Hampton Bluegrass Festival returns for fourth year

The Franklin County Fairgrounds were alive with the sound of banjos and basses as the fourth annual Hampton Bluegrass Festival returned last weekend.
The stage inside the convention center played host to open jams and established bluegrass and country bands from across the state and country. Outside, musicians gathered at the gazebo during downtime to pluck and play with one another. Lori King, Executive Director for the Bluegrass Music Association of Iowa, said the collective enthusiasm for bluegrass music is what makes the event a special occasion.
“Everybody’s friends,” she said. “It’s a small get together where old friends meet, pick with each other and catch up.”
The event kicked off last Wednesday with a potluck. Music ramped up Thursday night and continued all day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The full schedule of music, along with hundreds of visitors created a hectic couple of days for King, who founded the BMAI in 2008.
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