Carlisle Bluegrass Festival Pictures

Peter Rukavina

Here are some pictures from the 1978 Carlisle Bluegrass Festival. I wrote about the festival last year. I was 12 years old in 1978, which means I was probably selling newspapers somewhere in the background of those pictures.

And here’s some Carlisle village history. The two schools in Carlisle, Victoria built in 1922 and Balaclava built in 1958, are both gone now. Victoria was torn down, and sits as a vacant lot; I went there for grades 4, 5 and 5. Balaclava, where I did grades 2 and 3, was replaced by a sleek modern school sometime in the last 20 years.

I used to deliver the paper to Mrs. Howard Green (mentioned in the section on Progreston), and also did some yard work for her. She used to give me orange pop and cookies when we took a break.

She lived across the street from what we used to call “the dam,” which is pictured here. There’s a railway bridge over the dam, and Len Taylor climbed up there in 1978 and spray-painted his name in white paint. It’s still there.

Bluegrass
Carlisle
History

Comments

Submitted by George on

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Hello i’ve been looking for the bluegrass festival that use to take place near carlisle or folk festival in the 70 and 80’s,if do you know of a list that you e’mail me,i would like to get back to bluegrass festivals thank you.

Submitted by Jennifer on

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Hello,

I use to go to Carlisle Bluegrass festivals when I was younger, in the 80’s. I’m looking for a website that lists all of the singers and what years they attended. If you could let me know where I can start that would be great!

Submitted by Aaron Woods on

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Is it possible for you to repost the pics of the Carlisle Bluegrass Festival? I’d be really interested to see them!

Submitted by S Gibbs on

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Balaclava is still there. The modern school you are referring to is Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the catholic school built beside Balaclava. I’m still a resident of Carlisle and attended Balaclava 12 years ago.

Submitted by Keith on

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Yes. Please post the photos again. I had job as lifeguard at Courtcliffe in the summers ('78, 79 and maybe 1980). The festival was something special -- as good as the Mariposa festivals if not better. Too bad it is all gone. I guess the city raised the land taxes so as to get those "noisy neighbours" to sell up. And I remember the dam. Friends and I would make the trip from Burlington just for the swimming there. Story was the owner put ree-bar in the water to keep people from jumping off the bridge. Didn't stop us though. The jump from the dam was much scarier. I live in the big city of Bangkok now and can look back and appreciate that places like Carlisle were special.

Submitted by Jill Wallis on

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S many good memories. My little brother bought a buckskin mountain man shirt there & he is still wearing it today.

Submitted by Lois Demers on

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Hi, I grew up in Carlisle. I knew Mrs Green as I was good friends with her granddaughters Denise and Danielle. I used to swim in the dam and miss those care-free days. I remember the bluegrass festivals well (and sneaking out in the middle of the night to go to them!) I also went to the Victoria School (little school on the hill.

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Photo of Peter RukavinaI am . I am a writer, letterpress printer, and a curious person.

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