And here we are again at my favorite time of the year. Some people mark the passage of time birth- day to birthday or holiday season to holiday season but our family has marked the passage of time from Father’s Day week to Father’s Day week (of course, for years that also marked the end of a school year). We attended our first Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival when our children were small in the late 1980’s (I think the 10th or 11th Annual) so we are celebrating 30 years of continuous attendance this month. We will also be bringing our oldest grandson with us for the entire 10 days we stay on the Fairgrounds and he is a similar age to our children when they first attended, 8 years old. His younger siblings will visit later in the week but I hope he is beginning a lifelong relationship with this magical week at the Nevada County Fairgrounds.
I spend the rest of the year introducing families to bluegrass music and to our CBA community in my work coordinating the CBA Youth Program and registering families for the Youth Academy. I can only cross my fingers that the magic that occurs on the Fairgrounds during the Music Camp and the Academy and the Festival will rub off on other families and that they also begin family traditions that begin and end with our event.
I think the Yuba River will be in great swimming form after our drought-breaking winter, the historical locations will be open for yet another generation to learn from, the red dirt is waiting to embed in another generation’s clothing. Many families take field trips each day from their campsites and do not immerse themselves in 24 hours of music. I know I am already giving driving instructions to families counting the days until our 41st Annual Father’s Day weekend on the Nevada County Fairgrounds. I hope your family will also meet up on the Fairgrounds, we are family friendly and children under 16 get in free with paying adults. Come join us this year
