By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES - Blue skies and bluegrass has drawn people to downtown Niles from miles away.
The fourth installment of the Niles Bluegrass Festival has once again taken over Riverfront Park for the weekend. Carnival rides and food, camping, crafts and, of course, plenty of music have been filling the air since Thursday evening.
All types of people have been flocking to the event, but their reasons for attending the festival all carry a similar tone. They have come to enjoy good music under some great weather.
Jewett said he was in town for the bluegrass festival last year and also volunteered at the 2005 Riverfest, which had him running around non-stop all day.
Jewett's friend and fellow Chicagoan Nancy Ng was in Niles for the first time Friday. She too said she was anticipating a nice weekend away from the busy streets.
The Martins didn't have to travel too far for the weekend. But, one wouldn't have guessed that by looking at their accommodations. Chuck, his wife Deb, their daughter Miranda and family friend Marie Poehlman - all from Cassopolis - pulled into the festival campgrounds in a 1974 GMC 6000 V-8 Limited Edition bus named Ramblin' Rose.
The outside of the bus has been painted tan and the front tagged with ‘Ramblin' Rose' for Miranda's middle name. Deb said they have been able to keep track of the 17 years of NASCAR races, festivals and camping trips with the bus by the number of Michigan State Park stickers in the windshield.
A few feet south of the Martins was Boy Scout Troop 550 of Niles and Brandywine. Massive white clouds were hanging in the air over the Americana stage while the group of close to 20 scouts began setting up camp.
The troop has been placed in charge of the campsite for the weekend. That means handling garbage detail, parking and campfires. The profits from camping will help the scouts purchase a new trailer to haul their equipment, Scoutmaster Robert Dunnuck said. In the last four years, Troop 550 has grown from six active scouts to more than 20.
Organizers of the Niles Bluegrass Festival would probably agree.