Father’s Day bluegrass fest set for Grass Valley

Pack your camping gear and grab your guitar and get ready for a long-standing tradition with the 49^th annual Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival. The four-day event takes place June 13-16 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, California, with more than 30 bands across three stages.

For the California Bluegrass Association, this is the premier event of the year, said CBA Chairman of the Board Peter Lude.

“It seems to get better every year,” he said.

The family-friendly festival prides itself on the independence and longevity and being a staple to musicians far and wide.

“It sets music above money and we’re building a sense of community, and a lot of longtime friendships are made here,” Lude said.

He said what sets this festival apart from others is the location, the music, the jamming and its unique youth program.

THE LOCATION

Set in Grass Valley, the festival is held at the Nevada County Fairgrounds — a location known for hosting large events. The spacious, mostly flat, campground is filled with large, towering trees providing plenty of shade that continues to the grassy main stage area creating a scenic landscape.

“The fairgrounds are in a beautiful area in the Sierra foothills,” Lude said. “The camping area is in a forested area with a big lake around and it is a really pleasant experience.”

The cost of camping is included with the festival ticket. There is an extra fee for RV camping. There are also accommodations nearby if camping isn’t your thing.

Lude said there is plenty to do nearby if you take a break from the festival or stay longer, such as swimming at the Yuba River.

“It’s just a pleasant place to hang out for a few days aside from the music,” he said.

MUSIC

Lude said the festival brings in some of the biggest bands in the world and showcases local California bands. At the top of the lineup is Alison Brown, Sister Sadie, Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass and Lonesome River Band. Brown recently won a Grammy with Steve Martin.

“It’s very entertaining and keeps people busy,” Lude said.

The festival spends more than a year and a half researching the bands to include.

“We try to get a diverse lineup where women are represented and people of all types,” he said. “There is something for everybody.”

The festival sticks to more of a traditional bluegrass setup, but they also bring in different acts that have a similar style. Lude said Brown’s band is sort of a jazz infusion and very progressive, but it is traditionally based. Some of the talent comes from all over the world including Country Gongbang, a bluegrass group from South Korea.

“We’re keeping it more intimate with the superb musicians who fit into that genre of preserving the traditional event,” Lude said.

NEW ADDITIONS

Lude said the festival expanded its offerings this year. The biggest addition is more late-night music. After the bands get done at the main stage, the music will continue indoors with two unique sets of music.

“If you still haven’t gotten enough, we still have an intimate club setting on Friday and Saturday night,” he said. “They will be some special shows you won’t see anywhere else.”

Friday night Laurie Lewis and Friends will be Celebrating Women in Bluegrass. Saturday night features Frank Solivan and Friends: The Grass Valley Spirit.

On Sunday, they will be celebrating dads with a special Father’s Day brunch.

“Our concessions will be preparing special meals for them,” Lude said. “We’ll also have some mimosas and bloody mary drinks and special kid’s activities.”

CALIFORNIA SHOWCASE BANDS

The festival includes five groups as part of their California Showcase Bands: One Button Shirt, Trouble Town, Salty Sally, Solid Gold Stranger and Caltucky.

Sophia Sparks from Salty Sally said her band played last year on a smaller stage, and this year the group of four young women will get the chance to play on the main stage.

“It’s really exciting because I’ve been coming for a long time and being able to play with my band on the main stage in front of a lot of people is really exciting and fun,” the 16-year-old said.

JAMMING

One of the biggest draws of the festival, is the jamming that takes place all night throughout the campground, Lude said.

“One thing that makes our festival unique among the community is that the fans are very good musicians, so when the mainstage gets done, everyone gets out their instruments,” he said. “You’d swear they are pros, but they are just amateurs.”

Sparks also said the jamming is cool and she loves to get involved.

“Basically, all the people who come to the festival also play music it seems like,” she said.

She said you can walk around the entire campground and play with anyone.

“It’s a cool way to connect with other musicians,” Sparks said. “Jamming is definitely one of the best parts of the festival. It kind of makes it or breaks it.”

YOUTH PROGRAM

The festival is known for its unique programs that nurture children ages 10 to 12 with their musicianship. The kids will learn songs together, and then the organizers will form bands out of the kids and have them perform songs they learned.

He said there are a dozen different programs from semi-formal to more informal and some for younger children who are just getting acquainted with an instrument.

Lude said bringing children to the festival can also help inspire them. From his own personal experience, he said you will often play music with a child and sometimes they only half-heartedly get into it. He said when these kids come to the festival and see other 10-year-olds playing well and enjoying it, it can really inspire them.

“It’s like flipping a switch, and now they enjoy playing the music,” he said. “There’s something about the peer relationship about kids playing together. It’s unique in motivation and helps instill this lifetime love of music.”

Sparks said she’s been playing mandolin since she was 8 and she has been coming to the festival since she was 12, which was her first experience jamming with other people and connecting with the scene. She attended the youth program one year.

“It was just kids and kids who really liked to play music and especially bluegrass,” she said. “Doing that with young people my age was inspirational and made me want to keep playing.”

Lude said some of the kids have gone on to be superb musicians, such as Molly Tuttle (who recently won a Grammy), was came to the festival when she was a young girl.

Sparks said she is inspired from seeing people like Tuttle make it in the music industry.

“The fact that they were once a kid playing music, and growing up in California like me, and now they are doing all these shows and stuff — it’s definitely inspirational to see that.”

IF YOU GO

WHAT: 49th-Annual California Bluegrass Associations Father’s Day Festival

WHERE: Nevada City Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, Calif.

WHEN: June 13-16, 2024

TICKETS, MORE INFO: https://californiabluegrass.org/cbaevent/fathers-day-festival/