LOWER LAKE, Calif. – The Anderson Marsh Interpretive Association says it will no longer produce the Old Time Bluegrass Festival at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park, as the group instead places its focus on keeping the park open.
The nonprofit AMIA – which works with the State Department of Parks and Recreation to protect and promote Anderson Marsh State Historic Park – is presently negotiating an agreement with the state that will ensure that the park remains open.
The AMIA Board regretfully made the decision to cancel upcoming bluegrass festivals in favor of other fundraisers that do not require the large amount of time and number of volunteers that need to be coordinated for the bluegrass festival.
“Over the years, AMIA has held various fundraisers to help support its work at Anderson Marsh State Historic Park,” explained AMIA President Roberta Lyons. “Originally, there was a Blackberry Festival held each year in August at the Park. The Blackberry Festival was held for over 15 years with different organizations such as the Rotary Club of Clearlake taking responsibility for planning and production.
“After the Blackberry Festival was no longer being held, AMIA began producing the Old Time Bluegrass Festival,” Lyons said. “The Bluegrass Festival was held at the park from 2006 through 2011, with AMIA providing the majority of the volunteer energies necessary to produce the event.”
“In 2011, Anderson Marsh State Historic Park was one of the state parks placed on the ‘closure list,’ and AMIA was faced with a situation in which the very existence of the park was in doubt,” explained AMIA Secretary Gae Henry.
“The Bluegrass Festival was postponed in 2012 when AMIA found that the effort necessary to work with the State Parks Department to keep the park open made it impossible for AMIA volunteers to also do all that it took for them to put on the festival,” Henry said.
According to the AMIA announcement, much work still needs to be done to both insure that the park remains open and that needed deferred maintenance is performed to insure that the park remains safe and accessible to the public.
AMIA has announced that on Sept. 14, the day that the bluegrass festival would have been held this year, a benefit concert is being planned to help AMIA with its fundraising efforts.
“While we know that many Lake County residents looked forward to the Bluegrass Festival, this decision was necessary to allow AMIA volunteers to concentrate on the important work of partnering with the State Parks Department to insure that the Park remains protected, safe and open to the public,” said Lyons.
Visit the association online at http://www.andersonmarsh.org/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AMIA.org?ref=ts&;fref=ts .