Photo by Brienne Boortz

The Festival

Bluegrass music festivals have long been a staple in the hills and hollows of Appalachia. They've also become popular in other parts of the world, where promoters bring national acts to pay for big audiences at iconic venues. But the happiest festival is one where you and your friends come to a quiet place in the country to hear the kind of music you like in a relaxing atmosphere.

This is just that kind of festival -- held at the Happy Ass Ranch in Lake George, Colorado -- where local musicians performed for deeply appreciative audiences. 

The film 

I shot video during the summers of 2007, 2008 and 2009, recording performances of regional musicians including Spring Creek Bluegrass, The Ackermans, Marianne Louise, Jason Miller, Acme Bluegrass, the Florrisant Fossils, Bruce Hayes, Creating a New Sense, John Wise, the Murder Ballads, OTC Varmints and Grass it Up.

This project weaves archival footage of these intimate shows into a documentary record for those who enjoyed the events, and for those who would like to. Edited by Aaron Hartshorn, whose projects while a video student at UCCS, including his writing and producing The Hit, and editing a documentary about life in Colorado's San Luis Valley.

The Happiest Festival is cinema verite - there are no interviews or "the making of" involved - it is just pure video of the sights and sounds of the bluegrass festivals held at the little ranch high up in the Colorado mountains. You can almost smell the pines and the campfire smoke. You can certainly hear the music, from its traditional form (bluegrass artists Florrisant Fossils, Acme Bluegrass, The Ackermans, and Spring Creek, fresh from winning the 2007 Telluride Bluegrass contest) to the cutting edge (Grass It Up, Creating A New Sense) to folk singer/songwriters like Marianne Louise and Jason Miller.