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This Saturday, Sept. 22 the Mateel Community Center in Redway presents the 8th Annual Humboldt Hills Hoedown, a country style festival celebrating bluegrass, country and related musical genres with a full line-up of hill-stompin,’ heel-kickin’ local, regional and world-renowned groups playing music in the hall and on the “back 40 stage” from 11 a.m. until midnight.

Music lovers will enjoy a whole landscape of bluegrass and country styles at Hoedown. From Hellbound Glory with their fully loaded string band/country honky tonk, and The Pinebox Boys with their humorous renditions of old murder ballads, to Polecat’s dance-friendly bluegrass band with its infusions of punk, jazz, Celtic and reggae and Absinthe Quartet’s tight Grismanesque picking with gypsy jazz on the side, there’s literally something for every bluegrass and country taste.

Other crowd pleasers covering the full spectrum of bluegrass and country fare at Hoedown will be Three Times Bad, Cash’d Out, Blackberry Bushes String Band, The Hicktown Homeboys, The Striped Pig String Band, Rooster McClintock, Dirt Floor Band, The Compost Mountain Boys, The No Good Redwood Ramblers, Way Out West and Jefferson Parson with the Raspberry Jam Band.

Chef Michele is cooking up mouth-watering country ala carte menu including basil tossed tomato and green bean salad; fresh green salad; beef or vegetable chili with cheesy jalapeño cornbread; fried chicken on a stick; corn on the cob; battered zucchini strips; and a fried potato medley of golden potatoes, yam strips and sweet potato strips. Dessert choices are, apple or blackberry pie a la mode or plain, ice cream cones, brownies and caramel apples. The open bar for those 21 and over, will feature popular domestic beers and microbrews on tap.

Folks can try their skill at staying mounted on Butch the Mechanical Bull and for the “younguns” there will be country games and activities. There’ll be jamming opportunities for musicians and plenty of dancing opportunities all day, including a group Contra dancing lesson from the Striped Pig String Band. Following tradition, there’ll be a good old-fashioned cakewalk and everyone’s favorite bettin’ game, chicken poop bingo.

So grab your friends, neighbors, sweethearts, and younguns and c’mon down to the Mateel Community Center in Redway for the 8th annual Humboldt Hills Hoedown this Saturday, Sept. 22, from 11 a.m. to midnight. Tickets available at the usual local outlets, at the Mateel office and online at Mateel.org, for $27 in advance and $30 at the door. Kids, 12 and under are free.

photo caption:

Polecat