Dozens of bands, food and arts and crafts booths, and plenty of
opportunities for musicians of any level, make this weekend-long
festival something special.
Hollister
Fans of quality Californian Bluegrass music should head out to Bolado Park this weekend as the Northern California Bluegrass Society puts on the Good-Old-Fashioned Bluegrass Festival.
Dozens of bands, food and arts and crafts booths, and plenty of opportunities for musicians of any level, make this weekend-long festival something special.
“This event is fun, small and low-key without any lines for anything,” says Mike Hall, the group’s president.
The event is also 100 percent Californian with every one of the dozens of bands coming from the Golden State.
The event has a heavy emphasis on people feeling comfortable about playing music.
“The best thing about bluegrass is that it is participatory,” says Brenda Hough, secretary of organization’s board of directors.
“You won’t normally find professional musicians jamming until 3 in the morning with amateurs, but it happens all the time here.”
Hough went on to say if you don’t know the chords, other musicians will tell you, and that if that doesn’t work, “You can just stomp your feet.”
Eric Burman, the director and event founder, says it all began when his mother was ill and told him to take his eventual inheritance and throw a huge party.
“I told her I would throw a party that would never end,” recalls Burman. “Here we are 14 years later.”
Burman pointed out that between each main act there is “tweener stage time” when all groups are welcome to come up and play for 20 minutes.
Burman also noted that many larger festivals send scouts and have booths at the event to watch for up-and-coming talent.
The festival also has a children’s program. Youngsters are shown how to play bluegrass and act as a band. At the end of the weekend, they go up on stage and perform.
There will be many other workshops for musicians throughout the weekend as well.
One exciting band playing the festival is Houston Jones, which has taken the California Bluegrass scene by storm, Burman says.
He also says an exciting new band is Common Cents, which plays original tunes that come out sounding like “bluegrass of the ages.”
About one-third of the bands each year are new.
“We sure appreciate the hospitality Hollister has been giving us,” says Burman, adding that he hopes to see more locals out experiencing the music and perfect weather.
“You just have to be here in the evening when the stage acts are done,” he says. “Everyone takes out their instruments and we have just a magical musical night.”
The festival goes from 3 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Sunday. Camping is permitted and RVs can hook up for $20. Tickets are $75 for the entire weekend, $30 for Friday or Sunday only, and $40 for Saturday only.
For a schedule of acts, go to www.scbs.org/GOF2008/GOF08Home.htm
