Pammel, who envisioned the area as a state park. The narrow ridge and other unique geological formations interested prominent Iowans, like Thomas MacBride and L.H. This ridge is the highest point in northeast Iowa, once referred to as The Devil’s Backbone. The name for the park came from a narrow bluff carved on two sides by a curve in the Maquoketa River. There’s something for everyone at Backbone-especially nature lovers! And we believe it’s among the most adventure-filled parks in the Iowa park system. This one-of-a-kind 2000-acre park is a sight to behold, with unique geological features and tons of outdoor activities. “I’m not going to get myself in trouble by naming a favorite.Backbone State Park is Iowa’s first state park, dedicated in 1920. Martin points out that there are numerous options available in Strawberry Point and surrounding areas, ranging from fast food to sit-down and specialty restaurants. Where to Eat: Food is available at the Festival, or you are welcome to bring your own. More: Trip on a tankful: Honey Creek Resort State Park offers everything from a championship golf course to a water park Snap a selfie with the World’s Largest Strawberry in Strawberry Point and check out the Wilder Memorial Museum (), celebrating its 50th anniversary, which is best known for its collection of 800 heirloom dolls and doll furniture, among other artifacts. While You’re There: Explore Backbone State Park and walk the bedrock “Devil’s Backbone,” one of the most popular hikes in the state. Organizers plan to see more than 1,500 attendees this year.
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Sometimes as many as four generations of a family are in attendance.įun Fact: The Festival has seen visitors from every state in the contiguous U.S., plus those from Denmark, Germany, Norway, Australia, Japan, Mexico and Canada.
Kids: Although there are no children-specific activities, Martin equates it to “an old-fashioned family picnic, where children are encouraged to make new friends and create games or play those old forgotten games like kickball, hide and seek or explore the grounds for salamanders, stick bugs or tree locusts.” During the evenings, families make campfires, tell stories and sing songs. “We have evolved to the point where we now have a beautiful 20-acre timber site that is manicured into a parklike setting with a magnificent new stage built by all volunteer labor and much of the material donated by local businesses.”įor many families, the festival has become a beloved tradition and “a throwback to a time when families and neighbors would get together, sing or play music, tell stories or just simply listen, in a wholesome environment that is hard to find today,” said Martin.
“We started in a hayfield with a flatbed truck for a stage and tarp rigged up for shade,” he said.
More: The Iowa State Fair's top 10 new foods of 2021 Looking back the past 40 years, he said that the biggest success story is how it grew from a fledgling festival that was started and promoted by a bunch of volunteer novices to what is now Iowa’s oldest and largest bluegrass festival. “I am a retired attorney and magistrate, so I am fond of saying that I have been accused of playing the mandolin, but there is not enough evidence to convict me,” he said. Martin’s background includes a lifelong appreciation for music of all kinds. Martin himself is still running the festival, which is now known as the Backbone Bluegrass Festival and incorporates not only concerts but also the Strawberry Jam Camp and Songwriters Workshop. “We were fortunate enough to break even the first couple of years, and we quickly changed from a fundraiser to a ‘FUN-raiser,’” said Martin. Originally organized in 1981 as the Strawberry Point, Iowa Bluegrass Festival by music enthusiast Linzy Martin as a way to raise money to get the lake dredged at Backbone State Park, it took off and is now, 40 years later, stronger than ever. If you close your eyes and listen closely (maybe with a favorite bluegrass tune playing in your head), you may be able to hear the mandolins, banjos and fiddles warming up all around the state - and country! - for the 40th Annual Backbone Bluegrass Festival, coming up July 23-25 at Backbone State Park (Iowa’s oldest state park) in Strawberry Point.
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