizable by its vocal harmony, which features two, three, or four parts, often times heard with a cacophonous high pitch referred to in bluegrass as the "high lonesome sound", creating an interesting if not attention catching bellow of forceful vocals.

If you love good ole music and enjoy amazing company and sumptuous food go lease an RV and go to Hoquiam during the Annual Grays Harbor Bluegrass Festival and sample bluegrass music at its best!