GEORGE - Fans of Bluegrass from all over are about to make their annual trek to the George, Washington Bluegrass Festival, and Columbia Basin locals would be well served to attend

The festival starts on Monday, Sept. 16, and runs through Sunday, Sept. 21. There will be jams and workshops all week long, and Friday afternoon and Saturday will see non-stop performances by top name bands on the main stage.

All of it - 11 bands on Friday and Saturday - will be free to the public, and so is camping (dry) at the George Community Park. The camping rings the performing areas.

You may get the full schedule at www.georgecommunityhall.com.

Food vendors will be available most of the week. The George, WA Georgettes will put on a Potato Feed on Friday and a Taco Salad Feast on Saturday. And they will serve breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. All at the George Community Hall kitchen.

Other fun things will include a fitness opportunity that you are not likely to find at any other festival. Bluegrass Step Aerobics will be led alternately by certified Zumba instructor Laura Vasquez, and QVAA dance choreographer Sherri Kooy.

There will be an old-fashioned ice cream social, a potluck at the pavilion on Thursday, farmer's market, workshops, and open mic sessions, kids' jams, and much more.

The festival will culminate on the weekend with some fine stage performances by the likes of Blue Smoke, Slipshod, Convergence Zone, Brad Keeler Trio, Pickled Okra, Blueberry Hill, Hahner Family Band, Mission Mountain, Moses Willey Band and North Country.

On Friday, Sept. 20, Steve Blanchard, of Prairie Flyer and Slipshod fame, will teach a three-hour workshop. The class will be held at the George Community Hall in the main floor meeting room from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Cost of the workshop is just $20 for three hours of instruction by a world-class guitar expert. You may pre-register by mailing a check to the George Community Hall, PO Box 5064, George, WA (attention: Guitar Workshop).