Blue Ox Music Festival announces scaled-down 2020 event – Chippewa Herald

The Blue Ox Music Festival, a country/bluegrass music festival in Eau Claire, is holding a scaled-down version of its festival on Friday, Aug. 28, and Saturday, Aug. 29.

The lineup for the new event dubbed “Live from the Pines,” will feature Feeding Leroy, Them Coulee Boys and Horseshoes & Hand Grenades on Friday, and Chicken Wire Empire, Armchair Boogie and Charlie Parr on Saturday.

The attendance for the event will be capped at 250 people at the Whispering Pines Campground and social distancing will be enforced. The event will also be livestreamed for free on the various Blue Ox social media destinations.

With only 250 tickets being made available, the costs for the festival are slightly higher than expected. Tickets are $300 for general admission and unreserved tent camping ticket and general admission only is $265 a person. Optional campsites start at $150 for a tent or non-electric RV campsite and are capped at a $350 stage view electric campsite.

In a social media post Monday, Blue Ox organizers said they are doing their due diligence to ensure the scaled-down 2020 Blue Ox Music Festival is safe for everyone. They have also linked to the COVID-19 safety guideline on their website they will be adhering to during the event.

Details of their plan include a health questionnaire each visitor and employee will need to complete which includes contact tracing from their day of arrival and asking about COVID-19 symptoms.

If any individual displays symptoms of COVID-19 they will be refused entry and receive a refund. Other measures include socially distant circles being placed throughout the grounds, masks being required when outside of the circles, showers being closed in the campgrounds and sanitation resources being offered throughout the grounds.

The previous incarnation of the Blue Ox Music Festival was set for June, but was delayed until August due to the outbreak of coronavirus around the world and ultimately canceled a short time later.

The original lineup of the 2020 festival included dozens of acts including Government Mule, Sam Bush Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, Yonder Mountain String Band, Charley Crockett among others.

Local favorites and Blue Ox Music Festival veterans Them Coulee Boys said they are happy to be a part of the resurrected festival and look forward to taking the stage again.

“We’re happy to be back at Blue Ox Music Festival for another ‘Live from the Pines.’ This time it’s a hybrid, a livestream and an in-person socially distanced event. See you there (or on the internet).”

Tickets for the Blue Ox Music Festival “Live from the Pines,” event next week are available now on the Blue Ox Festival website.