Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Picking and weaving

Largo's Bluegrass Strings and Crafty Things festival will feature plenty of how-to demonstrations.

By TIFFANI SHERMAN
Published September 30, 2005

LARGO - Baskets and banjos are coming together in Largo Central Park as part of this weekend's free Bluegrass Strings and Crafty Things festival.

"It's something different in the area," said Terry Moore, 43, special events coordinator for the city. "There are really not that many bluegrass events around here."

"We have two of the best bluegrass bands in the area playing," said Darrell Mayes, 64, of Largo, the concert's music promoter.

Southern Star Bluegrass and the Bluegrass Parlor Band will alternate performances during the festival, which will be Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"You'll see a lot of hand clapping and foot tapping," Mayes said.

The Tampa-based Bluegrass Parlor Band features five musicians ranging in age from 12 to 26. Southern Star Bluegrass has been playing events all over Florida and the United States since 1977.

"Between the bands, we're going to be doing instrument demonstrations," Mayes said.

Usually, bluegrass bands contain a guitar, a fiddle, a banjo, a mandolin and a dobro, he said. Mayes and other area musicians will show people how to play the instruments.

"It's family music people grew up playing at home," Mayes said.

Some people will probably bring their instruments to the park, sit under a tree and begin picking with one another. "It's All-American music," he said.

There will also be All-American crafts, like candlemaking, jewelrymaking and basket weaving.

"We all do a variety of different baskets," said Joy Thompson, 58, of Clearwater. She will be at the festival with her husband, Bob, and co-workers from the Pinellas County probate department Pam Moore and Evelyn Ouellette. They make up the Sunday Morning Weavers, gathering each week to weave baskets out of split bamboo.

"There is no machine-made basket," Thompson said. The group will sell its baskets for about $8 to $40 each and pass on a little of members' knowledge to visitors as well.

"We're going to demonstrate the basics of weaving," Thompson said. "We're going to take turns so we have demonstrations all during the day."

That's what separates this event from other craft shows in the area, Moore said.

"I think what is going to make it different is the come-and-see-how-we-do-things part," she said.

Amateur artists will also have a chance to create something, thanks to kids craft tables provided by Michaels arts and crafts store.

In addition to the crafts and music, the Largo Central Railroad will offer free train rides around the park, as it does every first weekend of the month.

"It's just a good, wholesome event for a family," Mayes said.

[Last modified September 30, 2005, 01:36:15]