CAMP MATHER, CA — The wildlands fire that charred 180,000 acres including parts of Yosemite National Park also forced the cancellation of the Strawberry Music Festival that had been set for Aug. 29-Sept. 2. Now in its 32nd year, the Strawberry event, which focuses on acoustic genres including Americana, bluegrass, blues, folk, swing, rock, Cajun, Celtic and gospel, normally takes place twice each year, over Memorial and Labor Day weekends.
“Due to the ongoing State of Emergency and the potential adverse effects of the wildfire on public health, safety and welfare, the County of Tuolumne cannot allow the Strawberry Music Festival to occur at the site as originally permitted on the dates of August 29 through September 2, 2013,” noted the Tuolumne County Community Resources Agency and the Board of Supervisors.
Known as the Rim Fire, due to its proximity to Yosemite’s north rim, it continues to burn on the Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite National Park, Bureau of Land Management and State lands. The fire is exhibiting continued growth to the northeast and east. Thanks to the efforts of some 3,000 firefighters and aerial resources, some progress toward containing spread of fire has been made, structure defense and contingency planning continues in the Mather area. Smoke continues to be an issue within the Rim Fire perimeter (and beyond), with visibility at less than a mile.
At press time, there was no word regarding whether the Strawberry Festival would be rescheduled for a later date or simply cancelled. For more details and updates, go to http://www.strawberrymusic.com
