Kate Wolf was a northern California folk singer who gained a national following as part of the folk revival of the 70’s. She died prematurely of leukemia in 1986. We have been big fans of her music for a long time, so when a friend told us there was an annual Kate Wolf Music Festival in Mendocino County, we decided to go.

We were a little late discovering the festival, seeing as how this was the 19th iteration. It offered more than 30 acts on four stages, with camping included in the price, at Black Oak Ranch, on land owned by the Hog Farm commune.

We camped the night before in Willits, about 35 miles from the festival venue, so we could arrive reasonably early and get a good campsite. We arrived about 20 minutes after the gates opened to find lots of folks already camped and a long line of people waiting to pick up their will-call tickets and get the wrist bands that are required to get into the event. Continue reading