Vern’s Stage

Vern’s Stage Band Procedure

Overview

Vern’s Stage presents opportunities for Bluegrass and Old-time bands to perform at the CBA’s Father’s Day Festival.

The Vern’s Stage Committee is pleased to announce an open call for bands for the 2025 CBA Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival in Grass Valley. There are a limited number of slots available from Thursday, June 12 through Sunday, June 15. We expect to fill 17 slots of approximately 35-minute sets each.

Please note that this is a juried competition. As such, all submissions will be evaluated by a panel of qualified judges who will determine our final selections.

Band Submission Guidelines

To be eligible to perform on Vern’s Stage, all bands must:

• play Bluegrass and/or Old-time music;
• have significant experience gigging together;
• not have played Vern’s Stage during last year’s festival (i.e., 2024) with the exception that Youth Bands (bands with a majority of members under the age of 18 as of June 12, 2025) are eligible in consecutive years.

Video Demo Requirements:
Bands must submit a recently recorded (within the last 6 months) self-made video demo reel with 3 songs/tunes representative of the music your band would play on Vern’s Stage. At the start of this video, we ask that you introduce the band, clearly state the date and your location, and then perform 3 pieces in a row without any cuts or edits. You will need to submit your recording as a YouTube or Dropbox (or similar) link. We expect cellphone or tablet quality and not professionally shot videos. Furthermore, we recommend recording your video demo in a quiet location (e.g., living room, backyard, etc.) for best results.

In addition, the submission form will ask you to provide the following:

1. a high-resolution band photo (jpeg format, 300dpi or higher, approximately 3″ wide);
2. a biography of your band suitable for publication in the festival program (between 200 to 400 words);
3. a list of dates and locations of your band’s most recent 4-6 gigs; and,
4. a list of days/times that your band is available during the festival.

 

TIMETABLE

The submission process is scheduled to be open from September 1 until midnight, November 1, 2024. Bands are invited to submit by following the link below.

A band performs under a canopy at an outdoor event. They play string instruments, including a guitar, violin, and upright bass. An audience sits and stands in the background, watching the performance.

SUBMIT YOUR BAND!

The submission process is now open. Click the link below to get started:

Vern’s Stage Band Submission:
Instructions and Form

And, be sure to watch this page for any further updates.