Welcome to RedBone Willy's

Red Bone Willy's Bluegrass Festival

fills the air with music on Saturday

By: Rebecca Clark

rebeccaclark@shelbystarcom

Music drifted through the air and people in canvas lawn chairs nodded their heads or tapped their feet to the sounds of bluegrass music at Red Bone Willy's second annual Bluegrass Festival.

Families made a day of it with blankets, umbrellas to shade them from the sun and cool drinks in hand.

"We're loving it," said Sandy Campion, relaxing in the shade with her husband, Jim, and toddler son, Kadan.

She said it is the first time they attended a blue grass festival and they enjoyed the experience.

There was a little bit of something for everyone with food vendors, wine tasting and an entire artisan village selling their jewelry, paintings, pottery and face painting under the branches of pine trees.

A group, Boudicca, selling jewelry on tables set up on the soft carpet of pine needles said they had come from Charlotte to sell their items.

"It's been awesome," said Angela Landreth. "It's been just great"

Children had elaborate Renaissance designs painted on their face and were also entertained with a petting zoo and a sprinkler where they could cool off from the summer sun and bum off energy.

The main attraction, the music, was what most people had come for.

"It's great," said Debbie Stone. "Lots of good music." Musicians serenaded the crowd from a wooden stage in front of a grassy lawn. When one group finished, another would take their place.

Terry Brown, an event coordinator, said the festival was family-oriented.

"This is going to grow into something bigger every year," she said.

Brown said the owner of Redbone Willy's store, Glenda Miller, had always dreamed of having a bluegrass festival.

Miller said she opened the store in 1995 and in the beginning had bands come and play music on the back porch.

The music drew people in, but became too much work.

Miller held on to the idea of a festival and last year made the dream a reality.

She said it went well last year and she envisions the festival growing each time.

"There's endless opportunities here," she said.

Next year, she hopes to attract sponsors for the event to grow and improve it.

"Hopefully the economy's not dug in here too bad," she said.

By the end of the evening, she predicted a thousand people would come through.