BRIDGTON — Several hundred people braved near zero degree
weather Saturday night to hear three hours of foot-tapping,
hand-clapping bluegrass music at the old Town Hall on North Street.

The Lakes Environmental Association held its sixth annual Deep
Freeze Mostly Bluegrass Music Festival to celebrate the association’s
40th anniversary. Bridie McGreavy, LEA’s conservation and education
director, said the event was the most well attended in his six-year
history.

LEA member David Lee brought together four bands who played
everything from traditional bluegrass to Celtic, folk, country and even
yodeling for three hours to a crowd estimated at around 300 people.
Many families brought their young children to the celebration. 

The Rusty Hinges, a local quartet that plays a mix of music, warmed
up the crowd before Bethel resident Jewell Clark, the daughter of
cowboy yodeler Yodeling Sam Clark, took the stage, winding the crowd up
with her largely country-style songs and yodeling numbers. Squash and
Gourds, a family band from New Glouster and Gorham including bluegrass
veterans Dan Grass and Carter Logan, and the Hemingway Brothers of
Harrison, a hard-driving traditional bluesgrass band who played many of
the old time tunes like those of the Stanley brothers, brought the festival to a
riveting cresendo.  

The event was one of many the organization holds each year in its
attempt to protect Maine’s lakes over the last 40 years. Proceeds will
go to furthering the organization’s work. 

— Leslie H. Dixon