Bean Blossom, Indiana

Located about 50 miles south of Indianapolis, Bean Blossom is home to the annual Bill Monroe Memorial Bluegrass Festival. This was the 43^rd year for this, the longest continuous running bluegrass festival in the world (like there are a lot of long running festivals outside of the USA). And speaking of long – the typical bluegrass festival that we go to is 3 or 4 days. This festival is 8 days long and music is played each day from 11:00 am until 11:00 pm or later.

1967 was a good year in that the first Super Bowl was held that year and then in June Bill Monroe held his first two-day bluegrass festival, which he called a Blue Grass Celebration at Bean Blossom. He brought his musician friends together to play the high lonesome sound he had pioneered. This first festival was held in the Brown County Jamboree Barn and was so well attended that Bill decided to have it annually and to build an outdoor stage to accommodate a bigger audience. Over the years the grounds have been improved, the stage has been rebuilt and enlarged. The stage sits at the bottom of a wooded amphitheater that makes for ideal viewing and listening for the bluegrass fans in attendance. Despite Bill Monroe's death in 1996, the history and tradition at Bean Blossom continues and the sounds of bluegrass still echo through the hills and trees.

We only lasted through day 7 of the festival. We are bluegrassed out for the time being.