The 1st San Diego Folk Festival was held at San Diego State College in May of 1967.

Lou Curtiss recalls: “I don’t exactly remember where talk of the first San Diego Folk Festival began. It was probably in a conversation with Curt Bouterse and Carol McComb at the Blue Guitar (or in Carol’s living room behind the Blue Guitar, located on Midway Drive at that time), or possibly at one of those Folksong Society meetings at SDSU. Along the way I approached Gary Solbue (SDSU Associated Student Advisor) about money, and he came up with an organization that had to sponsor something to keep its charter.”

“That group was the SDS Associated Men’s Students. They came up with $350 to pay performers and another $100 or so for posters and publicity. We spent $250 on Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys and the rest on the Possum Hunters String Band (Dave Polacheck and Graham, Ginnie, and Gurden Wickham), Sam Hinton, Stu Jamieson, Gil Turner, Sandy and Jeanie Darlington, and Kathy Larisch and Carol McComb. Bill Monroe played on Thursday night, and since the bus his regular band was riding in broke down in El Centro, Doug Dillard, Dean Webb, and Mitch Jayne (of The Dillards) came down to back Bill and his regular guitar player. Friday night’s concert featured Curt Bouterse, Wayne Stromberg, the Eddystone Singers (Walt Richards, Pat Rusconi, and Leslie Kapp), Ray Bierl, Dave Campbell, and Pam Ostergren. That first festival took place on May 11, 12, and 13 in SDSU’s Peterson Gymnasium.”

Click here to see a Poster from the 1st San Diego Folk Festival.

Here is some sample music from that 1st San Diego Folk Festival.

• The Possum Hunters performing Lazy Farmer Boy.
• Stu Jamieson performing The Blue Goose.
• Gil Turner performing The Devil’s Baptizing.
• Kathy Larisch and Carol McComb performing John of Hazelgreen.
• Stu Jamieson performing Trouble On My Mind.
• Sam Hinton performing Billy Grimes The Drover.
• Kathy & Carol performing Crazy Arms.
• The Possum Hunters performing Bull At The Wagon.
• Sandy and Jeanie Darlington performing The Lion And The Bird.
• Sam Hinton performing Muleskinner Blues.
• Gil Turner performing Carry It On.
• The Old Reliable Egg Preserver Jug & String Band & Janitorial Service performing Deep Elum Blues.
• Sam Hinton performing It’s A Long Way From Amphioxus.
• Sandy and Jeanie Darlington performing Closin’ Time.

**Pictured in the photos above, from the top: Pam Ostergren plays before an audience in Peterson Gym; The Possum Hunters – Dave Polachek, Ginnie Wickham, Gurden “Wick” Wickham, Graham Wickham; The Eddystone Singers – Leslie Kapp, Pat Rusconi, Walt Richards; Sam Hinton; The Blue String Grass Boys – Doug McKee on guitar, Bob Leech behind playing banjo, unknown bass and mandolin players; Curt Bouterse.