The Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival takes place June 12-15 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, Calif.
Courtesy Robin Frenette
Tradition continues at the Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival as it celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The festival takes place June 12-15 at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, California, and features live music, camping, vendors, workshops, live jamming and more. To help celebrate 50 years, the California Bluegrass Association has curated a lineup that reflects music from the early years along with local, regional and national artists.
“We are really excited,” Peter Lude said. “It’s been a long-tradition and we’re celebrating by bringing back bands that performed in our early years 1976-78 and the early ’80s.”
Some bands coming back from the early years include Laurie Lewis & The Right Hands and The Good Ol’ Persons (led by Kathy Kallick). Both bands were at the first festival and they’ll be there in 2025. Laurie Lewis and Kallick also have a special set of music celebrating 50 years of togetherness, since they used to sing together. Lewis, Kallick and members of their bands were part of the CBA in the beginning, so it will be a big reunion for everyone. They’ll also have VIP interviews, a fireside chat with some of the pioneers of California bluegrass sharing recollections and fun stories about what it was like in the beginning.
“It will be very special,” Lude said.
THE MUSIC
The festival features three stages with more than 30 bands playing over the four days. Headliners for the event include The Travelin’ McCourys, AJ Lee & Blue Summit and The Gibson Brothers. Other bands include Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley; Junior Sisk Band; The Canote Brothers; Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band; The Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee; Clinton Davis Stringband; Bearcat Stringband; Matt Michienzie Band; Mission Blue; The Town Howlers; Windy Hill and more.
“We try to have a match of CBA favorite bands, and then some other California bands,” Lude said. “But it’s also a great excuse to bring some out-of-state bands and traveling musicians, like Rob Ikes, The Gibson Brothers and Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee.”
One regional act familiar to the festival is AJ Lee & Blue Summit. They are a young group from Santa Cruz that have been coming to the festival since they were children.
“AJ was a star back when she was 9-10 years old,” Lude said. “She was singing the National Anthem to kick off the festival back then and she’s been coming every year since.”
Lude said he camped next to the band when they were just getting started. He calls them a supergroup of musicians that has evolved and now have a national following.
“Their latest album has been phenomenal,” Lude said. “They’ve been selling out very large venues across the country. We are very fortunate to have them back.”
Another talented, young local band on the lineup is Crying Uncle Band. They are another group that has been coming to the festival for many years. Lude said the band is generous with their time, by helping with the workshops teaching kids how to play.
“There’s the music academy, which is a real focused instructional program that’s really fun,” Lude said. “They have fantastic instructors and small classes. Kids can be immersed and play songs with kids the same age.”
These workshops are an important part of the festival because they teach children to play instruments. There are several workshops held throughout the festival. The children learn to play together in a band as well, and by the end of the weekend they get the kids on stage to play a few songs together.
LAURIE LEWIS
Laurie Lewis came to the very first Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival, and she’s made it a tradition by attending a majority of the festivals over the years, as a band and just for fun. In the early years, she was a member of the CBA and helped get the festival up and running. She said she loves the festival and being at the fairgrounds and she’s only missed about 10 over the span of 50 years.
“It’s my homecoming festival. I was there at the first one, and I hope there’s a never a last one, but I try to go every year,” she said. “It’s been a really important gathering place over the years for me and for the whole greater California bluegrass community.”
She’ll be playing with her band, The Right Hands, who was on that very first lineup in 1976. Then she has a special set with Kathy Kallick celebrating 50 years.
“We played in the band together at the first one in The Good Ol’ Persons,” she said.
The Good Ol’ Persons will have their own set of music then Lewis and Kallick will join forces for a special set they’ve played a few times this year already.
“We’ve been celebrating this year as 50 years of singing together,” Lewis said. “I’m very happy to be just diving into that space with Kathy.”
On top of the anniversaries, Lewis also released a new album. She said she’ll be playing some of her new songs and she’ll have CDs for sale.
Lewis said she is excited for this year’s festival. She shares some of what she loves about being there:
“I just think the community, spending the time there and being up under those beautiful ponderosas and hearing music weaving through the trees and jamming. I just look forward to the whole thing. I enjoy finding a couple hours to go off to the Yuba and pay my respects to the river.”
JAMMING IN THE CAMPGROUND
This is the type of festival that if you have an instrument, you’re going to want to bring it to play with others in the campground. Lude said most of the people who attend are also musicians — ranging from beginners to professionals.
“If you wander around 3 a.m., you’re going to hear some of the best music ever,” Lude said. “The community and collaboration of music, it brings everybody together. It’s come to the point where some people don’t go to the mainstage.”
Lewis enjoys the jamming in the campground, and she participates occasionally. She said the weather is often perfect for staying up late in the outdoors. She said some people will come to the festival and stay in the campground the entire time playing music.
“It’s just a lovely experience to be sitting in the dark playing music,” she said.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival hosted by California Bluegrass Association
WHEN: Thursday, June 12 to Sunday, June 15
WHERE: Nevada County Fairgrounds, 11228 McCourtney Road, Grass Valley, Calif.
MORE INFO: Tickets and information can be found online at californiabluegrass.org/cbaevent/fathers-day-festival