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Not going to make it to Hardly, Strictly Bluegrass this year? (Let’s face it, San Francisco is hella–ahem–very far away for us less-motivated Angelenos…) No matter! The third-annual Long Beach Folk Revival Festival is happening this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. in Rainbow Lagoon Park, close to the Metro Blue Line’s Downtown Long Beach Station.

Indie-folk-rock band Deer Tick heads this year’s lineup of Folk, Americana, Roots and Bluegrass groups. And the entertainment doesn’t stop with great music–the fest also features a pie-eating contest, square dancing, a mustache/beard competition and a banjo competition, among other awesome activities. Gourmet food trucks and vendors will be on hand for those who come hungry or thirsty.

Tickets for the Long Beach Folk Revival are $20 when purchased online ahead of time. For those who like to sit on the fence as far as weekend plans are concerned, you can take advantage of Metro’s Destination Discount for the day of the event: show your valid TAP card at the festival box office and save $5 off the $30 admission.

Getting to Rainbow Lagoon Park is easy via Metro Rail. Simply take the Metro Blue Line all the way to Downtown Long Beach Station. From there, it’s about a twelve minute walk south on Pine Avenue to reach the festival, or you can hop on the free Passport bus. There is no upgrade or maintenance work planned on the Blue Line this weekend, so trains will be following their normal schedule.

Before the sign off, Providence-based headliners Deer Tick make some truly great music that’s worth a listen, even if you can’t make it to Long Beach this weekend. One of my favorite songs, “20 Miles,” seems particularly appropriate, since that’s about the distance between Union Station and Downtown Long Beach Station!