When the Stars Came to Gaithersburg: Remembering the Shady Grove Music Festival

In the 1960s and ’70s, Gaithersburg was an entertainment hotspot for the greater D.C. area. The Shady Grove Music Fair—first housed under a big-top tent and later in a theater-in-the-round with a revolving stage—hosted Broadway hits and performances by music legends including Simon and Garfunkel, Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Bette Midler, Duke Ellington, and the Jackson 5 (who performed for a full week, with tickets starting at just $4.75). The venue closed in 1978 after a remarkable 16-year run. The speaker is local historian Ralph Buglass.