Hellman’s gift keeps giving

At first, it seemed like a pipe dream. A weekend of live music in Golden Gate Park, on multiple stages, and it was all going to be free. The hard part was trying to understand the concept. The festival would have a lot of bluegrass music, but it became far too ecumenical to be called merely a bluegrass festival. It would be called the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, and Warren Hellman was footing the entire bill, because he loved bluegrass and because he loved this city.

It’s hard to imagine the city without the annual festival. Although Hellman died in 2011, he made sure the music wouldn’t die with him, and every year seems to be better than the one before it. It’s also a model of how to run an outdoor music festival attended by hundreds of thousands of people. Covering the festival has been our honor for 15 years, but between us, attending it is even more fun.

I remember the year Elvis Costello just stood on the stage and went through two hours of his music. I also have great memories of Emmylou Harris, jamming on the last night of the festival with other music greats. I remember Hazel Dickens, one of the greats of bluegrass, and think if it hadn’t been for Hardly Strictly, I never would have had the chance to hear her before her death in 2011.

This year’s festival will pay tribute to another great lady, Warren Hellman’s widow, Chris, a former dancer who was an active supporter of the San Francisco Ballet and arts throughout the city. Aidin Vaziri offers a rundown of what’s happening next weekend, with lineups for each stage and tips on what acts not to miss. See you there!

Next week: An insider’s guide to the dazzling Mill Valley Film Festival

David Wiegand, assistant managing editor