The Bluegrass Festival

Bob Arnold, a friend of Bill McVey, as all of the members of the Bluegrass Shieks were, spoke with me on Sunday afternoon while they were setting up for their show that afternoon. The band started coming out to Haigler after Bill died to keep in touch with the McVey family and have been coming out most every year since 1991. The memorial for Bill has grown into the Bluegrass Festival and has grown a lot, thanks to the many people who work hard to put it together. The band looks forward to coming to Haigler every year.

They were one of the three bands scheduled for the afternoon of bluegrass entertainment. The other bands were The Chapmans and Highway 385.

The Festival had several food booths, raffles, fundraisers and drawings and after the formal entertainment, there was an open jam session where the local talent was exceptional.

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Floy Ruggles, the Haigler Correspondent for the area papers reports:

The Bluegrass Festival at the Haigler Park was again well attended. Among the many fine musicians was a seven year old boy, Elan Dennis, who played violin and sang, along with his Grandmother, Mary Ellen Weathers, who was also his teacher, both from Yuma, and Barry Brown from Eckley who played Guitar. The food and drink booths, including the pie and ice cream booth, were kept busy satisfying appetites of kids and grownups.

One booth providing Walking Tacos and a variety of drinks was operated by a C.W.F. group who were raising funds for a two-week trip to Washington, DC. On this trip they will visit the 4-H Convention Center, learn how the Government works - how to write bills, etc. They also find time for sight seeing like the National Momuments, Niagara Falls and other points of interest.

Angela Crouse and Meg Peterson passed around cowboy boots for donations to help defray the expenses of the event.