The NCBS Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival Band Committee will have the Main Stage Band Application for the 2024 festival ready on this website on DECEMBER 1, 2023. Applications will be DUE ON DECEMBER 31, 2023.
The Historic 30th festival will be held August 8-11, 2024 at the San Benito County Historical Park in Tres Pinos.
Happy Thanksgiving from your friends in the Northern California Bluegrass Society!
One Week Reminder: The fun, FREE NCBS Gathering Membership & Volunteer Party at Loch Lomond Park, Felton has been set for Saturday, July 8, 2023.
The FREE gathering in the mountains will feature bands, jamming, picnicking, friends, nature, & fun! The event is open to NCBS Members and Volunteers (and to those interested in becoming either one). This is an outdoor event and a chance to meet new folks while enjoying great music.
Location: City of Santa Cruz Loch Lomond Recreation Area, 100 Loch Lomond Way, Felton, CA 95018. Park gates open at 7:00am and close at 7:30pm. Parking is limited, so carpooling is highly recommended (Parking fee is $8.00 per car.) Follow the signs to our reserved area in the lower lot by the lake.
All Day: Mountain trails offer great hiking. Boating & Fishing in Loch Lomond Lake, and boat rentals are available. The lake has bass, trout & catfish. Daily fishing licenses are available if you need one.
Beginning At Noon: NCBS will supply burgers, hot dogs, sodas, and water. You are also welcome to bring your own picnic and alcohol of your choosing. Enjoy!
Afternoon: Bands will play on a small stage. Performances by Sunny Side Of The Mountain, eric burman & the brookdale bluegrass band, The Gilroy Drifters, Acidgrass, and Lucas Lawson & The Unturned Stone, plus jamming all day!
Seven Week Reminder: The deadline to purchase Discount Advance Tickets to the August 10-13 Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival is JULY 22, 2023.
Happy Memorial Day from your friends in the Northern California Bluegrass Society!
The Northern California Bluegrass Society welcomes the 7th Annual Berkeley Bluegrass Festival, set for April 21-23 at the Freight & Salvage.
There will be workshops during the day. Here is the evening show:
SATURDAY, April 22
Peter Rowan
Laura Love
Stash Wyslouch (Lobby Stage at 6PM)
DOORS: 6:00 PM / SHOW: 7:00 PM
The San Benito County Historical Park, home of the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, did not suffer any impact from today’s Tres Pinos earthquake.
The earthquake measured 4.5 on the Richter scale.
The annual benefit festival for the Northern California Bluegrass Society will be held August 10-13, 2023.
Former Northern California Bluegrass Society member and Palo Alto native Molly Tuttle (now of Nashville) and her band Golden Highway have won the 2023 Bluegrass Grammy Award.
We are pleased to report that Frank Solivan, Sr. has returned to his home near Tracy while still recovering from a January 16 ranch driving accident during a flood. He has been resting at the home of a friend since being released from the hospital. He will now continue his recovery back at the ranch.
A (literal) “celebration of his life” will be held at the CBA Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival at Grass Valley in June. More details will be announced soon.
Frank Solivan Sr Recovering After Flood Rescue Near Tracy (January 17, 2023)
Bluegrass banjo player Frank Solivan, Sr. is recovering after being rescued downstream from a small truck he was driving, which was submerged in floodwaters at Lonetree Ranch near Tracy where he lives. The incident occurred in the early morning hours on Monday, January 16. Frank was returning from taking a friend to the airport and was caught in the rising waters on his way home.
He was rescued through the efforts of his neighbor and ranch owner Rhona Cheatwood and the local emergency rescue service. He was taken to San Joaquin General Hospital in French Camp. His friend Sharon Nichols Elliott and his niece Tamzen Smith Millen have been with him at the hospital.
Frank is best known for creating Kids On Bluegrass at the CBA Father’s Day Festival in Grass Valley and for launching the bluegrass career of his son Frank Solivan of Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen fame. He was also a longtime volunteer at the Strawberry Music Festival and started the kids programs at the NCBS Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival and at the Plymouth Bluegrass Festival.
Frank is still hurting, but feeling better as of late Tuesday and hopes to leave the hospital in a few days. A full recovery is expected.
