The Strait Bluegrass Festival is a major fund raiser for the Port Angeles Lions Club in Washington State. This project has grown each year since 1996. It serves our community with the proceeds we raise and creates a forum for the whole family to enjoy.

The following article appeared in "The Bluegrass Gazette" in 2001... our history... July-August 2001                                        Port Angeles Presents ... Denise Fletcher Once upon a time in the Port Angeles Lions Club, there was an opening for someone to chair the fund raising committee.  Being of sound body and weak mind, I volunteered for the position - not because I had any bright ideas myself, but because I was certain that one of the committee members would come up with a great idea. Well, we hashed over ideas for weeks and then one day, a member said, "Let's put on a bluegrass festival!" We all replied, "What's bluegrass?" "It's really popular music," he answered.  "But what is it?" we asked again.  "Well, it's not country, it's not ballads, it's not cowboy music - it's music original from the roots of our country," he finally explained. That was good enough for us.  The club voted on the suggestion, approving almost unanimously, and we set about putting on the first Strait Bluegrass Festival, and what a lesson we learned that first year about bluegrass.  Sharon Messina from Crossfire was a tremendous help and encouragement as we worked on our first festival.  Her phone and mine were connected like Siamese twins for awhile. Then someone told me I should contact Terry Enyeart from Rural Delivery.  "We'd love to be a part of your festival," said Terry.  Man, this was just beginning to be too easy!  Then came a phone call from Five On A String in Vancouver, Canada.  "Would you have room for us?" they asked.  "Of course," I replied. As the process of working on the festival continued, I soon learned that pickers are the nicest people in the world, albeit a little nuts.  They'll go anywhere, anytime, to pick and have fun.  We in the Port Angeles Lions Club are most appreciative.  As most of you know, the proceeds of our festival go to charity. And now, five years later - we have finally figured out what bluegrass music is and we love the sound and the bands that are so dedicated to this Americana music art form. Contrary to rumors spread this year, we are not doing a local pickers' festival.  Our 5th Annual Strait Bluegrass Festival will have the same quality sound as before, the same great amenities, and the same mediocre food prepared by yours truly, the Port Angeles Lions. And the bands?  What a lineup we have this year with Five On A String, Rural Delivery, The Hakanson Family, Blue Mountain Bluegrass, Blue Ridge, Brothers Keeper, Friends of the Fifties, Katie Struble, and of course, our local boys, Luck of the Draw.  And, for the first time, we have the Port Angeles Junior high and Senior high kids participating in the lineup of entertainment, plus the IBC Gospel Choir on Sunday morning. Bring your ma, bring you pa, and come join the fun.