Prusch Park Will Host San Jose’s Only Bluegrass Festival On Sunday, October 7

Welcomed by NCBS

The Mountain Music Festival, presented by the Emma Prusch Park Foundation & The City of San Jose, will be held on Sunday, October 7, 2018.

The 10:00am-5:00pm event is welcomed by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

The day will feature a day of bucolic fun at San Jose’s only remaining farm (now park). In addition to a full day of fun, high quality bluegrass music, there will be a big harvest festival, food, and activities of interest to families.

The park is on King Road near the 101/280/680 interchange.  This is the only bluegrass festival in San Jose. It is FREE, convenient, and enjoyable.

All NCBS Volunteers & Bands Should Have Received Thank-You Party Invitations

All volunteers and bands on any NCBS event or project over the past year should have received their invitation from their volunteer “boss” to the 2018 Northern California Bluegrass Society Volunteer Thank-You Party, set for Saturday, October 13.

If you have not yet received your deeply-coveted invitation, ask your boss or contact NCBS Volunteer Party Coordinator Michael Hall, and he will fix you up!

Thanks for your support!

New Bluegrass Venue In Santa Cruz: The Earthbelly Restaurant FREE Wednesday Night Series

A brand new Santa Cruz bluegrass venue is now hosting regular Wednesday evening 6:00-9:00pm shows.

The Earthbelly Restaurant (Ocean at Soquel) is bringing us a line-up of Monterey Bay Area bluegrass bands. The schedule began in mid-September, but is still being finalized. Check with organizer Robert Cornelius or the venue for performance details.

The music is free and the food is healthy and good.

The new series is welcomed by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

The Down Beets Head Up To The Summit House On Highway 17 For Thursday September 27

The Down Beets (Santa Cruz), the premier instrumental (and vocal) band of the Monterey Bay Area, heads up Highway 17 to the top of the Santa Cruz Mountains on Thursday, September 27, 6:00-8:30pm.

The Summit House Beer Garden & Grill, 6 miles south of Los Gatos, has presented the Thursday Bluegrass Series since January 2016. The Northern California Bluegrass Society welcomes these FREE shows. Fine food and drink will be served during the performance.

Coming: The Goat Hill Girls will play on October 4, The Wildcat Mountain Ramblers on October 11, and Blue Summit on October 18.

A fun bluegrass time up at The Summit House.

NCBS Volunteers To Receive Thank-You Party Invitations This Week For October 13 Gathering

The 2018 Northern California Bluegrass Society Volunteer Thank-You Party will be held at an undisclosed location on Saturday, October 13. All volunteers and bands on any NCBS event or project over the past year will be invited.

The righteously-coveted invitations will be arriving this week. NCBS — and the entire area bluegrass community of bands and fans — deeply appreciate the hard work of our volunteers throughout the year. We look forward to this annual party in their honor!

NCBS Leaders Attend IBMA World Of Bluegrass Convention In Raleigh North Carolina

The Northern California Bluegrass Society is a longtime organizational member of the International Bluegrass Music Association. Three members of the NCBS Board Of Directors will play a role in organizing and performing at the IBMA World Of Bluegrass national convention September 25-29, 2018 in Raleigh, NC.

NCBS President Michael Hall will help organize the IBMA Leadership Bluegrass opening reception and the LB Masterclass. He will also help with the IBMA Information Booth and emcee two showcases during the week.

Board Members AJ Lee and Jesse Fichman will perform at the Leadership Bluegrass reception and will showcase with their band Blue Summit at various times during the week.

Meanwhile, AJ is up for an important national award — she has been named a finalist in the Vocalist category for the IBMA Momentum Awards.

Many other Californians will be in attendance, bringing national and international prominence to West Coast bluegrass music.

Performance Schedule Announced For Mountain Music Festival October 7 At San Jose’s Prusch Park

The performance schedule has been announced for the Mountain Music Festival at Prusch Park in San Jose on October 7, 2018.

The FREE event is presented by the Emma Prusch Park Foundation & The City of San Jose and will be welcomed by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

SUNDAY, October 7

10:00am — The Banjo Twins
11:00 — Santa Clara Valley Fiddlers Association
Noon – Jubilee
1:00pm — Wildcat Mountain Ramblers
2:00 — Radio Rail
3:00 — Sidesaddle & Co
4:00 — The Goat Hill Girls

Northern California Bluegrass Awards Set For Saturday, January 26 In Redwood City

The Northern California Bluegrass Awards will be held at the Veterans Memorial Senior Center Theatre in Redwood City on Saturday, January 26, 2019.

The awards will be a part of the FREE Bluegrass On Broadway Festival, presented by the Northern California Bluegrass Society with principal financial support from the Redwood City Civic Cultural Commission.

The festival will be held on January 25-27, 2019 at various venues in Redwood City.

NCBS Board Of Directors Names Dana Frankel As Additional Member For 2018-2019

Dana Frankel

The Northern California Bluegrass Society Board Of Directors has named Dana Frankel as a member for the 2018-2019 year. She temporarily brings the board up to ten members, up from the traditional nine.

Frankel lives in Santa Cruz and is currently a sophomore at UC-Santa Cruz, where she is majoring in Sustainable Agriculture. She is a graduate of Notre Dame High School in Belmont.

Dana, Vicki, & Avram Frankel of the Dim Lights.

She grew up in the NCBS, attending and performing on fiddle at numerous Society events, including the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, Bluegrass On Broadway, the Brown Barn Bluegrass Festival and the Foggy Mountain Bluegrass Festival.  She has been a member of her family band, The Dim Lights, led by her parents Avram & Vicki Frankel of Pacifica, and also plays in Mission Blue with her father. She and Helen Foley are the bandleaders of Pacific Drive. As a youth, she performed with the Kids On Stage at the GOF and other area festivals.

She is interested in creating additional opportunities for younger bluegrass fans at NCBS events and helping to grow existing Society activities.

Jesse Fichman, Helen Foley & Dana Frankel of Pacific Drive.