San Francisco’s Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival will not be taking place at its traditional setting of the Golden Gate Park. Instead, the event has announced a virtual festival broadcast, ‘Let the Music Play On.’ The broadcast will occur on Oct. 2-4. This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the festival’s founding.

According to a press release, “the October broadcast will feature new performances from the expansive range of Hardly Strictly Bluegrass artists that include first-time performers to legends of American Roots music, along with archival footage from the festival’s past two decades and memories from fans, performers, and staff and priceless gems from the festival’s rich history.” The full lineup will be announced at a later date.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is also asking for fans to help bring life to the broadcast: “The HSB community is what gives the festival life, so fans are encouraged to send their favorite memories via stories, videos, and photos to [email protected]. All contributions are welcome and appreciated, and will be considered for the broadcast in October.”

“While we know we can’t replace the feeling of being together physically, the safety of our attendees, artists, volunteers, and staff are our highest priority and our team has been hard at work creating a vibrant broadcast in line with what attendees have come to expect from HSB: community, discovery, and the all-time best in roots music,” said festival advisor Mick Hellman via press release. “We’re excited to share parts of HSB that aren’t feasible in a festival environment such as screening archival footage, sharing memories, and shining a spotlight on our non-profit partners.”

The festival also announced the Hardly Strictly Music Relief Fund: Bay Area, which is “a $1.5M charitable initiative to support the local music community during the COVID-19 pandemic.” For more information, head to hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/2020/music-relief.

For more information on ‘Let the Music Play On’, head to hardlystrictlybluegrass.com.