The FREE Santa Cruz Bluegrass Fair will be held at the Duck Pond Stage in San Lorenzo Park (next to to the courthouse) on Sunday, May 7 (note new date).
The Bands: AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Bean Creek, The Brookdale Bluegrass Band, The Down Beets, The Harmony Grits, & The Henry & Ella Warde Band.
The fair is the presented by the Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society. Bring a picnic or eat the food that will be for sale. Also bring a blanket or chair.
Northern California Bluegrass Society President Michael Hall will help lead the International Bluegrass Music Association Leadership Bluegrass Alumni Retreat to be held at the Blue Ridge Assembly Conference Center in Black Mountain, NC on April 24-26, 2017. The retreat will intensively examine issues that currently face the bluegrass music world.
Interested NCBS Members are encouraged to apply for the Leadership Bluegrass Class held every March in Nashville. Class graduates are invited to the retreats, which are held in the spring of each odd-numbered year, in addition to other alumni events.
The NCBS is a longtime organizational member of the IBMA. Hall is a member of the Leadership Bluegrass Class of 2003.
The last Redwood Bluegrass Associates concert was held earlier tonight, ending a 25-year run under that organization, which took over from the Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society, which started the concerts back in 1984.
Now, a new organization is being organized to continue this South Bay series in the fall. Contact Lois Kellerman for more information and to volunteer to help out at this important juncture.
The Northern California Bluegrass Society has supported the concerts for the past quarter of a century and will continue to do so in the future.
The final Redwood Bluegrass Associates concert, ending a long South Bay/Santa Cruz tradition, will be held on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at the Masonic Hall, 890 Church Street in Mountain View. The Grand Finale will present The Faultliners with 27strings as the opening act. Showtime is 7:30pm with the doors opening at 7:00pm.
The series began in 1984 as a presentation of the Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society and was spun off as a separate non-profit concert organization in 1992. The RBA’s 25-year run as custodian of the popular Saturday evening bluegrass programs will come to an end as the current volunteers retire from many years of bluegrass service. A new group of dedicated bluegrass volunteers plans to re-launch this important element of Bay Area bluegrass life in the fall.
The Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society has welcomed all RBA concerts since 1995.
The RBA has rolled back the admission price for the final show to an early 1990s level. Enjoy!
A free open jam will begin at 5:00pm.
The Santa Cruz Bluegrass Fair of 2017 will be held at the Duck Pond Stage in San Lorenzo Park on Sunday, May 7 (note new date). The beloved event, held each May since 1986, is FREE.
The bands of 2017 are AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Bean Creek, The Brookdale Bluegrass Band, The Down Beets, The Harmony Grits, & The Henry & Ella Warde Band.
Bring a picnic! Bring a blanket (or chair)! Bring your friends! Enjoy a great spring day in the park with your picnic, your blanket and your friends! This is the best day for bluegrass of 2017.
The fair is the longest-running presentation of the Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society. Don’t miss it in 2017!
On Saturday, May 20, 2017, Redwood City will celebrate its 150th Anniversary as a city with a big FREE celebration.
Bluegrass bands 27strings and The Stoney Mountain Ramblers will open the day’s entertainment at noon on the Main Street Stage (at Broadway) in downtown Redwood City.
Other music will follow on the Main Street and Courthouse Square stages throughout the afternoon and evening.
The Northern California Bluegrass Society helped bring bluegrass music to the party and will have an infomation booth to welcome everyone during the bluegrass show.
This Saturday evening, April 22, 2017 is the final (for now) Redwood Bluegrass Associates concert,
It will be held at the Masonic Hall, 890 Church Street, Mountain View.
All RBA programs since 1995 have been welcomed by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.
The “Grand Finale” will present The Faultliners and 27strings.
An open jam will begin at 5:00pm, followed by the 7:30pm concert. Concert doors will open at 7:00pm.
The Thursday Bluegrass Series at the Summit House Beer Garden & Grill will present Hidden Still from 6:00-8:30pm this Thursday, April 20.
This is a FREE show. Good food and drink will be served during the show.
The series is presented by the Summit House and welcomed by the Northern California Bluegrass Society. Robert Cornelius books the bands.
The Summit House is located at 23123 Santa Cruz Highway, Los Gatos (six miles south of Los Gatos) on Highway 17. There is free bluegrass every Thursday night.
Here are the key official Northern California Bluegrass Society events for April-June 2017.
APRIL
20 — Hidden Still, Summit House, Los Gatos. (NCBS-welcomed)
22 — Final Redwood Bluegrass Associates Concert With The Faultliners & 27strings, Masonic Hall, Mountain View. (NCBS-welcomed)
27 — Blue Summit, Summit House, Los Gatos. (NCBS-welcomed)
MAY
5 — Molly Tuttle, Kathy Kallick & Suzy Thompson Benefit Concert for the CBA Pride Parade Float, Ashkenaz, Berkeley. (NCBS-welcomed)
7 — NCBS/SCBS Santa Cruz Bluegrass Fair With AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Bean Creek, Brookdale Bluegrass Band, The Down Beets, Harmony Grits, and Henry & Ella Warde, Duck Pond Stage, San Lorenzo Park, Santa Cruz. FREE. (Note new date)
11 — Wildcat Mountain Ramblers, Summit House, Los Gatos. (NCBS-welcomed)
18 — Hidden Still, Summit House, Los Gatos. (NCBS-welcomed)
20 — Bluegrass at the Redwood City 150th Anniversary Celebration With 27strings & The Stoney Mountain Ramblers, Main Street Stage at Broadway, Redwood City. FREE. (NCBS-welcomed)
25 — Sagebrush, Summit House, Los Gatos. (NCBS-welcomed)
27-29 — Pick & Gather Festival With The Brookdale Bluegrass Band & more, Riverdance Farms, Livingston. (NCBS-welcomed) (Note new dates)
JUNE
1 — Goat Hill Girls, Summit House, Los Gatos. (NCBS-welcomed)
8 — Wildcat Mountain Ramblers, Summit House, Los Gatos. (NCBS-welcomed)
25 — California Bluegrass Association LGBTQ Pride Parade Float, Market Street, San Francisco. (NCBS-welcomed)
The Northern California Bluegrass Society will welcome the Pick & Gather Festival presented by Riverdance Farms in Livingston (near Merced).
The 13th annual gathering will be held on Saturday, Sunday & Monday, May 27-29, 2017.
Please make note of the new Memorial Day Weekend dates and the expanded schedule for this year’s event.
The Brookdale Bluegrass Band will headline, joined by a full schedule of performers to be announced.
The event will offer live music, camping, fruit in season for picking, good food and information about organic farming, river education, and swimming in the Merced River. Workshops will include music, flyfishing, kayaking, and more.
