Ocean State Bluegrass Festival

Posted

Bluegrass fans and pickers: mark your calendar for the Ocean State Bluegrass Festival to be held Friday, Sept. 20 through Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024 at Frerichs Farm, 65 Kinnicutt Ave., Warren, RI. The event is sponsored by the Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance (RIBA) with generous support from The Carter Fund at the Rhode Island Foundation.

The event includes jamming for bluegrass musicians throughout the weekend, an open mic on Friday night, workshops and a show featuring three local bluegrass bands on Saturday, a Band Scramble on Sunday, and jamming, camping, and food throughout the weekend.

The following bands will perform on Saturday night: Stoneface Mountain, Wide Open Spaces, and Max Wareham and the National Bluegrass Team.

There will be no show on Sunday, but there will be a Band Scramble, a tradition at bluegrass festivals. In a Band Scramble, anyone who plays an instrument (at any level) is invited to participate. Participants put their names in a bucket for the instrument they wish to play. Names are drawn to make up bands that may include a bass, a banjo, a mandolin, a fiddle, a guitar, a dobro and singers. These impromptu bands will come up with a few songs that they will perform on stage.

Tickets: tickets may be purchased on the RIBA website at www.ribluegrass.org.

•Full festival ticket - $40 - includes camping and parking for one vehicle (one RV or one car) for three days, plus Saturday workshops and show admission for one person.
•Saturday ticket - $30 per person - includes workshops and show admission. Does not include camping or parking. Show admission is free for children 14 years old and younger.
•Sunday - Free admission!
•Parking - $5 per vehicle, per day.

2024 by East Bay Media Group

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.