Mother Nature tested the resolve of organizers and bluegrass music fans, but the 15th annual ROMP festival is underway in Owensboro.
Heavy rains and thunderstorms earlier in the week pushed back the massive setup effort for the annual festival. By the scheduled 4pm start time Thursday for the main stage acts, preparations were still underway, including spraying more mulch in the pit area to combat soft soil from the rains.
The water station was one of the most popular stops at Yellow Creek Park Thursday as festival goers battled the most memorable feature of this ROMP, at least before the main stage fired up Thursday. Some comments,
"Hot!"
"Hot, and muggy"
"Three words to describe ROMP so far? Hot, hot and hot"
Once the music started with ROMP favorite Phoebe Hunt around 4:30, nothing else mattered. Kerry Byrd from Muhlenberg County say it’s the atmosphere and the music that have kept them coming back for the past three years.
Clip Kerry Byrd: “It kinda’ reminds me of Woodstock, all the kids with their lighted hula hoops. Last year, there was a guy spitting fire.”
Friday’s headliner is Rhiannon Giddons. On Saturday, it’s Alison Krauss.