RIDGEFIELD — It’s been a while since downtown Ridgefield has thrummed with this much activity, but on Saturday, local residents and out-of-town visitors flocked to the city for the annual BirdFest & Bluegrass festival. Shoppers strolling through the farmers market or along Pioneer Street were treated to music drifting out from storefront windows. Some stopped for a bite to eat at a food cart, while others opted for a full meal at a restaurant.
Mayor Don Stose said the festival is first and foremost a way “to showcase the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, but along with that is bluegrass. Most people love bluegrass music.”
Stose said the festival, now in its 21st year and hosted by the city and the Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, usually draws a bigger turnout but has been hit hard by the pandemic.
“In years past, we would have musicians on every street corner playing bluegrass music,” Stose said.
Despite the smaller turnout, Stose was happy to see so many people out enjoying the music, the refuge and the bright blue skies.
The day’s music kicked off with a performance by the Opus Band, whose members are students from the Opus School of Music. The band plays various gigs around the community and is mentored by upper-level students.
Other bands performing included Tried & Blue, Ash Creek, Corral Creek, Whistlin’ Rufus, Whiskey Deaf, Hardshell Harmony and Fadin’ by 9.
“We come every year whether we’re performing or not,” said musician David Day. Although his band wasn’t scheduled to perform, he came for the informal jam sessions the festival is known for.
“They encourage jamming in the parks, so it’s available to everybody,” said Tried & Blue band member Nancy Limbaugh, of Vancouver. “It’s a really great opportunity to come and listen to great music.”
The area’s bluegrass music community is tight knit, with members of various bands frequently playing together.
What draws them to the music?
Day said he got hooked on bluegrass after a family member introduced him to it about 10 years ago. “I was interested in the stories they would tell. … It’s like the music you would sit around on your porch and play,” he said. “The people are wonderful.”
But bluegrass music isn’t just for musicians.
“I think a lot of people love to listen to it. And players realize they need people to listen,” said Ron Taylor, of Newberg.
Taylor, who plays guitar and provides vocals for Corral Creek, said another good thing about bluegrass is that musicians of all skill levels are welcome. He said some players are “really fine instrumentalists; they really take it up a notch,” while others just follow along as they can. And younger players are welcome to join in as well.
But the festival wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. In addition to virtual events, the refuge offered a “fee free” day to visitors and self-guided tours. The refuge is home to a variety of birds including loons, geese, pelicans, great herons, ducks and even trumpeter swans, as well as mammals like deer and otters.
But it was the trumpeter swan that first brought friends Jane Patrick, of Washougal, and Nora Illades, of Vancouver, to the refuge. On Saturday, they came back to enjoy both the wildlife and the music.
“We’ve both been to the refuge many times,” said Patrick. “And I love music of all genres. They seem to fit together well.”
The first time the two friends visited the refuge, they also went to the Cathlapotle Plankhouse for a fire ceremony. It kept them coming back.
“The way they’re expanding the trails and managing this refuge is very friendly to people. There’s so much to take in,” Patrick said.
No doubt, they will be back for next year’s BirdFest & Bluegrass.
