Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is definitely about music, and oh what a broad range there always is.

And it's surely about community, too — the shows are free and freewheeling, and lots of folks are making new friends.

Yes, yes, it's about people: People getting together, wearing fun hats, playing, and picnicking.

But what Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is really about — a fact that's become clear over its 15-year run — is dogs.

This year, as always, the true theme of HSB was people parading dogs around — or, rather, dogs parading people around. Because it's a free festival and in a park, with no real security gates, and despite the fact that it is wildly crowded in a way that is not pleasant for many canines, lots and lots of people bring their dogs.

Need proof? Here it is.

Photos by Caleb Pershan

Previously: Not-So-Strict Rules For Hardly Strictly Bluegrass