Nestled alongside a quaint two lane road, winding up and down and around the Texas Hill Country sets 50 acres of peace in a world coming apart at the seams. Quiet Valley Ranch is host to the Kerrville Folk Festival every year at this time and provides some respite from the turmoil and worries of planet Earth. This little “peace” of musical tie-dyed heaven is located 9 miles south of Kerrville, Texas on State Highway 16 with easy access from Interstate 10 and San Antonio.
People gather from all over America and the world from May 26th thru June 12th to play and listen to all kinds of music and simply relax under the starry nights of the Texas Hill Country. Twenty-five acres of Quite Valley is set up for RV and camping for those who choose to experience the Festival night life around campfires after hours with food and music. This can be as enjoyable as the scheduled entertainment in the Kennedy Outdoor [amphi] Theater or the Threadgill Theater. Although this music venue tends toward the more acoustic rather than the ‘electric’, the variety of music runs the range from country, folk, blues, jazz, some rock and pop (but not too much), and gospel.
This year’s lineup of performers includes well known and acclaimed artists, such as, Asleep At The Wheel, Terri Hendrix, Peter Yarrow, Bonnie Hearne, Judy Collins, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Suzy Bogguss, Shake Russell, Jimmy LaFave, Marcia Ball, Austin Lounge Lizards, Randy Rogers, Wade Bowen, Guy Forsyth, Purly Gates, Butch Hancock, Colin Gilmore, Zoe Lewis, …and many more.
Music may be the centerpiece of this festival but it’s not all there is. The area around the perimeter of the Kennedy Outdoor Theater is circled with all manner of arts and crafts from candles and soap, to tie-dyed shirts and skirts, to hand crafted jewelry, to handmade guitars and other services, such as massage therapy. Chapel Hill not only hosts a songwriters sharing around the Ballad Tree, but also has outdoor services on Sunday mornings.
This Kerrville Music Festival experience is reflective of its producer Dalis Allen and her assistant Cheyanne Pearl who manage this 18 day event with a quite grace and light touch. Even the security staff (with great people like Rossi and Doc) is unlike most you will ever see with a friendly and helpful manner rather than the more typical “I am security” attitude. In fact, this atmosphere seems to spill over to the Kerr County Sheriff’s Department who generally demonstrate more restraint than you might expect and actually serve as “peace officers” rather than “law enforcement” in dealing with the traffic and a few sometimes over-indulgent campers.
I’m a little past the “roughing it” stage myself and I happen to be lucky enough to live a short distance down the road in Utopia. But if you aren’t inclined to living in a tent or an RV for a few days, there are plenty of accommodations available in Kerrville, San Antonio, Boerne, Bandera, Fredericksburg, and Junction, with bed and breakfast lodging scattered throughout the area, including Utopia, Medina, Ingram, and Mountain Home. For more detailed information on performers, tickets, RV and camping reservations, and other events, go to www.kerrville-music.com, call (830) 257-3600 or email [email protected]
If you’re a lover of the outdoors, music, and arts/crafts, then this may be the perfect venue for an economical vacation from the cares of a world gone mad.