Category: Events

Here is a look at the November 2016 bluegrass and more festivals around Northern California and beyond.

Your friends who are members of the Northern California Bluegrass Society will be first in line for the end-of-season fun.

Please come on out and join us at these late fall/early winter gatherings!

NOVEMBER

1-30 — Point Music Film Festival, San Diego Central Library, San Diego.

4-6 — Southwest Bluegrass Association Campout, Tucalota Creek Ranch, Temecula.

11-13 – Four Corner States Bluegrass Festival & Fiddle Championships, Everett Bowman Rodeo Grounds, Wickenburg, AZ.

25-27 — Sonora Christmas Festival, Mother Lode Fairgrounds, Sonora.

27 — Brookdale Bluegrass Winter Gathering, Don Quixote’s, Felton. (NCBS-welcomed)

Volunteers and bands from all Northern California Bluegrass Society events and other projects over the past year will soon receive their invitations to the 2016 Volunteer Thank You Party.

The fun annual gathering will be held on Saturday, October 29 at an undisclosed location. Thanks for your support!

The Summit House Thursday Bluegrass Series will feature local faves The Goat Hill Girls on October 6.

Then, the Summit House will be closed for upgrades on October 11 so there will be NO bluegrass show that night.

The FREE Thursday shows will return later in the month, presented by the Summit House Beer Garden & Grill and welcomed by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

This bluegrass place on Highway 17 six miles south of Los Gatos has great food and drink and endless views of the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains. Shows run 6:00-8:30pm.

October closes the outdoor bluegrass season in Northern California and also heralds the start of the indoor shows, so there is plenty to entertain us this month!

The world biggest (and arguably, “Hardliest”) bluegrass festival is right here in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park to start the month! Smaller festivals follow in Dixon, El Cerrito, Goleta, Modesto, and elsewhere around the area.

There are two new Bay Area festivals with top local talent — and both are FREE: The Prusch Farm Mountain Music Festival, will be held at Emma Prusch Farm Park in San Jose. The Bluegrass Festival will be held at Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre in San Francisco’s McLaren Park. Enjoy!

The big California Bluegrass Association Fall Campout will return to Lodi this month for a week of informal picking. The Hangtown Music Festival (was the “Hangtown Halloween Ball”) will be held in Placerville.

Meanwhile, the historic 25th Season for the NCBS-welcomed Redwood Bluegrass Associates concert series starts with The Kathy Kallick Band in Mountain View. And there will be NCBS-welcomed bluegrass music Thursdays at the Summit House at the beginning and end of the month, but there will be a short break beginning October 13 for some restaurant upgrades.

OCTOBER

September 27 October 1 – IBMA World Of Bluegrass, Raleigh Convention Center, Raleigh, NC.

September 30-October 2 – Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Hellman Hollow, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

September 30-October 2 & 7-9 — Austin City Limits Festival, Zilker Park, Austin, TX.

1 — Prusch Farm Mountain Music Festival, Emma Prusch Farm Park, San Jose.

1 — Mild Colonial Boys, San Gregorio General Store, San Gregorio.

1 — Paul Anastasio & Tony Marcus, Gryphon Stringed Instruments, Palo Alto.

1 — The Roustabouts, Barn Theater, Porterville.

1-2 – Dixon Lambtown Festival, Dixon May Fair Grounds, Dixon.

2 — Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association (& Kid Fiddle Workshop), Hoover Middle School, San Jose.

3 — Bean Creek, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.

3 — The Bearcat Stringband, Amnesia, San Francisco.

4 — Bean Creek, Sam’s BBQ, San Jose.

4 — Slide Road, Phil’s Fish Market, San Jose.

5 — Sidesaddle & Co, Sam’s BBQ, San Jose.

5 — Glad To Be Here, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.

6 — Blue & Lonesome, Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma.

6 — Goat Hill Girls, Summit Inn, Los Gatos. (NCBS-welcomed)

6 — The Sedgwick Brothers, Atlas Cafe, San Francisco.

7 — Cimmaron Rose Band, Mission Pizza, Fremont.

7 — Redwood Rodeo, Ocean Ale House, San Francisco.

7 — Yosemite Songwriting Retreat, Yosemite Bug Resort, Midpines.

8 — High Country, Austin James Hicks, Cleophus Quealy Beer Company, San Leandro.

8 — Robin Fischer & Julay Brooks, Cato’s Ale House, Oakland.

8 — Harmony Grits, San Gregorio General Store, San Gregorio.

8 — Canyon Johnson, Mission Pizza, Fremont.

8 — Sugar By The Pound, Sherry Austin & Henhouse, Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz.

8 — El Cerrito Free Folk Festival, El Cerrito High School, El Cerrito.

8 — Arizona Bluegrass Film Festival & Bluegrass Band Showdown, Cattle Track Theater, Scottsdale, AZ.

8-9 – Heritage Harvest Festival, Historic Hawes Farms, Anderson.

9 — Beer, Brats, Burgers & Bands Festival, La Honda Gardens, La Honda.

9 — Vintage Grass, Cove Cafe, Angel Island.

10 — The Bow Ties, Amnesia, San Francisco.

10 — Courthouse Ramblers, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.

11 — Carolina Special, Sam’s BBQ, San Jose.

11 — Abbott Family Band, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.

11 — Old Time Fiddlers’ Convention & Festival, Stow House, Goleta.

12 — Dark Hollow, Sam’s BBQ, San Jose.

12 — Mr. Banjo & The Lonesome Wailers, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.

13 — Blue & Lonesome, Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma.

13 — Mill Creek Ramblers, Mission Pizza, Fremont.

13-16 – Folk Alliance Region West Music Conference, Hyatt Regency, Bellevue, WA.

14 — Vintage Grass, Hopmonk Tavern, Sonoma.

14 — The Crooked Jades, Crooked House Concerts, Auburn.

14 — The Brothers Strong & Co, Risky Biscuits, Nathan Ignacio, Sonora Opera Hall, Sonora.

15 — The Bluegrass Festival, Jerry Garcia Amphitheatre, McLaren Park, San Francisco.

15 — Mill Creek Ramblers, Mission Pizza, Fremont.

15 — The Wail Aways, Crystal Bay Farm, Watsonville.

16 — Montara Mountain Boys, San Gregorio General Store, San Gregorio.

16 — Snap Jackson & The Knock On Wood Players, The Salty Suites, Last Stage West, Atascadero.

16 — Mountain Music Day, Old Schoolhouse, Yucaipa.

17 — Bean Creek, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.

17 — Windy Hill, Amnesia, San Francisco.

17-23 – CBA Fall Campout, Grape Festival Fairground, Lodi.

18 — Cabin Fever, Sam’s BBQ, San Jose.

18 — Dom Flemons & Leyla McCalla, Don Quixote’s, Felton.

18 — Glad To Be Here, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.

19 — Sidesaddle & Co, Sam’s BBQ, San Jose.

19 — Carolyn Sills Combo, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.

20 — Mill Creek Ramblers, Mission Pizza, Fremont.

20 — Blue & Lonesome, Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma.

20 — Kathy Kallick Band, House Concert, Larkspur.

20-23 —  Hangtown Music Festival, El Dorado County Fairgrounds, Placerville.

21 — Kathy Kallick Band, The Back Room, Berkeley.

21 — Mill Creek Ramblers, Mission Pizza, Fremont.

21-23 — Logandale Bluegrass Fall Festival, Clark County Fairgrounds, Logandale, NV.

21 — The Mosey Boys, Murphy’s Irish Pub, Sonoma.

22 — Kathy Kallick Band, Redwood Bluegrass Associates, Masonic Hall, Mountain View. (NCBS-welcomed)

22 – Northern California Women’s Music Festival, Gallo Center For The Arts, Modesto.

22 — Loganville, San Gregorio General Store, San Gregorio.

22 — The Susie Glaze New Folk Ensemble With Glenn Houston, McCabe’s Guitar Shop, Santa Monica.

23 — Kathy Kallick Band, House Concert, Folsom.

24 — The Earl Brothers, Amnesia, San Francisco.

24 — Bangers & Grass, Kensington Circus Pub, Kensington.

24 — Courthouse Ramblers, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.

25 — Slide Road, Sam’s BBQ, San Jose.

25 — Glad To Be Here, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.

26 — Loganville, Sam’s BBQ, San Jose.

26 — Trail Rides Band, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.

27 — Mill Creek Ramblers, Mission Pizza, Fremont.

27 — Blue & Lonesome, Willowbrook Ale House, Petaluma.

28 — The Dim Lights, Pacifica Moose Lodge, Pacifica.

28 — The Stragglyrs, Mission Pizza, Fremont.

28 — The Grateful Bluegrass Boys, Murphy’s Irish Pub, Sonoma.

28 — Black Eyed Susies, Whale City Bakery, Davenport.

28 — Milestone Bluegrass, Kern River Brewing Company, Kernville.

29 — Cygne, Anders & Alison Steele, lille aeske, Boulder Creek.

29 — Beargrass Creek, Mission Pizza, Fremont.

29 — Windy Hill, Max & Duff, Plough & Stars, San Francisco.

29 — The Dim Lights, Cleophus Quealy Beer Company, San Leandro.

31 — The Bernal Hillbillies, Amnesia, San Francisco.

31 — Bean Creek, Phil’s Fish Market, Moss Landing.