2026 festival Lineup
Jamming, workshops, Vendors and more!
Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra
Norway-based Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra began after the soon-to-be lead vocalists first heard the music of the Belgian movie “Broken Circle Breakdown” one night in a theater in Oslo, Norway. Inspired by the soundtrack, they got a group of friends together to play the music from the film. After a couple of weeks of practice, the newly-formed Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra recorded “Wayfaring Stranger” in the fiddle player’s living room. 18,000,000 channel-plays and 50,000 subscribers later, the band has enjoyed a large amount of attention from an international audience, most recently nominated “Band of the Year” and winners of “Vocalist of the Year” at IBMA Momentum Awards.
FOGHORN STRINGBAND
The Foghorn Stringband is the present day gold standard for real-deal hard-hitting genuine old-time American string band music, with nine albums, thousands of shows, over 20 years of touring under their belts, and an entirely new generation of roots musicians following their lead. American roots music is a diverse and never-ending well of inspiration, and Foghorn Stringband continually and obsessively draws from old-time, bluegrass, classic country, and Cajun music traditions in an ongoing quest to present a broad span of American historical music with an unparalleled youthful energy, joy, and virtuosity.
VICKIE Vaughn BAND
For bassist Vickie Vaughn, music is all about home. Even a casual fan of the reigning, three-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year knows just how important Kentucky, family, and home are to Vaughn. Between them, they’ve colored every aspect of the bassist-singer-songwriter’s lifelong career in music.
As a member of trailblazing and globe-trotting female ensemble Della Mae, an in-demand artist in her own right finalizing her debut solo album, and a ceaselessly popular side-musician across many roots genres, Vaughn demonstrates how a boundaryless, loving personal community can be purely reflected in a professional network. Like everything Vaughn brings to bear, her album, Travel On, is a remarkable combination of styles, textures, and inspirations that all make perfect sense under the joyful and harlequin umbrella of her unique approach to roots music.
DAMN TALL BUILDINGS
Damn Tall Buildings is a celebrated folk-bluegrass band based in Brooklyn, known for their soulful melodies and intricate instrumentals. This seasoned trio—Max Capistran, Sasha Dubyk, and Avery Ballotta—has spent over a decade honing their craft through dedicated touring and recording, creating a distinctive sound that weaves heartfelt lyrics into thoughtful fiddle, guitar, and bass arrangements. Originally honing their skills through busking, they bring infectious energy to their music, blending influences from old-time, blues, and jazz into their songwriting. With seamless vocal harmonies and captivating instrumental solos, DamnTall Buildings creates a cohesive sound that resonates deeply with audiences, leaving a lasting mark wherever they perform. Their vibrant, well-crafted shows invite listeners to join them on a musical journey, earning critical acclaim for their unique blend that defies categorization while offering a warm and reflective embrace that is both enthusiastic and deeply resonant.
SHELBY MEANS
Born in the bluegrass of Kentucky and raised on Wyoming’s high plains, Shelby Means is one of the foremost bassists in bluegrass, with nearly two decades of experience in bluegrass, folk, rock, Americana, and country outfits. Now based in Charleston, SC, Means spent a dozen years in Nashville, TN. During that time she performed most notably as a member of the GRAMMY®-nominated all-women bluegrass band Della Mae. She later joined Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway on bass and vocals, earning her first GRAMMY® win for their 2023 album, City of Gold.
With her debut solo music Means invites listeners to experience the same soulful presence and adventurous spirit she has built her career on. Her singing and playing has been heard across the country and around the world, from NPR’s airwaves, the Grand Ole Opry, Bonnaroo, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, and Newport Folk to the U.S. Virgin Islands, Kazakhstan, Australia, and beyond.
DAVE STAMEY
Cowboys and Indians Magazine has called him “the Charlie Russell of Western Music.” Western Horseman Magazine has declared his “Vaquero Song” to be one of the greatest Western songs of all time. True West Magazine named him Best Living Western Solo Musician four years in a row.
Dave Stamey has been a cowboy, a mule packer, a dude wrangler, and is now one of the most popular Western entertainers working today. He has been voted seven times Entertainer of the Year, seven times Male Performer of the Year and Five times Songwriter of the Year by the Western Music Association and received the Will Rogers Award from the Academy of Western Artists. He’s delighted audiences in twenty-three states and finds that he prefers this to being stomped by angry horses.
In November 2016, Dave was inducted into the Western Music Hall of Fame.
Water Tower
Water Tower is a Los Angeles-based bluegrass, old-time, and punk rock band that was founded in 2005 by multi-instrumentalist & vocalist Kenny Feinstein. While their lineup has evolved over time, Water Tower has maintained an ongoing reputation as a force to be reckoned with, with a viral social media presence & a growing horde of loyal fans known as "The Owls." Water Tower is fueled by their masterful song-crafting, a fiercely DIY approach, and a genre-bending sonic identity that fuses bluegrass/old-time revivalism with a distinctly punk rock edge. Their influences range from Bill Monroe & Foghorn Stringband to bands like Rancid & Black Flag.
Whether they’re lighting up a festival stage, busking on a street corner, or bringing the house down at a private event, Water Tower delivers a performance that’s equal parts raw energy, technical brilliance, and unbridled passion. Their music is a call to arms for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider, a celebration of the wild, untamed spirit that lives in all of us.
Check out their music video filmed at the 2025 Parkfield Bluegrass Festival!
SLO County Stumblers
The SLO County Stumblers are an energetic American string band based in California’s Central Coast. The band features fiddler Casy Meikle, guitarist David Baine, banjo player Daniel Bohlman, and Jerry James on bass.
The Stumblers play hard-driving old time fiddle tunes and spirited songs, heavily influenced by the golden-era string bands of the 1920s and 30s. Their performance is filled with humorous stories and banter and is guaranteed to get feet moving across the dance floor.
Amber Cross
Authenticity is A difficult thing to measure in American roots music. It’s not in the hat you wear, or the twang in your voice. It’s in how well you understand that the music comes from the land, and that its roots run deep. Americana songwriter Amber cross understands this, and on her new album, Savage on the Downhill, she makes music as beholden to the landscapes of Northern and Pacific California, where she lives and travels, as to the visually-rich songwriting she crafts around it. Her songs hang heavy with the yellow dust of dirt roads, plunge deep into the soft loam of the forest. As a hunter, a fisherman, and a woman of the backcountry, she knows the countryside well, and has a deep respect for the honest work that makes you a steward of the land.
When you hear Amber Cross you might think you are listening to an archival Smithsonian recording. Her old-time voice is clear and captivating, like a strong muscle, fringed in lace. As a hunter, a fisherman, and a woman of the backcountry, she has a deep respect for the honest work that makes her a steward of the land. She makes music as beholden to the landscapes of Northern and Pacific California, where she lives and travels, as to the visually-rich songwriting she crafts around it.
The Kings River Boys
Traditional Bluegrass Music From the Central California River Bottom
Critical grass
Critical Grass is a collection of San Francisco East Bay musicians who accidentally discovered each other at a Berkeley restaurant. The name arose when two members were coincidentally wearing merch from the Critical Role Dungeons & Dragons podcast. (Nerds.)
They dig traditional and modern bluegrass and great songwriters. They perform Bill Monroe and Stanley Brothers tunes, plus Townes Van Zandt, John Prine, Norman Blake, and John Hartford. They especially love female songwriters, performing Kathy Kallick, Martha Scanlon, Kate Wolf, and Hazel Dickens, with Joni Mitchell still on the horizon.
They explore the edges of the genre—hippie-grass, old-time, and Irish—and embrace any song that fits their instruments and voices. Critical Grass celebrates sharing music, welcoming young players, and giving back. In October 2024, they organized “Bluegrass Benefits Asheville,” raising over $700 for Hurricane Helene relief.