The Chronicle

The Washington Bluegrass Association announced this week the cancelation of the 2020 Mount St. Helens Bluegrass Festival.

The event had been scheduled for August 7-9 at Kemp Olson Memorial Park in Toledo with five bands slated to take the stage at the outdoor venue, a temporary location during construction to replace Toledo High School.

“It wasn’t an easy decision because so many visitors from out of state, including the bands themselves, circle this one on their calendar,” said WBA Board member Bruce Baskin. “The fact that we’ve always focused on traditional bluegrass music while keeping things affordable and approachable level for both fans and musicians appeals to a lot of people. They know what kind of music they’ll hear and that it’ll be in a family-friendly setting.”

The WBA plans to turn its focus to their 2020-21 season at the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis

“It’s been a disappointing year for us for sure,” Baskin said. “But it’s been tough on everyone. People have lost or been laid off from their jobs, they’re behind on their rent or mortgage, they still have families to feed, nobody knows when they can start going back to their lives or even what they’ll be going back to.”