Winfield 2006
by Lee "Drew" Andrews
Each year tens of thousands (really, around 25,000) people converge on the town of Winfield, KS. Almost overnight it’s population triples in number. Everyone comes for the same reason to share and enjoy music, the people’s music – Bluegrass. In sharing this common cause they unite and bond, some creating friendships that have lasted decades. Families plan this trek as their annual vacation gathering, others as a fun weekend, no matter how you look at it, everyone has love for the music and is there to be part of it. I dare say, no other festival in the US is like this in nature, never have I experienced such unity, cooperation and love. The Walnut Valley Festival is a very special place free from the commercialization of larger festivals throughout the world. It is still pure and true to it’s main cause the people and the music. May it continue for decades to come.
The Entrance to the Walnut Valley Festival, the flags represent the diversity of attendees.
These guitars and fiddle are the prizes for the winners of the Flatpicking and Fiddle championships.
Bud Ford of Cripple Creek Dulcimers (
www.dulcimer.net). Bud and Donna Ford wrote Mel Bay's first Dulcimer book, Cripple Creek Dulcimer, many years ago, it is still a best seller.
Mark Wilson, president of Intellitouch Tuners. He attends Winfield every year and loves it.
www.tuners.com
Doug Waterman, Editor-in-Chief for American Songwriter Magazine.
www.americansongwriter.com
Carolina Bridges and Lawson Petes of Deering Banjos.
www.deeringbanjos.com
Bits and pieces for sale at the Deering booth.
The official bulletin board relaying concert times and contest winners.
The unofficial bulletin board relaying everything else.
The world famous Hatman Jack, a staple at the Walnut Valley Festival.
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