Bluegrass festival offers music, workshops
Bluegrass band Front Country performs Friday night at the Five Suns Bluegrass Festival in Moses Lake.
MOSES LAKE - The weekend's Free Summer Concert Series brought bluegrass bands from across the country to Moses Lake for the Five Suns Bluegrass Festival.
Despite some lightning Saturday night, the Moses Lake Centennial Amphitheater was packed as five bluegrass bands took the stage, headlined by North Carolina natives Chatham County Line. Saturday night also included music from the bands Topstring, Downtown Mountain Boys and Washington's own FarmStrong.
Internationally known, all-female group Della Mae headlined Friday night's festivities with a high-energy performance. The band was recently on tour as cultural ambassadors for the U.S. State Department's American Music Abroad program, collaborating with other musicians, teaching educational programs to children and playing concerts in central Asia.
"It's been a life-changing experience for us, individually and as a band," Della Mae founder Kimber Ludiker said.
Friday's lineup also included the Downtown Mountain Boys and FarmStrong, as well as Pearl Snaps of Spokane, which featured Oldtime Fiddle music.
In addition to the live music, the bluegrass festival offered free instrument-playing workshops Saturday designed for beginner and intermediate players, as well as a salmon feed.
The Free Summer Concert Series concludes Aug. 30 with Grammy award winning band Los Lobos. The concert kicks off at 8 p.m.