The Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival organized by the
Northern California Bluegrass Society is making a return stop to
Bolado Park on Friday and it will carry through the weekend.
The Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival organized by the Northern California Bluegrass Society is making a return stop to Bolado Park on Friday and it will carry through the weekend.
The 17th annual festival has been a San Benito County tradition every summer since it opened its doors in 1994. The three-day festival highlights traditional bluegrass from throughout California and this year the festival will have three stages.
Traditional bluegrass music takes its roots from Appalachian folk and old-time music. Its basic instruments include a banjo, guitar and fiddle. The music was popularized in California after the folk revival in the 1960s. Today, there are festivals throughout the state, including the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.
The main stage will be filled by 25 bands from Northern California, reaching as far north as Chico. Most of the bands will stay overnight and camp with the attendees and play music inside tents.
“When you come out here you’ll meet a lot of new friends,” said Michael Hall, the president of Northern California Bluegrass Society.
The other stages are open mic and will allow anyone to play music. A side stage will play interim music as the main stage is being set up for a following band, keeping the music constant throughout the day.
Gates will open at 8 a.m. each day. Music will start at 11 a.m. Friday on the “First Stage” before finishing at 10 p.m. on the main stage with the David Thom Band. Music will start at 10 a.m. Saturday and finish up at 10 p.m.
The final day will start at 9 a.m. but finishes at 5 p.m.
Hall plans on gathering 1,000 people from the area to enjoy the festival, a small cry from San Francisco’s Bluegrass Festival’s attendance of nearly 200,000. But to Hall that’s part of the charm.
“The festival is on a small scale and close to home so people know each other,” Hall said.
KGOF will also provide the festival goers with a small-watt FM radio station that will broadcast the music throughout the campground. The festival organizers will have food vendors on site and bathrooms.
Attendees are welcome to bring food and alcohol but no alcohol will be provided at the campground.
Another surprise for the festival is the Perseids Meteor Shower, which is expected to be at its peak Saturday night, Hall said.
“No special equipment will be needed to enjoy the best-in-20-years astrological phenomenon,” according to a statement from festival organizers.
Tickets for adults are $85 for all three days, $68 for two days and $44 for a single day. The ticket price includes camping fees. Kids ages 13-18 are $42 for three days, $34 for two days and $22 for a single day. All children 12 and under are free.
Those wishing to camp Thursday night are able to but there is a $10 fee.
