Banjos and cast iron

Bluegrass and Dutch oven cooking at Grant County Fairgrounds

MOSES LAKE — This year marked the fifth annual Dutch Oven Rendezvous and Bluegrass Festival at the Grant County Fairgrounds.

Nearly 200 campers made the trek to Moses Lake for a weekend of outdoor cooking and down-home music.

Along with the Dutch oven cooks and bluegrass bands, a small contingent of the Oregon Trail Travelers took up residence at the fairgrounds.

The Stephens family is a part of the travelers group that camps in various locations throughout Washington and Oregon beginning in June and ending in early October.

This year's schedule includes seven locations, however, Moses Lake is not one of the formal gatherings for these history buffs.

"We came because we love Moses Lake," said Annemarie Stephens.

Annemarie, her husband and children have been actively participating in the Oregon Trail Travelers for the past eight years. Their youngest daughter, Heather, was taken on her first camping trip at just 6 weeks old.

"I saw a woman this year who remembered Heather when she was just a baby," said Annemarie. She went on to say that the outings foster a very good family environment and make for more interesting history lessons.

"Our son talks about the outings with people, not realizing that he has learned history and is passing it on," Annemarie said.

Her husband is a broom maker for the group and also helps to run the mercantile tent where various wares are available for purchase.

"The group is all volunteer. The money made through the mercantile goes to help pay for gas and other necessities," said Annemarie.

While the elder Stephens prepared to begin making the evening meal, a little before 1 p.m., Heather stepped out of the tent to wave good-bye, saying, "Come back to my house and play."

Farther up the grounds, the sounds of bluegrass bands could be heard. The assembled fiddles, guitars and banjos gave the crowd that had come out early to sit on straw bales the opportunity to hear everything from traditional bluegrass to more contemporary forms of the music.

Fourteen bands and several open mic performers entertained crowds throughout the weekend. The first show of the Saturday entertainment block was a showcase of the youth learning to play and perform bluegrass.

"My favorite part is watching the young people play," said Bobbie Page. "They're just good."

In conjunction with the bluegrass shows, there were also demonstrations and samples offered by the Columbia Basin Dutch Oven Society.

The morning hours were flavored by Dutch oven breakfast casseroles and the beginnings of the lunch menu. Lunch included potatoes roasted with onions and cobbler.

Bob Ottmar, known as Jalape-o Bob to his friends, offered roasted potatoes and cobbler to passersby Saturday.

"I've been doing this for about seven years," said Ottmar. "I wanted to learn to Dutch oven cook, and now I cook with 15 to 20 dutch ovens."

Ottmar works out of the RO Chuckwagon, which he built after getting the wagon wheels from friends in Hood River, and cooks for graduations, customer appreciation days and just about any other time one can imagine.

When asked about his favorite thing to cook, Ottmar grinned and said, "Jalape-o brownies."