Get ready for the Great 48!
The Great 48 is open to everyone at no cost, and all Bluegrass and Old-time music fans are invited and encouraged to attend. Come count in the New Year together – January 4,5,6, and 7, 2024!
The Bakersfield Great 48 Jam kicks off the California Bluegrass Association’s 2024 calendar of musical events, so tune your strings and get ready to pick with friends, old and new.
The beautiful Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center, 801 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield, CA will once again welcome acoustic musicians from beginner to experienced, encouraging non-stop jamming throughout the lobby, on the patios, in designated ballrooms and jamming floors. Whether you come to play, or come to listen, CBA and associations from California and the Southwest will have jamming suites open to all on designated floors. We hope you will stop by these suites and find out more about the diverse and exciting world of Bluegrass and Old-time music.
New to jamming?
Just starting to figure out how to play your bass, dobro, banjo, guitar, mandolin, fiddle, or other acoustic instrument? Along with opportunities to join impromptu jams of all levels, the Great 48 will also offer educational workshops, hosted welcome jams, theme jams, and an open mic night for you to “just make music!”
About Bakersfield
Bakersfield, sprawling between Highway 5 and Highway 99, lies midway between coastal and mountain communities and equidistant from San Diego and San Francisco. Any visit to Bakersfield should also include a visit to the legendary Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, birthplace of the Bakersfield Sound. Check back here for concert information – to be announced soon!
The Great 48 is within easy walking distance to various eateries in the newly renovated downtown Bakersfield and Great 48 participants will receive directions and descriptions to a wide variety of quality food/casual dress restaurants. Since the Great 48 is open to all acoustic musicians, guest rooms at the Marriott have been known to fill up quickly. Fortunately, hotels that can comfortably accommodate G48 participants are located within walking distance of the Marriott.
All aboard the Bakersfield Bluegrass Express!
Honor the grand tradition of Bluegrass train songs by riding Amtrak from the Bay Area to Bakersfield!
Share a train car with other Bluegrass fans singing and picking all the way to the legendary Great 48-Hour Jam at the Bakersfield Marriott (right next door to the train station). The train departs Oakland, picking up Bluegrass pickers at all stops along the way. Arrive rested and ready to pick, not like when you drive and you get there so tired you can barely drag yourself into the lobby. More details coming soon.
To get in on the fun, write to [email protected] !
HOW TO REGISTER!
Bakersfield Great 48 hotel jam event returns to the Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center, January 4, 5, 6, & 7, 2024. A limited number of rooms are still available, but we urge you to RESERVE NOW and be sure to mention that you are attending the Great 48.
We recommend phoning or e-mailing.
Michelle Sanchez
661-565-9320
[email protected]
Let Michelle know whether you want a room on a jamming floor or a non-jamming floor. This will determine how many of each type of floor we end up with.
You can also use the “Book Online” button below but be sure to followup with Michelle to let her know what type of floor you want.
The Marriott in Bakersfield on Truxtun is anticipating a hotel full of music makers, young and old, and final preparations are being made for your arrival. Please explore this website’s tab for Hotel & Dining to learn how to get on the Marriott’s stand-by reservation list, in case of last minute cancellations.
If you have questions about the Great 48, please contact us using the link at the bottom of the CBA Events page. When you arrive January 4-6, please stop by the Welcome table so we can greet you and give you our Event Guide.
