Happy New Year to all. The Great 48 Hour Jam in Bakersfield is almost upon us and I hope to see many of you there where we can ring in the year bluegrass style! This event gets bigger and more fun year to year. It is a time to meet up with all our bluegrass relatives from the north and south of the state. We hold a CBA Board meeting on Saturday (open to the public) and it is a place where you can join the CBA, register a child in the 2015 Youth Academy, purchase Early Bird tickets to the 40th Annual Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival, donate instruments to our Lending Library and donate money to our Youth Academy scholarship fund and/or the Youth Program. I will again sit at a table and introduce you all to our Association and to our events. Bring a checkbook, a credit card or cold cash and I will exchange your money for something special in 2015.
David Brace, Board member and Director of the Father’s Day Festival, and I attended a meeting with other event producers at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in November. Nevada County is rapidly becoming a music mecca with the Father’s Day Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, California World Fest, the Celtic Festival and Music in the Mountains all producing events there during the summer/early fall. We reviewed the 2014 season and began to make plans for 2015. It is always wonderful to meet face to face with those who produce similar events and to share ideas and information. The Fairgrounds staff were very pleased with the 2014 season and look forward to a successful 2015.
The CBA is the only event that allows pets to attend and we were reminded that ONLY Service Animals are allowed in the inner Fairgrounds and that dogs must remain on a short leash in the camping area and pet owners must pick up after their animals. We had some complaints last year that a few inconsiderate pet owners were present with their animals and there were reports of dogs off leash or on a long leash, dogs chasing ducks and geese and dog excrement left on the grounds and dogs in the audience area. The CBA instituted the pet policy to allow people in RVs who travel with their pets to bring them. We never intended for there to be an open invitation for everyone to bring their animals (my dogs always stay home) and we will print the Fairground Dog Policy in its entirety in this issue. The Fairgrounds reported to us that a flock of Canada Geese are now making their home on the Fairgrounds and dogs and geese are not usually compatible. Please know that we have not issued an open invitation for all to bring pets to the festival. There are dog boarding locations in the immediate area including boarding for about 10 immediately adjacent to the grounds. We expect to see fewer dogs June 14-21, 2015 and hope that most will be those animals who travel with their owners year round. We know that those of you who choose to bring your animals will review the Fairground rules and the CBA rules.
The Huck Finn Jubilee will not be held on the same weekend as the Father’s Day Festival this year for the first time ever. Huck Finn will in the future be held on the second weekend in June and Father’s Day falls on the third weekend in June this year. We are excited that maybe many of our friends from BMSCC, SWBA, BASC, SDBS, North County Bluegrass & Folk club will make the trek north this year for the first time. We are celebrating our 40th anniversary and it would be super to share the celebration with others who work so hard for their own organizations. Heck, many CBAers can also travel south for Huck Finn! We have quite a lineup booked this year. It is possible to spend an entire week on the Fairgrounds: enroll for the CBA Music Camp (June 14-17) and stay for the festival (June 18-21). We have week-long opportunities for kids: FunGrass (during Music Camp), our instructional Youth Academy (June 17-20), our recreational KidFest (June 18-20). Kids on Bluegrass is a performance event that occurs during the festival and is a highlight of our festival. Nevada County has numerous opportunities for tourism and fun. Drive north this year and join us and celebrate our anniversary!
Please make this the month to join or renew your membership. We have not raised our dues in years and years and your active membership is important to us. We are a volunteer driven, membership supported Association and your active membership is essential. We have saved your membership number for you if you have let your membership lapse. Our advertisers and sponsors always want to know how many active members we have so our total numbers are really important. Send in your $25 or $30 check or pay by credit card. Please make renewal or joining your New Year’s resolution.
