California Bluegrass Festivals

You wouldn't think that a place so far from Kentucky's bluegrass roots would excel in banjo, mandolin and guitar music, but it turns out that California has some of the biggest and best bluegrass festivals in the nation! Pictured is the largest bluegrass jam in the world - Huck Finn Jubilee. 2022 to be announced. huckfinn.com

 

BLYTHE: Blythe Bluegrass Festival launches the year with great music in the desert at Colorado River Fairgrounds, though it's turned into more of a jam, rather than a festival.  blythebluegrass.com

SANTA CLARITA: Cowboy Festival April 12-13, 2025 
April 12-13, 2025
William S Hart Park
24151 Newhall Ave.
Santa Clarita, CA
Free admission, cowboyfestival.org
Country/cowboy concerts and bluegrass with the likes of  The Storytellers band.  There are multiple stages there to enjoy a variety of music, activities for all ages, living history demonstrations, and food and gear vendors. Beer and wine available for purchase. 

AHWAHNEE: Sierragrass May 9-11, 2025 Mother's Day Weekend
$175-300, parking is $20, but add-0n camping options also include parking, sierragrass.com
A new music festival in the Sierra Foothills to Madera County for music lovers, including onsite camping, RV, and lodging options on a 1300 acre former golf course and nature reserve.
Lineup: AJ Lee and Blue Summit, Two Runner, Mitchum Yacoub, Viv & Riley, Ismay, Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, Yoseff Tucker & The Bowties, Ethan Lawton & The Lottie Doddies, Hank & Ella Band

BERKELEY: Berkeley Bluegrass Festival April  at Freight & Salvage $, thefreight.org. ncbs.us

PARKFIELD: Parkfield Bluegrass Festival May 8-11, 2025 Parkfield Cafe & Community Center - Parkfield, CA
$30-125, parkfieldbluegrass.org 
Line up: (last year's bands)  Central Valley Boys, Edgar Loudermilk, Who’s Feeling Young Now, Stillhouse Junkies, Alum Ridge Boys with Ashlee, Never Come Down, SLO County Stumblers, Mr Sun, Blue Birds on a Wire, Parkfield Bluegrass Kids, Amber Cross, Clements Brothers, Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, Mountain Highway

YERMO: Calico Mother's Day Bluegrass Festival May 10, 2025 at Calico Ghost Town, $15, sbcounty.gov

GRASS VALLEY: Strawberry Music Festival May 22-26, 2025
 Camping and music festival in the Sierra Nevada foothills. strawberrymusic.com
Nevada County Fairgrounds, Grass Valley, CA. Camping and music festival in the Sierra Nevada foothills. strawberrymusic.com

CLOVIS: Clovis Bluegrass in the Park Clovis Veteran's Memorial District confirmed two sessions, May-July  and then September   Clovis Veterans Memorial Park  901 Fifth St. Clovis, CA Free, facebook.com/ profile.php? id=100057522374894

GRASS VALLEY: Father's Day Bluegrass Festival June 12-15, 2025 on Father's Day Weekend.  fathersdayfestival.com

IRVINE: Father's Day  Bluegrass-ish Bash at Hangar 24  June 15, 2025
Featuring The Storytellers The Storytellers: Father's Day  OC
17877 Von Karman Ave Unit 110
Irvine, CA
Bring friends and family to a large outside gathering with enough space to dance, sing, visit, drink great craft beer and eat  food created by the culinary experts at Hangar 24. Admission is FREE. Parking is validated. All ages! All shapes! All colors! All everything else as long as you're kind and love #jamgrass / #bluegrass music!

SUSANVILLE: Bluegrass Festival June 20-22, 2025
Lassen County Fairgrounds
Susanville, CA
$15 Sunday; $40 Friday; $45 Saturday; $90 for 3-day pass, RV camping $25 per night; Tent camping $15 night. susanvillebluegrassfestival.com
Lineup: Montana Standard, Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road, Kentuckey Sky, Eric Thomas Trio, Ten Dollar Wedding, The
Wildcat Mountain Ramblers, Greg Blake and Hometown, The Rough Edges

REDWOOD  CITY: Pub in the Park 

LAKE SELMAC: Siskiyou Folk & Bluegrass Festival TBA
Illinois Valley Chamber of Commerce production at Lake Selmac, Selma, Oregon siskiyoubluegrassfestival.com  | facebook.com/siskiyoubluegrassfestival
Lineup: Hot Copper Kettle, SongBird Trio, Jodie Jean Marsten

QUINCY: High Sierra Music Festival July 3-6, 2025.
$, highsierramusic.com

FELTON: Saw Festival at Roaring Camp Railroads

TRES PINOS - HOLLISTER Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival August 7-10, 2025 in Bolado Park, 8300 Airline Highway, Tres Pinos, CA
$32-130, scbs.org/events/gof/ Event is produced by Northern California Bluegrass Society and hosted by San Benito County Historical Society. 
Line up:  Bean Creek, Birches Bend, The Courthouse Ramblers, Dark Hollow Bluegrass Band, Erick Burman & Brookdale Bluegrass Band, Festival Speed Bluegrass, Jubilee, Lonesome Still, Lucas Lawson and the Unturned Stone, Marin County Breakdowns, Mission Blue, Red Dog Ash, Sunny Side of the Mountain, The Goat Hill Girls, The Post Folk Revivalists, The Stoney Mountain Ramblers, The Storytellers, Trouble Town, West 45, Who's Feeling Young Now

VISTA San Diego Summergrass Bluegrass Festival 2025 TBA
$20-85, camping available for a fee,  summergrass.net
Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum, 2040 N. Santa Fe Ave., Vista, CA Purchase Tickets Ticket Info Event includes: Kids Camp | Raffles | Music & Craft Vendors | Lots of Jamming Dry, Camping | Tasty Food | Music Workshops | Easy Jam for Beginners.
Line up: 

SUTTER CREEK: Jug Band Festival   suttercreek.org

BISHOP: Millpond Music Festival September
Annual Millpond Music Festival serves an eclectic collection of music, Millpond County Park $35-120, inyo.org Camping is also available by reservation | lineup

BERKELEY Old Time Music Convention   (locations throughout the city) berkeleyoldtimemusic.org
Square dances, concerts, workshops, string band contest, stuff for kids, lots of jamming & more

SAN FRANCISCO: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass October 2025 TBA in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA. 
hardlystrictlybluegrass.com. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is FREE. Though the talent at this event should give it #1 rank, the title says it all--there's some bluegrass, yes, but not hardly, strictly bluegrass at the October event.

GOLETA: Santa Barbara Old Time Fiddlers Fest and Convention October 2025 TBA
 Stow House. fiddlersfestival.org
Rancho La Patera & Stow House 304 North Los Carneros Rd., Goleta, CA 93117  $20-25, fiddlersfestival.org
Line up: 

SAN DIMAS: Huck Finn Jubilee  October 2025 TBA
$55-110, huckfinn.com
Location: Bonelli Bluffs RV Resort & Campgrounds, 120 E. Via Verde Drive,  San Dimas, CA
Line up: 

 

Events are not guaranteed. It is your responsibility to confirm before going.