Medical Lake's Blue Waters Bluegrass festival is right around the corner

Grab your fiddles, banjos and guitars, your tents and lawn chairs, it’s family friendly bluegrass pickin’ time once again.

The 18th annual Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival is just around the corner and will soon be in full foot-stomping mode beneath the pines of Medical Lake’s Waterfront Park.

Billed as “quite possibly the best summertime bluegrass experience in the Northwest,” this year’s festival features a diverse cast of local to national bluegrass bands.

“If you’re a music fan you’re going to leave satisfied,” Nick Burgis, Blue Waters Festival president, said of the event. “It’s genuine art.”

Leading this year’s musical cast is the Texas band Wood & Wire, who were nominated for a Grammy in 2018 for their album “North of Despair.”

“They’re on fire and touring all over the country,” Burgis said.

Local bands include a pair of guy and gal trios. The High Mountain Valley Boys, a three-man band and regulars at Spokane’s Tamarack Public house, will take the stage Friday evening.

And Bitter Oak, an all-female trio of Inland Northwest cousins, will open Sunday’s festival.

Pacific Northwest bluegrass pickers include Whiskey Deaf, composed of five of the regions “most talented bluegrass musicians,” the emerging quartet Kristen Grainger & True North, and Greg and Caridwen Spatz, founding members of the Washington state quartet Mighty Squirrel.

Others include High Fidelity, the Colorado band Masontown, and Nashville soloist and songwriter Ashleigh Caudill.

“My guess is that people look at this and they don’t know these bands,” Burgis said of the lineup, suggesting that most might think the bands are local and can be seen at local venues anytime. “In reality we have a good mix of regional talent and national touring acts.”

The fun starts on Friday, Aug. 9 with an open mic session at 4 p.m., and carries on all weekend.

The festival is a PG-rated family affair that encourages a musically immersive experience for both kids and adults.

The Blue Waters Youth Camp is a two day music workshop for kids ages 20 and under with two sessions — one on Friday from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. and a second from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Saturday. This year’s camp includes hands-on instruction from nationally renowned Spokane Valley fiddler and national champion, Jaydean Ludiker.

At least one headliner band usually interacts with the kids, who then traditionally open the festival on either Saturday or Sunday, according to Burgis.

And kids ages 12 and under get into the festival free.

“Youth camp can really be a great weekend outing for a family that’s into music,” he said.

There are also workshops for adults on Saturday and Sunday mornings. It’s not unusual for festival band members to offer some insight into their craft. And the pros are known to hang out for jam sessions in the campground after the stage lights go out, according to Burgis.

“That can get extremely interactive,” he said, calling it unique among other local music experiences. “You have an opportunity to sit down with master musicians.”

Also expect food and craft vendors selling everything from handmade instruments and festival wares.

Bluegrass is an original American musical art form that sprang up from Appalachia in the 1940s. The genre derives its name from the band Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys, and traditionally uses only acoustical instruments.

“What the festival really does is showcase an American discipline of art that’s unique to our country,” Burgis said. “It’s a relaxing, beautiful setting out there in the pines and you’ve got world-class art going on right in front of you.”

Tickets prices vary. Spend $55 for a full weekend pass, $25 for a Friday evening, or $40 for an all day Saturday pass.

Both tent and dry RV camping is available at Waterfront Park. Weekend camping passes will run you $40. Other local camping venues and hotel lodging is also available.

Pets are not allowed in the park.

The Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that relies heavily on volunteers — 75 of them, in fact. Those who volunteer eight hours of their time get a pat on the back and a thank you by way of a full weekend festival pass.

As a non-profit, the organization donates net profit to local charities. Last year they gave to Medical Lake Outreach, SCOPE, Friends for Children and Dollars for Scholars.

For the full event schedule and detailed information about the festival go to http://www.bluewaterbluegrass.com.

Lee Hughes can be reached at [email protected].