22nd Prairie Lake Pickin' Party set for this week
Every June, hundreds of people of all ages, beliefs and political persuasions gather at Holton’s Prairie Lake for three days of old-time country, bluegrass and gospel music that brings them together despite their differences.
“The common denominator is the music,” said Ron Meier of the annual Prairie Lake Pickin’ Party. “You come out and see guys in their 70s and 80s playing music with 15 to 20-year-old kids, and they all know the same songs. The fun part of it sometimes is that the kids will give the old guys the history of the songs, and some of these songs are 100 years old, and these old guys don't know these things. It's that kind of thing that makes this festival just a delight.”
That “delight” is in its 22nd year, and from Thursday through Saturday, 15 groups who specialize in various types of acoustic music will play on the Prairie Lake stage. A few of the groups will be playing either for the first time on the stage, or for the first time in a few years, Meier said.
One such band in the latter category, he said, is the 89th Street Bluegrass Band, which is scheduled to play at 9 p.m. Thursday.
“We’re really happy that they’re back,” Meier said. “Mike Stadler is in the band. He was our original club president, and so we're glad we've got the opportunity for their band to come back.”
The “club” Meier references is the Kansas Prairie Pickers Association, which started the festival more than two decades ago with only a few dozen people getting together at the lake to play some old-time country and bluegrass music. The annual festival is the association’s flagship event, and KPPA members hold their annual meeting on the Saturday morning of every festival.
Many of those members bring their trailers to Prairie Lake well in advance of the event, said Meier, who noted that he was the second one to park a trailer at the Prairie Lake grounds to get ready for the event. That, he noted, was a week ago Friday.
“It’s been picking up pretty steadily,” Meier added.
The line-up for this year’s Pickin’ Party begins at 5 p.m. Thursday with longtime Party favorites the Bonjour Brothers, followed at 6 p.m. by the Halbleib Family, the Jackson County Pickers at 7 p.m., Thorpe and McElroy at 8 p.m. and the 89th Street Bluegrass Band at 9 p.m.
On Friday, the Durst Family Band have the 5 p.m. leadoff spot, followed by the Boiler Room Boys at 6 p.m., New Edition at 7 p.m., the Legacy Bluegrass Band at 8 p.m. and Jed Zeplin at 9 p.m. There’s also a “guest spot” on the day’s agenda at 4 p.m., should another band show up to play.
“We get more bands asking to play than we have room for. But it’s a nice problem to have,” Meier said.
Saturday’s activities include the annual “band scramble” at 1 p.m., in which members of participating bands form impromptu groups and play together. Kansas City Hustle opens the evening set at 5 p.m., followed by Sanders/Schroeder/Jacobs, also known as Two Shorts and a Long, at 6 p.m., the Ready Brothers at 7 p.m., Pastense at 8 p.m. and the Roundabouts at 9 p.m.
As always, “pickers and listeners” are welcome to attend, and admission is free, but free-will donations to the KPPA are appreciated. Campers will be charged regular Prairie Lake campground rates, and spaces with electric hook-ups are limited.
Concessions will once again be provided by the Holton Lions Club, and alcoholic beverages are not permitted at the lake grounds. KPPA will have a merchandise table where some groups may have recordings for sale and members will take donations for a guitar drawing.
Prairie Lake is located one mile north of Holton on U.S. Highway 75, then 3 1/2 miles east on 246th Road. For more information on the Pickin’ Party and the Kansas Prairie Pickers Association, visit the KPPA Web site at www.accesskansas.org/kppa/
