15 Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Performers Will Pay Tribute to Dolly Parton

There's going to be a whole lot of Dolly love at this year's Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, the free festival's 26th outing in Golden Gate Park.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is kicking off as we speak, with the first acts taking to the Banjo and Swan stages at 1 pm Friday. Those first acts are Shawn Camp, on the Swan Stage, and Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams on the Banjo Stage.

Today's lineup will wrap up with Molly Tuttle, Lukas Nelson, and over on the Towers of Gold Stage, Kentucky-born rock band My Morning Jacket. Stacey Earle, the sister of festival honoree and longtime Hardly Strictly staple Steve Earle, will also be closing things out today on the Arrow Stage.

See the full schedule here.

As always, the festival occupies the meadows of Golden Gate Park just east of the Polo Field, the same meadows that are part of the footprint of the Outside Lands Festival. And this is going to be a hot weekend in the park, which it sometimes is for this festival, so organizers are warning about health risks for older adults in particular.

Some late-breaking lineup changes include Robert Plant, who was added to the lineup for Sunday, and Rilo Kiley, who replaces Alison Krauss & Union Station — Krauss announced she was bowing out a few weeks ago due to illness.

Steve Earle goes on at 5:45 Saturday with the Hardly Strictly Dukes, and as she always does, Emmylou Harris will close things out on the Banjo Stage on Sunday, starting at 5:45.

NBC Bay Area and some other outlets are, erroneously, calling this the 25th year of the festival — last year was technically Hardly Strictly 25, though you could say, technically, this year is the 25th anniversary of the first festival in 2001, though it's the 26th time the festival has happened.

And, per NBC, 15 performers are reportedly weaving tributes to Dolly Parton into their sets, after the legendary country singer and songwriter died last month at age 80. Dolly, herself, performed at Hardly Strictly 21 years ago, in 2005, to a massive crowd.

As always, festival-goers are encouraged to bring small blankets (blankets larger than 6'x8' aren't allowed), and low-slung chairs (high-backed chairs aren't allowed), and this is a festival where you can BYOB, in soft coolers only, but glass is not allowed and neither, technically, is hard alcohol.

Those who bring chairs, strollers, or non-clear backpacks will be subject to secondary search at the gates.

Have fun out there, y'all!