Fire won’t stop fiddle contest


As soon as things quieted down after last year’s Woolsey fire, many of us waited to hear about Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area and its famous Western Town.

Everyone connected with the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival and, I’m sure, all the fans, were hoping the fire bypassed the park. Unfortunately, it didn’t. Many of the smaller trees were burned as were most of Western Town’s wooden facades.

The good news is, it looks like the old oak trees are coming back and the stream is flowing. There is a nice growth of green sprouts and wildflowers all over the park, and there are plans to rebuild sometime in the future.

Dr. Quinn’s railroad station is still there, as is the chapel built by HBO for “Westworld” and both are sporting brand new, strengthened stairs courtesy of the Boy Scouts.

And, also good news, the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival will be returning May 19.

Not to be deterred by recent events, supporters and organizers are doing what is necessary to bring the festival back for its 59th year. They are replacing the stages that were burned with rental stages and renting generators to replace the electricity that was lost.

Bottom line is, it promises to be another fun year with nine hours of contests, jamming, children’s crafts, singing, flat-foot and clog dance contests, storytelling, craft booths, exhibits, food vans, free parking and everything that goes into the largest bluegrass-folk festival south of San Francisco.

Robert Peltzman
Agoura Hills