Bluebirds and bluegrass make a great day at Dauset Trails

It’s natural folks at Dauset Trails Nature Center decided to have a spring bluegrass festival so families could get outdoors and enjoy all the center has to offer.

And the name, Bluebirds and Bluegrass, came naturally as well.

“Bluegrass music is fun, outdoorsy and family friendly,” said Gordon Respess, a Dauset Trails naturalist. “Each spring the bluebirds really get active out here so it was easy to put that and bluegrass together. The first one 18 years ago was really popular and they’ve all been popular ever since.”

This year’s lineup features Johnny Roquemore and the Apostles of Bluegrass, Grassville and Jess Darsey and Cabin Point Bluegrass. While festival gates open at 9 a.m., music starts at 11 a.m. with groups performing twice as they cycle through the day.

There’s also a dulcimer jam session in the visitor’s center from 1-3 p.m. with a collection of dulcimer aficionados and “whoever shows up,” as Respess said.

When you’re hungry, vendors provide ample choice with the likes of barbecue, boiled peanuts and numerous other country treats.

When you’re ready to ramble around the grounds, there’s Dauset Trails’ wildlife exhibits, an extensive 1900s farm setting complete with farm animals and blacksmiths, and 20 miles of expansive trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding.

Bring your own bike and horse.

Special to the day are such things as an encampment of the Georgia 10th Volunteer Infantry reenactors, information about outdoor recreation clubs and activities, rock climbing (for a fee), plant sales, and more.

But bluegrass is at the center.

The Apostles of Bluegrass have played the festival for more than a half dozen years and perform at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

“It’s such a great day and the park is so nice,” said the Apostle’s Johnny Roquemore. “Audiences are really attentive and there’s so much to do with all the unusual things for people see, especially those who don’t get out in the woods very much. All the different wildlife is a treat.”

Roquemore said the festival is a chance for musicians and fans to catch up with one another.

“There’s a good community atmosphere to connect and talk with other musicians and the folks who come out to hear us,” he said. “We can sit around a table, eat some barbecue and check up on old friends and make new ones. It’s a great show — a great day.”

Respess said entry to the park and the show is free, as is parking.

“People who’ve been here know what a great time it is,” he said. “For those who haven’t been here, the festival is the perfect day to come see what’s here.”

This story was originally published April 18, 2018 at 6:19 PM with the headline "Bluebirds and bluegrass make a great day at Dauset Trails."