Bluegrass fans and pickers: mark your calendar for the Ocean State Bluegrass Festival & Pick-nic to be held on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 18 and 19, 2021 at Frerichs Farm, 65 Kinnicutt Ave., Warren, RI. The event is sponsored by the Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance (RIBA).
Saturday night's festival will feature three bands from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm: Four Bridges, Redwood Hill and Rock Hearts. Gates open at 3:00 pm. Bring a lawn chair, bug spray and a flashlight.
Admission for Saturday night’s show is $20. Camping will be available at $30 for a dry site, which includes show admission for one person. Show admission for additional people staying at the same site is $20.
Here’s more information on Saturday’s band line-up:
Redwood Hill: Redwood Hill is a group of friends who have banded together to pay tribute to bluegrass music’s legendary Country Gentlemen, a group highly acclaimed as one of the most important progressive bands for their unique blend of folk and bluegrass music.
Four Bridges: Four Bridges is a bluegrass band based in New England. They perform traditional bluegrass, original tunes and mix in some tasty covers. They've been performing together since 2013!
Rock Hearts: Formed in 2013, Rock Hearts brings together five veteran musicians from southern New England who love to sing and pick bluegrass, old country tunes, and seek out newer tunes from other genres to “bluegrass-ify.”
Sunday will be the seventh annual RIBA Pick-nic, which includes bluegrass jamming, food, raffles and workshops beginning at 1:00 pm. There is no show on Sunday. Admission on Sunday is free but there will be a $5 parking fee for non-campers.
WORKSHOPS
1:15 - 2:00 - Guitar workshop with Billy Thibodeau and guest
2:00 - whenever - Slow Jam with Paul Dube
2:00 - 3:00 - Banjo workshop with Jesse Burdick
3:00 - 3:45 - Mandolin workshop with Sal Sauco and guest
3:45 - 4:15 - Let's Make a Band
Established in 2013, the Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance's mission is to promote the appreciation of bluegrass music, and serve as a resource to educate and coordinate fans, students, teachers, musicians and venues in Rhode Island and the surrounding area. The organization holds events including the annual Pick-nic and RIBA Hall of Fame, as well as educational programs such as a monthly slow jam and the Learner Loaner program, which lends instruments to people interested in learning guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dobro or bass.