by John Dowd
The Hard Times Bluegrass Festival is a seasonal favorite for many in the area. For those seeking an old-time country vibe, and a relaxed atmosphere surrounded by music and family, it is hard to beat the Hardtimes Bluegrass Festival which takes place at the Highland Ranch south of Hamilton. This year the festival dates are July 25-27.
Mike Conroy, and his wife Tari Conroy, have been organizing the event for 16 years, and this year Mike thinks this will be their biggest yet. They will have 14 bands this go-around, more than ever before. Mike wanted to highlight four new bands. These will include “Blue Point,” a band of young people from Missoula who Mike said, “play that old time bluegrass surprisingly well.” Another will be “Release The Squirrels,” a group of musicians from Missoula and Bozeman. The festival will also feature “A Well Beaten Path” from Helena that will be one of the festival’s headliners. Finally, Mike highlighted a new duet, “Mark and Ron.”
Festival organizers Mike and Tari Conroy sit at left and right, respectively, of festival site landowner Janice Heiland. Photo courtesy Mike Conroy.
Mike is excited for these new bands, and all the regulars. The bands come from all over, with one as far away as Nashville, Tennessee.
For Mike and Tari, this festival has been a long time dream. They always thought it would be fun to start an “old-style” bluegrass festival, up in the hills with one microphone, on an old wooden stage. This is exactly what the festival has become, now 16 years in.
Mike described the event as a family-friendly festival, and said it is truly in a beautiful location at the Highlands’ Ranch. According to Mike, a person can look right up and see the mountains. “It’s pretty impressive,” said Mike.
The space has lots of shade, and a breeze that flows through, so Mike said it always feels a bit cooler than in Hamilton proper. The space even has a flowing ditch, about a foot across, that babbles behind the audience seating. Mike said the stream is a “big hit with the kids and the dogs.” Dogs are allowed, but they must be on a leash.
There will be food vendors on site, and Mike advised visitors to bring their own lawn chairs, as there is no established seating.
Camping opens Thursday morning, July 24, at 8 a.m. Sunday morning there is always a two-hour open gospel stage, which Mike said is one of his favorite parts of the festival. Anyone can come up and play, and bands can pre-register. They also have back up bands so the music keeps on playing.
One of the joys for Mike is that this is truly an “old-time” bluegrass festival, not anything new-aged or “jam-grass.” According to Mike, there are not many other festivals that he knows of around that can say that.
The festival will be located 10 miles south of Hamilton, turning off Hwy 93 at mile marker 37. The address is 424 Forest Hill Road, Hamilton.
Adult weekend tickets are $40, and children for the weekend are $20. Ages six and under enter free. A day pass for Friday or Saturday runs $25 for an adult and $12 for children under 18. Sunday day pass tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children. Camping is $15. For more information, interested parties can visit hardtimesbluegrass.com or call (406) 821-3777.