Beyond bluegrass: Palouse Music Fest will debut in park

The first annual Palouse Music Festival will be at the Palouse Park Saturday, its debut an extension of the Palouse Bluegrass Festival which was started by volunteer Heidi Kite.

The Palouse Arts Council, Chamber of Commerce and Palouse Community Center are working to produce the festival.

The new musical mode will expand the bluegrass motif into string jazz, blues, Irish and American Folk.

“It’s diverse, but local,” said Paul Smith, member of the Palouse Arts Council and one of the performers.

Beargrass, a bluegrass act from Deary, Idaho, will keep the original theme.

Among other new elements...