Category: Events

All You Need To Know To Go To The Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival This Weekend. Enjoy!

THIS FESTIVAL IS THE 32nd GATHERING. Fun & Relaxed since 1994!

The Northern California Bluegrass Society’s Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival is fun, relaxed, and close-to home. This weekend’s Thursday-Sunday gathering features great California bluegrass bands on the main stages and many more bands on the ‘tweener stage.  Plus, the First Stage beginning at 10:00am on Friday will feature even more exciting bands in the San Benito County Historical Park’s Historical Village. The Lantern Stage will glow at dusk on Thursday night, and, of course, we all look forward to the big Saturday Night Dance!

The GOF offers restrooms, hot showers, shade in the audience area, excellent sound, tent & RV camping, children’s activities, a raffle, the NCBS election, food and craft vendors, and easy handicapped access, along with plenty of fun jamming! The GOF is a benefit for the NCBS and helps the Society’s volunteers provide services to area bluegrass community all year long.

The San Benito County Historical Park is set in a beautiful valley of ranches and vineyards. The park features a lovely historical village that is perfect for jamming.  There are gorgeous views of the hills. Thanks to our hosts — The San Benito County Historical Society!

The Historical Park at 8300 Airline Highway, Tres Pinos is next to Bolado Park, 7 miles south of Hollister.

TICKETS: There will be plenty of tickets at the gate.  The festival is free for children age 12 or under. Thursday night pre-festival camping: $15 (per adult)

CAMPING: Camping Friday-Sunday is FREE with all multi-day tickets. No RV hook-ups. If hook-ups are needed, they are available next door at Bolado Park, but a vehicle will be needed. Walking from Bolado Park to the Historical Park on the highway is not advised.

MUSIC SCHEDULE:

Thursday afternoon is reserved for jamming and socializing. There will be a band playing on the Lantern Stage (bring your camp lantern) at dark.

First Stage

FRIDAY, August 7 10:00am — The Friendly Ghosts 10:45 — The Sanger Bangers 11:30 — Blue Blossom 12:15pm — Quail Ate An Acorn 1:15 — Annie Rye and Wild Flour

Main Stage:

3:00PM – Cantara Loop

4:00pm – Bluegrass Holiday

5:00 – Bay Area Special

6:00 — Dinner & Workshops

7:00 – The Kings River Boys

8:00 – Honey Buckets

9:00 – Red Dog Ash

SATURDAY, August 8

Main Stage:

10:00am – The Corn Likkers

11:00 – Brianna Mai Colliard and the Desert Marigolds

Noon – Riley Hill and Brand New Still

1:00 — Lunch & Workshops

2:00pm – Dark Hollow

3:00 – Mission Blue

4:00 – The New Acoustic Collective

5:00 – Bubba Pickens Band

6:00 — Dinner & Workshops

7:00 – The Rounder Circle

8:00 – Deep Thicket Dwellers

9:00pm – Bean Creek

Dance Hall Stage:

10:15 — Saturday Night Dance With: 

Brookdale Bluegrass Band

Hoss Farm

SUNDAY, August 9

Main Stage:

10:00am – Marin County Breakdown

11:00 – Kids on Bluegrass

Noon – Sweet Sally

1:00pm – Redwood Flat

2:00 – The West Coast Ramblers

3:00—Festival Ends

Other Stages

Thursday at dusk (8:00pm): The Lantern Stage — The Sonia Shell & Jim Lewin Band

WEATHER: THU: High 86, Low 57. FRI: High 92, Low 61. SAT: High 94, Low 62, SUN: High 93, Low 62.

We look forward to seeing you in Tres Pinos this weekend!

And remember…all of your friends will be there!

The Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival starts this Thursday, August 6 and runs through Sunday, August 9. The festival is a benefit for the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

Key things to know:

1. This is a small, fun, relaxed, friendly gathering of top California bluegrass musicians and their fans. It has been a beloved institution since 1994.
2. Gates open at NOON on Thursday. There is NO EARLY ENTRY.
3. There will be plenty of tickets at the gate. Camping is free with all multi-day tickets.
4. You can drink the water. We mention this because this is a new feature of the lovely San Benito County Historical Park. Thanks San Benito County!
5. There will be plenty of great jamming all around the camp.
6. All of your friends will be there.

The 32nd Annual Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival — a benefit for the Northern California Bluegrass Society — will be held August 6-9 at the San Benito County Historical Park, 8300 Airline Highway in Tres Pinos (7 miles south of Hollister).

This event is fun and friendly! It will be the last regular weekend camping bluegrass festival to be held in Northern California this year due to event cancellations in Quincy, Plymouth and Grass Valley. Don’t miss out on your final opportunity for 2026 festival fun! Enjoy!

Our host is the San Benito County Historical Society and the festival is presented by the Northern California Bluegrass Society. There will be plenty of tickets at the gate.

Main Stage & Dance Hall Stage Schedule

First Stage Schedule

Thursday Evening Lantern Stage Performance

Camping

Gates Open At NOON On Thursday

Plenty Of Tickets At The Gate And Online

The Northern California Bluegrass Society will present the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival this weekend at the San Benito County Historical Park in Tres Pinos. This gathering is small, fun, friendly, and easy. Enjoy!

The 32nd Annual Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival will be held August 6-9 at the San Benito County Historical Park, 8300 Airline Highway in Tres Pinos (7 miles south of Hollister). Our host is the San Benito County Historical Society and the festival is presented by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

Main Stage & Dance Hall Stage Schedule

First Stage Schedule

Thursday Evening Lantern Stage Performance

Camping

Gates Open At NOON On Thursday

Plenty Of Tickets At The Gate And Online

Don’t Miss Your Last 2026 Chance For Festival Fun!

It is hard to believe, but due to the cancellation of other events, the late summer and fall festival schedule has become very limited.

The Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival next weekend will be the last weekend camping bluegrass festival for 2026 in Northern California.

And…all of your friends will be there! You should be there, too!

32nd Annual Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival

August 6-9, 2026

San Benito County Historical Park, Tres Pinos

There will be plenty of tickets at the gate. The fun festival is a benefit for the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

The 32nd Annual Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival will be held August 6-9, 2026 at the San Benito County Historical Park in Tres Pinos.

Main Stage & Dance Hall Stage Schedule

First Stage Schedule

Thursday Evening Lantern Stage Performance

Camping

Gates Open At NOON On Thursday

Plenty Of Tickets At The Gate And Online

There will be plenty of tickets available at the gate for the August 6-9, 2026 Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, the 32nd annual benefit for the Northern California Bluegrass Society. As a convenience, tickets may also be purchased on this website.

Free Camping is included with all multi-day tickets. Gates Open at Noon on Thursday, August 6. There is NO EARLY ENTRY.

Good News: The water at the San Benito County Historical Park has been certified as “potable.”

The 32nd Annual Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival will be held at the lovely San Benito County Historical Park, 8300 Airline Highway in Tres Pinos (7 miles south of Hollister). Our host is the San Benito County Historical Society and the festival is presented by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

August 6-9, 2026 — Be there!

There is No Early Entry to the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival.

Gates Open at NOON on Thursday August 6, 2026.