Spring Brookdale Bluegrass Festival To Be Held March 9-11 In Tres Pinos

TheĀ Spring Brookdale Bluegrass Festival will be held for the first time at theĀ San Benito County Historical Park inĀ Tres Pinos on March 9-11. This venue is already familiar to area bluegrass fans as the home of the NCBS Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, set for August 9-12, 2018.

The Brookdale festival is presented byĀ Brookdale Bluegrass and welcomed by theĀ Northern California Bluegrass Society. Shows will be held indoors, but the Saturday afternoon performance will be outdoors if weather permits. Camping is available for both tents and RVs.

Brookdale Performance Schedule

Former Sidesaddle Member Beth McNamara Celebration Of Life Set For March 3

Beth McNamara

A Celebration Of Life for musician and lavender growerĀ Beth McNamara will be held on Saturday, March 3, 2018.

She was a bassist and singer for Sidesaddle & Co in the South Bay before moving to Oregon. There she continued to perform with former Sidesaddle & Co guitarist and singer Jerry Ashford as the duo Moonglow. The band last performed in the Bay Area at the NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival in 2016.

The two also ran their business Lord & Lady Lavender.

The celebration with her Bay Area family and friends will be held 3:00-6:30pm at Montevideo Clubhouse, 1585 Monteval Lane in San Jose. The location is south of the Camden Avenue/Coleman Road intersection.

Elizabeth McNamara died suddenly on January 10th at her farm in Camas Valley, Oregon.

Moonglow at Sam's BBQ in the 1990s.

Still Time For Spring Walker Creek Music Camp Donations; NCBS Scholarships Will Be Awarded Soon

Vocal Class at the Walker Creek Music Camp

TheĀ Northern California Bluegrass Society Walker Creek Music Camp Scholarship Fund will soon make awards to assist students who need financial help for theĀ Spring camp, scheduled forĀ April 12-15, 2018 nearĀ Petaluma.

There is still time for your donation to make a difference for spring campers. Donations can be sent to:Ā Northern California Bluegrass Society/Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society,Ā  PO Box 390846,Ā Mountain View, CA 94039-0846,Ā Attention: NCBS Walker Creek Music Camp Scholarship Fund.

TheĀ Northern California Bluegrass Society, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization aka theĀ Santa Cruz Bluegrass Society, accepts donations and disburses the scholarships. Donations to the fund are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Donors should consult their tax advisors. The Federal Tax ID No. isĀ 94-2907716. Donors who do not need a tax deduction may donate money directly to the camp. Ingrid Noyes, not NCBS, runs theĀ Walker Creek Music Camp.

New Bluegrass Radio Show Hits The Airwaves In Boulder Creek On Thursday Evening March 1

A new weekly bluegrass program will be broadcast on KBCZ Radio in Boulder Creek beginning on Thursday, March 1, 2018, from 8:00 to 9:00pm.

The Brookdale Bluegrass Hour will be hosted by Eric Burman and Bruce Bellochio and will feature live and recorded music, plus interviews and bluegrass calendar information.

The hosts are both longtime leaders of the Northern California Bluegrass Society and festival and concert promoters. Bruce has hosted the longest-running KBCZ program for the past two and a half years. He is now joined by Eric and the format has expanded.

Bruce’s program was the first regular bluegrass music show to air in Santa Cruz County since the KPFA Cousin Al Radio Show (hosted by Al Knoth) ended its 46-year run in Watsonville over 5 years ago.

The broadcast can be heard throughout the San Lorenzo Valley at 90.1FM and online.

NCBS President Michael Hall will be a guest on the initial show.

Spring Brookdale Bluegrass Festival To Be Held At New Venue In Tres Pinos On March 9-11

TheĀ Spring Brookdale Bluegrass Festival will be held at a NEW VENUE, theĀ San Benito County Historical Park inĀ Tres Pinos.

The event has previously been held in the Santa Cruz Mountains several times each year since 1998. This year’s festival is set for March 9-11, 2018.

Shows will be held both indoors and outdoors. Camping is available.

Complete Brookdale Festival Schedule

The festival is presented by Brookdale Bluegrass and welcomed by theĀ Northern California Bluegrass Society.

NCBS Invites Your 2018 Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival Design Ideas

Do you have a good idea for the 2018 Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival official T-Shirt Design?

If so, the Northern California Bluegrass Society invites you to send it in!

Design Submissions: Bruce Bellochio.

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Here is some information for your consideration:

25th Annual

NCBS Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival

San Benito County Historical Park

Tres Pinos, CA

August 9-12, 2018

A Benefit For The Northern California Bluegrass Society

Complete Spring Brookdale Bluegrass Festival Schedule Announced For March 9-11

Brookdale Bluegrass has announced the performance schedule for the Spring 2018 Brookdale Bluegrass Festival, set for March 9-11 at the San Benito County Historical Park in Tres Pinos (Note new location). All Brookdale festivals since 1998 have been welcomed by the Northern California Bluegrass Society.

FRIDAY, March 9

(All performances indoors — or some outdoors if the weather is good.)

6:00pm — Jeff Baldwin & Jim Lewin & The Harmony Grits
7:00 —Ā  Toby Gray & The Harland County Covey
8:00 — Honeysuckle Possums
9:00 — Blue Summit

SATURDAY, March 10

10:00am — BanjerDan Banjo Workshop
11:00 — Tina Louise Barr Autoharp Workshop

10:00amĀ  — Open Mike
1:00pm — BanjerDan Mazer
2:00 — Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band
3:00 — Laura Lind
4:00 — Brent Pierce Family & Friends
5:00 — The Naked Bootleggers
6:00 — Dinner Break with Hog Tie Catering
7:00 — Stoney Mountain Ramblers
8:00 — Eric Burman & The Brookdale Bluegrass Band
9:00 — Wildcat Mountain Ramblers
10:00 — Honeysuckle Possums

SUNDAY, March 11

10:00am –TheĀ  Honeysuckle Possums Harmony Singing Workshop

Noon — Blue Summit Band
1:00 — Ben Lonesome & The Highway Niners
2:00 — Tina Louise Barr & The Brookdale Bluegrass Band
3:00 — All Star Jam

Pick & Gather Festival Set For May 25-27 At Riverdance Farms In Livingston

Riverdance Farms

TheĀ Northern California Bluegrass Society will welcome the Riverdance Farmsā€™ Pick & Gather Festival onĀ Memorial Day Weekend inĀ Livingston (near Merced).

TheĀ May 25-27 festival will feature bluegrass & more, plus blueberries, cherries, and strawberries for the picking.

Camping is available on the banks of the Merced River.

Wading in the Merced River at the Pick & Gather Festival, Riverdance Farms, Livingston.

The Goat Hills Girls Return To The Summit House Thursday Bluegrass Series On March 1

The Goat Hill Girls at The Summit House.

The Goat Hill Girls will return to the Thursday Bluegrass Series atĀ The Summit House on March 1, 2018, bringing FREE bluegrass music to theĀ Santa Cruz Mountains.

The Highway 17 roadside venue at the top of the world is only 6 miles south ofĀ Los Gatos.

The music will run from 6:00-8:30pm.Ā Good food and drink will be served.

The performance is presented byĀ The Summit House Beer Garden & Grill and welcomed by theĀ Northern California Bluegrass Society.

Coming Soon: The Wildcat Mountain Ramblers will appear on March 8 and Blue Summit on March 15.