Hangtown Music Festival: Circus for All Ages

Friendly spirits float into Hangtown

Placerville, CA- A pulsing spectrum of light, writhing processions of dance and breakout jam sessions along with fun surprises lurked at every corner of Hangtown Music Festival this past weekend at El Dorado County Fairgrounds.

Colorful entertainment and friends popped up wherever you happened to be at any particular moment. An incredibly friendly musical circus for all ages with fun and smiles at every turn.

Season Finale

For many, the annual pilgrimage to Hangtown marks the end of festival season, the final big hurrah before the cooler weather and rains roll into Northern California. Mother Nature did her part to serve up a tasteful recipe of clear skies and abundant sunshine as daytime temps hovered north of 80 degrees. Cool evening temps kept the party going into the wee hours.

Halloween spirit on side stage

Halloween Spirit

A barrage of colorfully lit and elaborately decorated RV’s, tents and campsites emblazoned the scene with a wildly unique and often humorous Halloween spirit. Spread out over four days each October, Hangtown Music Festival is hippie heaven where fans take their music and parties seriously. It’s a brewing cauldron of fun.

Year after year, Hangtown continues to improve upon what we consider to be – one of the most enjoyable festival experiences anywhere

Greensky Bluegrass stage

Americana Music

While the Grateful Dead musical legacy and fan base looms large at Hangtown, there’s plenty of styles and unique musical approaches to enjoy all weekend. Encompassing country, folk and bluegrass (among others), Hangtown brings together music and jam band fans spanning many genres and ages.

Dark Star Orchestra
Dark Star Orchestra, a longtime deadhead favorite

We thoroughly enjoyed Dark Star Orchestra’s Grateful Dead set. For a extra dose of musical appreciation, we tip our hats to Greensky Bluegrass and The Wood Brothers. The entire weekend was filled with an array of talented musicians.

Quality Vendors

Vendor quality varies greatly at festivals and Hangtown does a real nice job of differentiating itself with higher quality vendors. From Tahoe Wellness Center, musical instruments to super cool attire and much in between, fans really seem to enjoy browsing and getting a little shopping in during the weekend. For those hungry and thirsty, solid food court options and cold flowing Sierra Nevada brews kept fans happy. Hazy on tap for the win!

โ™ฅ Exploring, wandering between sets

Keeps getting better

Heater
Surprises lurking everywhere

A free-spirited festival experience that by any measure just seems to keep getting a whole lot better with each year.

Noticeable stage improvements in 2019 with a video screen, larger and brightly lit side projections. and the friendliest crowd add to what already ranks among our favorite fests.

“Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right.” – Robert Hunter

No matter how we look at it, Hangtown Music Festival is done right. See ya in 2021!


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