Hardly Strictly Bluegrass begins Friday, some streets will be closed

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival will begin on Friday and go through Sunday.

The free festival takes place in Golden Gate Park each year. Gates open at 11 a.m. on Friday, with a 9 a.m. start on both Saturday and Sunday at Hellman Hollow, Lindley, and Marx meadows. A wide range of artists are slated to perform.

How to get in:

There are four entrances to the festival:

• JFK Drive and Transverse Drive

• Fulton Street and 30th Avenue

• JFK Drive and 36th Avenue

• South Polo Field

Several streets in the area will be closed during the festival:

• JFK Drive between Transverse Drive and Bernice Rogers Drive

• 36th Avenue between Fulton Street and JFK Drive

• 30th Avenue between Fulton Street and JFK Drive

• Transverse Drive between Crossover Drive (25th Avenue) and MLK Drive

• Overlook Drive between Transverse and Middle Drive West

• Middle Drive West between Transverse and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive

• Metson Drive between Middle Drive West and MLK

• Parking area at Polo Fields at North Stables and on Metson Drive (south side of Polo Fields)

• MLK Westbound Between 25th Avenue and Chain of Lakes

Hardly Strictly also features five areas designated for food, serving cuisines from around the world. Artists slated to perform include English singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock, blues legend Bobby Rush, and folksy Portland-based songstress Haley Heynderickx.

What you can’t bring:

High-back chairs, hard-sided coolers, tents, and umbrellas are prohibited, but small backpacks and blankets are allowed. (Check the full list of permitted and restricted items here.)

Motorized devices like Segways and Onewheels aren’t permitted inside the event. Bicycle parking locations can be found on the event map above. The SFMTA (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency) said there will be a taxi stand on the south side of Fulton Street between 22nd and 24th Avenues.

Can’t make it?

You can catch live streams of performances from the Banjo, Rooster, Swan, and Towers of Gold Stages on HSB TV.

Festival forecast

A heat wave is currently hitting the Bay Area, with temperatures reaching up to 87° and staying in the 80s all weekend. Inland areas will see triple-digit temperatures on Saturday and Sunday.

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