Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival

Our largest event, the Good Old Fashioned has been held each summer since 1994. It features three wonderful days of California bands on the main stage, as well as hot campground pickers on the side stage between main acts. The GOF is also legendary among festival fans for both the quality and quantity of campground jamming.

The festival takes place on the second weekend in August at Bolado Park, just south of Hollister.  There is a tree-filled, shady campground for tent camping and a spacious meadow for RVs. The weather in August is typically comfortably warm during the day, with nights that range from mild to cold (pack layers!) The GOF is kid friendly, with a Kids on Stage program for budding bluegrass musicians and a wonderfull volunteer-staffed crafts and activities corrall next to the audience area.

Please note that there are absolutely no dogs or pets of any kind permitted at Bolado Park, except for service dogs, which must be in uniform at all times.  Any ticketholders or volunteers who arrive with a pet will not be allowed to enter the festival grounds. To avoid unpleasantness and enjoy your festival, please respect this policy and make other arrangements for your pet.

Handicapped camping spots are available. Please contact Mike Fisher at 831-336-2185 to reserve a spot.

The GOF flier also serves as ticket order form for mail order tickets. Tickets are also available online, in the Members Area for NCBS members or here for non-members.
Applications are now being accepted from bands that would like to play at the 2010 festival.

We always need volunteers to help run the festival. Click here for the volunteer form.

News

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

The 17th Annual Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, August 13-15,  Bolado Park, Tres Pinos:

FESTIVAL FUN: The Northern California Bluegrass Society’s Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival is an intimate, close-to-home, relaxed and fun gathering of bluegrass friends! This weekend’s Friday-Sunday gathering features 25 great California bands on the main stage and many more bands on the ‘tweener stage.  Plus, the expanded First Stage on Friday will feature 4 different show hosts and even more performers.

The GOF offers flushy restrooms, hot showers, shade in the audience area, a low-power broadcast of the stage to the camp, excellent sound by Paul Knight, shaded tent camping, plenty of convenient, close-in RV camping with both full  hook-ups (water, sewer, power) and electric-only hook-ups, children’s activities, a raffle, the NCBS election, food and craft vendors, nominations for the Northern California Bluegrass Awards, and easy handicapped access, along with plenty of jamming!

Bolado Park is set in a beautiful valley of ranches and vineyards. The GOF is a benefit for the hundreds of events and services  NCBS provides all year long to the bluegrass community of the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Bay Area.

TICKETS: There will be plenty of tickets at the gate. Cash or checks may be used to buy your tickets at the gate.

Gate Prices:
3-Day Adult        $85
2-Day                      68
1-Day Sat.              44
1-Day Fri or Sun  34
Youths (Ages 13-17)  - 50% discount
Seniors (65 & above)  - $3 per day discount
Children (12 & under) - FREE

CAMPING: Camping is FREE with all multi-day tickets. RVs with full water, sewer, and power hook-ups pay $25 per night. RVs hooked-up to electricity (only) pay $20 per night.

THURSDAY NIGHT CAMPING: Weekend ticket buyers can come to the festival on Thursday (afternoon only) by paying $10/person. Please stay out of the way of our hardworking set-up crew. Note that NCBS access to the park begins at noon on Thursday.

MUSIC SCHEDULE:

Friday, August 13

First Stage:

Stage Hosts:

11:00-11:45am — Nell Robinson (Take The Stage bands)
Noon-12:45pm — Regina Bartlett
1:00-1:45 — Cactus Bob & Prairie Flower
2:00-2:45 — Chickwagon (all women revue)

Main Stage:

3:00pm — Savannah Blue
4:00 — Pearly Blue
5:00 — Abbott Family
6:00 — California Borderline
7:00 — JEDD Brothers
8:00 — Mountain Drive
9:00 — David Thom Band

Saturday, August 14th

Main Stage:

10:00am — Jeanie and Chuck’s Country Roundup
11:00 — Wronglers
12:00pm — Rogue River
1:00 — Workshop/Lunch Break
2:00 — Belle Monroe and Her Brewglass Boys
3:00 — OMGG
4:00 — Nell Robinson & Red Level
5:00 — Workshop/Dinner Break
6:00 — Dark Hollow
7:00 — Barefoot Nellies
8:00 — Highway One
9:00 — Sidesaddle & Co.

Sunday, August 15th

Main Stage:

9:00am —  Still Searchin’
10:00 — 27strings (Gospel Plus)
11:00 — Shades of Blue
12:00pm — Houston Jones
12:45 — Lunch Break
1:15 — Regina Bartlett presents Kids on Stage
2:15 — Faux Renwah
3:15 — Courthouse Ramblers
4:15 — Common Cents

WEATHER: PERFECT — FRIDAY: High  75/Low 50.  SATURDAY: 75/50. SUNDAY 76/52.

DIRECTIONS:

>From The Bay Area:

South on Highway 101 to just past Gilroy.
Exit right, then left over bridge on Highway 25 and go
southeast towards Hollister.
(Follow signs to Pinnacles National Park.)
Go through Hollister, then continue south on 25.

>From The Central Valley:

Exit I-5 at Highway 152 (Pacheco Pass) and go west
towards Gilroy.
Turn left on Highway 156 just past Casa de Fruta and go
south towards Hollister.
Go through Hollister, then continue south on Highway 25.

>From The Central Coast:

Take either Highway 101 (or Highway 1 to Highway 129 to 101)
north & east towards San Juan Batista.
Turn on Highway 156 near San Juan Batista and go east towards
Hollister.
Go through Hollister, then continue south on Highway 25.

FROM HOLLISTER:

Drive south on Highway 25, following signs to the Pinnacles and Bolado Park
Bolado Park, The San Benito County Fairgrounds, is 7 miles south of Hollister on Highway 25 (and 2 miles south of the town of Tres Pinos).
Enter the festival at Gate 1.

Gas stations, food stores, etc. are plentiful in Hollister and limited in Tres Pinos. The closest ATMs are in Hollister.

NO PETS: NO DOGS ALLOWED, except service dogs.

CAMP BROADCAST: KGOF will provide a low-power broadcast of the stage to the camp on your standard FM radio.

SKY SHOW: The Perseids Meteor Shower is scheduled to reach its peak on Saturday evening in the sky above Bolado Park while we jam below. No special equipment will be needed to enjoy this best-in-20-years astrological phenomenon.

SEE YOU AT THE FESTIVAL THIS WEEKEND: And remember, all of your friends will be there!

It’s Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival Week!

The Northern California Bluegrass Society presents

The 17th Annual Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival

Friday, August 13 - Sunday, August 15, 2010

Bolado Park, 9000 Old Airline Highway, Tres Pinos, CA.

Weather: Perfect. Highs: FRI 72, SAT 74, SUN 75.

25 top California bands on the Main Stage — and much more music all weekend!

THE FUN STUFF:

The 'Tweener Stage.

The 'Tweener Stage.

The First Stage.

The First Stage.

KGOF -- Bring your FM radio!

KGOF -- Bring your FM radio!

Dancin' John.

Dancin' John.

Perseid Meteor Shower.

Perseid Meteor Shower.

Jams everywhere!

Jams everywhere!

Sign Up Now To Play On Expanded GOF First Stage Friday, August 13, 11:00am to 3:00pm

The NCBS Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival First Stage will run from 11:00am to 3:00pm on Friday, August 13 with four different hosts/bookers. Contact your favorite host in advance if you would like to perform.

nellr_tts_workshops_logo11:00-11:45amNell Robinson (Berkeley) will perform and present bands from her Take The Stage class at the Freight & Salvage. Contact: (Nell Robinson) hilary (at) nellrobinsonmusic (dot) com.

Noon-12:45pmRegina Bartlett (Watsonville) will perform and present other musicians, bands,  and songwriters. Contact:  (Regina Bartlett) regiberry (at) aol (dot) com.

1:00-1:45pmCactus Bob & Prairie Flower (La Grange) will perform and host a merry gathering of musical guests. Contact:   (Chris Stevenson) renwah (at) sonnet (dot) net.

Chickwagon rolls again!

Chickwagon rolls again!

2:00-2:45pmChickwagon (San Francisco) will perform and host their classic all-women revue. Contact:  Barbara Corff.

The new-in-2009 and expanded-for-2010 NCBS “First Stage” offers a fun, relaxed start  to a weekend of Good Old Fashioned music. It will lead into performances on the GOF Main Stage, which will start at 3:00pm Friday, as in the past.

Good Old Fashioned Radio Hits The Airwaves

Bluegrass broadcasters from coast to coast are excited about the NCBS Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival. The festival will run August 13-15 at Bolado Park in Tres Pinos, 7 miles south of Hollister on Highway 25. Here are this weekend’s special broadcasts:

SATURDAY, 6:30-8:00pmBluegrass Signal, KALW, San Francisco, 91.7FM (North Bay & Central Bay). Host Peter Thompson will present a special preview of the GOF bands.  There will be new demos from the David Thom Band, Dark Hollow, and Still Searchin’; recent releases from The Wronglers, Luke Abbott, and OMGG; CDs from the past year by Houston Jones, Savannah Blue, and Nell Robinson; and vintage material from the Alhambra Valley Band, Barefoot Nellies, Belle Monroe & Her Brewglass Boys, Highway One, and GOF perennials Sidesaddle & Co.

phclogoSUNDAY, 3:00-5:00pmPanhandle Country, KPFA, Berkeley, 94.1 FM (Northern California). Full festival information and selected GOF music with host Tom Diamant.

Yup, 4:00-7:00am Pacific!

Yup, 4:00-7:00am Pacific!

MONDAY,  6:00am — The Katy Daley Show, BluegrassCountry.Org, orginating from the WAMU studios in Washington, DC. (Nationwide). The reigning IBMA Broadcaster of the Year, Katy Daley, will interview NCBS President Michael Hall about the history and artistic mission of the GOF and about other upcoming West Coast bluegrass events, with music by GOF bands Dark Hollow, Mountain Drive, and Pearly Blue.

MONDAY, 6:00-9:00pmMonday Nite Bluegrass, KKUP, Cupertino, 91.5FM (South Bay & Monterey Bay). Host Mike Russell will be joined by NCBS President Michael Hall. Longtime GOF band Bean Creek will play live in the studio.

NCBS Election Set For August 14 At GOF And By Mail

The annual NCBS Board Of Directors Election is set for Saturday, August 14, 2010, 10:00am-5:00pm at the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, Bolado Park, Tres Pinos, 7 miles south of Hollister. Mailed ballots must be received at the NCBS PO Box by Wednesday, August 11.  See Bluegrass By The Bay magazine for details.

The candidates are: Nancie Barker, Eric Burman, Jessica Evans, Stewart Evans, Penny Godlis, Michael Hall, Jennifer Kitchen, John “Pan” Logan, Mike Russell, and Dave Williams.