Summer Fun on the Horizon!

May 19, 2016 | Welcome Column

Well, folks, it’s just around the corner! One month from now, I, and many of you, will be setting up camp at the Nevada County Fairgrounds for the 41st annual Father’s Day Festival. I am very excited about this year’s fest, and my son and I have started planning for camp in earnest.

This year will be my first time camping on site. Previous festivals found me camping out on my mother’s porch, a couple of miles from the fairgrounds. Mom sold her house recently, so this year I’ll be camping on site and really participating in all aspects of the festivities. This year I won’t miss out on the late night jam sessions, impromptu square dances and after hours revelry.
I am really looking forward to spending time with extended family and friends that I’ve made over the last two years at the fest. One of the things I enjoy about this festival is the pervasive feeling of family that this festival exudes. I come from a large extended family that has been whittled down by death and discord during my lifetime, so family events are usually fewer than ten people. I didn’t realize just how important family is until I didn’t really have one anymore. Music has helped me grow my “family” and find some of the community that’s been missing from my life. I am sure this year will be full of new friends and acquaintances, and that my musical family will expand further.
On the camp front, I am thrilled that I have such experienced family that has given me excellent guidelines for ensuring we have a happy camp experience. We all bring staples for shared camp dinners, each group taking a different night’s meal. I have a couple of recipes that freeze well and will be our meal contribution. It’s awesome knowing that we can share the meal burden between the group and make it easier for everyone, and it adds to that sense of family and community that I love about this festival.
Unlike last year, I am not familiar with any of the musical acts in this year’s lineup. I recognize a few names from the Breakdown, but it will all be new to me, and that is very exciting. I look forward to discovering new music, just as I look forward to meeting new people. It’s all just one big exciting adventure.
Patrick is getting excited about the Youth Academy. Over the last year his musical tastes have diverged from mine, into the realm of metal and industrial music. He’s been practicing shredding on the electric guitar, so over the next couple of weeks he will be revisiting his bluegrass skills on the guitar and mandolin. I really like giving him access to such different styles of music and it’s cool to watch him discover similarities and differences. I love watching him grow as a musician; he makes me a proud mom.
So, as spring kicks into full gear, the fun of summer looms on the horizon and the anticipation builds a little more each day. This year, our summer fun includes the Father’s Day Festival, High Sierra music festival and a number of small venue concerts around the state. I even decided to treat myself this year and will end the summer with the Blues, Brews and BBQ free concert series at Snowbasin Resort in Utah Labor Day weekend, joining a number of friends to see our favorite band, Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real. People are traveling from all over the country for the event and the gathering of our tribe should be magical and amazing, as it always is.
I hope everyone gets to meet up with their “tribe” this summer, whether it’s in Grass Valley or somewhere else far away. Enjoy the magic of music, warm nights and hot jam sessions and the camaraderie and friendship of your fellow music aficionados. Hope to see you in June!

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