Eric & Barbra Burman welcome us to the first NCBS Boulder Creek Bluegrass & Old Timey Festival, which continues the NCBS Brookdale Bluegrass tradition (1999-2009).  Here is all you need to know to go this weekend, March 5-7, 2010:

The Festival: Two and a half days of music in various venues in the small mountain community of Boulder Creek, 12 miles north of Santa Cruz and about a mile north of the Brookdale Lodge on Highway 9 in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Tickets: Plenty available at Festival Headquarters – Scopazzi’s Restaurant, or online. Online tickets are $20 for Friday or Saturday, and $35 for a weekend pass. $5 more at the door.  Sunday is a FREE day.

Band Schedule:

FRIDAY, March 5

6:00pm — Aprylle Gilbert & Ben Laney

7:00 — High Tone Sinners

8:00 — Page Brownton & Sidetrack

9:00 — Common Cents

10:00 - Stoney Mountain Ramblers

SATURDAY, March 6

Noon — Dam Dave & The Hot Dam Band

1:00pm — Rick Barnes’ Research & Development

2:00 — Regina Bartlett

3:00 — Heathen Hill

4:00pm — Jean Butterfield

5:00 — Blue Shoes

6:00 — Julio Inglasses Guerra

7:00 — West County Professional Tea Sippers

8:00 — Mountain Drive

9:00 — Faux Renwah’s Spur Of The Moment

10:00 — Mike McKinley & Quackgrass

Late Night — 49 Special (Ltd.) at Joe’s Bar

SUNDAY, March 7

FREE Admission — Band performances begin at 11:00am: Upcreek Drifters, 27 Strings, Rainy Escobar.

There are jams all weekend long at various venues: Rainbow’s End, Boulder Creek Brewing Co., and Jenna’sees Coffee Shop.

Lodging: At various Boulder Creek and Brookdale hotels & motels, including special festival discounts at the Brookdale Inn & Spa (Brookdale - no services other than room rental, no festival activities) and the Merrybrook Lodge (Boulder Creek).

Food: At various Boulder Creek restaurants, including festival venues.

Weather: Inside — All Weekend — Nice & Cozy! Outside — FRIDAY: 40% chance of rain, high 54, low 40. SATURDAY: 60% chance of rain, high 52, low 40. SUNDAY: Partly cloudy, high 54, low 40.

Map: Boulder Creek & the San Lorenzo Valley.

See you this weekend!

The final day of Bluegrass On Broadway will be devoted to the NCBS International Bluegrass Music Museum Film Festival. The FREE program will present five films, including “The Waltz To Westphalia,” a 2010 film by longtime NCBS member Joe Weed of Los Gatos, which will premier at the NCBS festival on Sunday, four days before Weed presents the documentary at a film festival in Canada. Joe will appear at the BOB to discuss the film with the audience.

The NCBS IBMM Film Festival will be held on Sunday, March 14 from Noon-5:00pm at the Redwood City Main Library Community Room, 1044 Middlefield Road. For the film festival’s third year, the library has acquired new, state of the art equipment for comfortable 125 seat viewing room.

The completely FREE NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival runs March 11-14, featuring concerts, jams, films, and the Northern California Bluegrass Awards.

Downtown Boulder Creek is set to welcome bluegrass and old timey music fans this weekend, March 5-7,  in an NCBS event hosted by Eric & Barbra Burman. The tiny mountain community is the new location of the twice-yearly Brookdale Bluegrass Festivals (1999-2009). The new (old) gathering will be called the Boulder Creek Bluegrass & Old Timey Festival.

Performances and jamming will take place in various venues, all of which will require a festival wristband for participation on Friday and Saturday  (only);  Sunday is a FREE day at the festival.

The new location is a mile or so north of the old Brookdale Lodge venue on Highway 9.

Lodging is available at various area hotels and motels, including the Brookdale. Note that the only service available at the Brookdale is hotel room rental; the remainder of the facilities and services are not currently open or operating. No festival events will take place at the Brookdale.

Reminder: Final ballots for the Northern California Bluegrass Awards are due on Thursday, March 4, 2010.

The awards ceremony and concert are set for Saturday, March 13, 2010 at the Tapestry Church, 1305 Middlefield Road, in downtown Redwood City, as part of the FREE 3rd Annual NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival.

Eric & Barbra Burman, NCBS, & PASS continue the Brookdale Bluegrass tradition (1999-2009) in downtown Boulder Creek, a short distance up Highway 9 from the former location. Get your tickets in advance from the festival website. Here is the schedule:

Main Stage, Scopazzi’s Restaurant, Downtown Boulder Creek:

FRIDAY, March 5

6:00pm — Aprylle Gilbert & Ben Laney

7:00 — High Tone Sinners

8:00 — Page Brownton & Sidetrack

9:00 — Common Cents

10:00 - Stoney Mountain Ramblers

SATURDAY, March 6

Noon — Dam Dave & The Hot Dam Band

1:00pm — Rick Barnes’ Research & Development

2:00 — Regina Bartlett

3:00 — Heathen Hill

4:00pm — Jean Butterfield

5:00 — Blue Shoes

6:00 — Julio Inglasses Guerra

7:00 — West County Professional Tea Sippers

8:00 — Mountain Drive

9:00 — Faux Renwah’s Spur Of The Moment

10:00 — Mike McKinley & Quackgrass

Late Night — 49 Special (Ltd.) at Joe’s Bar

SUNDAY, March 7

FREE Admission — Band performances TBA.

There are jams all weekend long at various venues: Rainbow’s End, Boulder Creek Brewing Co., and Jenna’sees Coffee Shop.

The Northern California Bluegrass Awards Concert will be held on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at the Tapestry Church (formerly, the Peninsula Christian Center), 1305 Middlefield Road, Redwood City. The FREE concert is part of the March 11-14 NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival.

10:30am – Special Film Presentation: Yodeling Lady Lolita, by Bruce Bellagio

11:00 – Common Cents

Noon – Nell Robinson & Friends

1:00pm – Loganville Acoustic

2:00 – High Country

3:00-5:00pm – Northern California Bluegrass Awards (with additional performances).

5:15pm-ish to whenever – Award Winners Jam hosted by Bean Creek (All jammers and listeners are welcome), Little India, 917 Main Street, Redwood City. FREE.

Great bluegrass throughout California and the West beckon NCBS members over the next three weekends. Find an event you like and join in!

February 25-28 – Wintergrass Festival, Bellevue, WA. The great Northwest bluegrass event has a new home east of Seattle.

March 5-7 – NCBS  Boulder Creek Bluegrass & Old Timey Festival, Boulder Creek. Eric & Barbra Burman bring the music to the small mountain community not far from the ol’ Brookdale Lodge location.

March 5-7 – Bluegrass On The Beach, Lake Havasu, AZ. The former Parker festival has moved up the Colorado River to a nice new venue in a nice new town.

March 6 – NCBS-Sponsored RBA Concert, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Mountain View. One of our favorite touring bands hits town for a Saturday evening concert.

March 11-14 – NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival, Redwood City. The 3rd Annual FREE festival has concerts, bluegrass films, jams, bluegrass dining, and the Northern California Bluegrass Awards in beautiful historic downtown Redwood City.

March 13 – CBA Sonoma County Bluegrass Festival, Sebastopol. One-day festival brings a day of bluegrass to the Wine Country.

One Week Reminder: Final round ballots for the Northern California Bluegrass Awards are due on March 4, 2010. The FREE Awards Show & Concert is set for Saturday, March 13 at the Tapestry Church Main Hall, 1305 Middlefield Road, Redwood City. The awards are part of the NCBS Bluegrass On Broadway Festival, March 11-14, 2010.