
It’s Edmonton’s first-ever bluegrass festival! The RiverCity Bluegrass Festival takes place January 17 – 19.
Karen Trace is vice-president of the Northern Bluegrass Circle, the group organizing the fest.
“The festival is a big leap and it’s exciting,” she says. “We have nine bands and we’re going three days.”
It started when she and her fellow bluegrass enthusiasts glanced south of the border, to Wintergrass. It’s a popular winter festival in Washington State. “It’s been hugely successful, and a lot of our community goes down there for that,” says Trace. “We looked at each other and thought, ‘Why don’t we have that? We’re a winter city!’”
And so, RiverCity was born. The bands performing include everything from traditional bluegrass like The Kody Norris Show and The Spinney Brothers, to newer, more innovative takes on the genre from groups like Toronto’s The Slocan Ramblers and Montreal’s Veranda.
Three local bands will play as well: The Myhre Brothers, Kayla and Matt Hotte, and The Bix Mix Boys. “We’re throwing a huge mix of things in for everyone,” says Trace.
Bluegrass festivals are unique, Trace says, in that it’s not just listening to music. Attendees get to play music as well.
The festival includes workshops hosted by many of the performing musicians. “It’s part of the cultural significance of a bluegrass festival, it always combines performing with jamming and learning,” says Trace. As a fiddler herself, she says it makes for a wonderful time.
“It’s so exhilarating to jam and to play with bands and musicians who you idolize and have fun and then get better. It’s a great thing.”
The jamming also makes for great bonding experience for attendees.
“The hosted jamming continues through the day and into the evening and likely into the deep, dark hours of the night,” laughs Trace.
The festival also includes a kids’ fiddle camp. Kids need to have a little fiddle know-how, Trace says, but otherwise they can come and learn on the spot. “We’re trying to build the next generation already and get their love of music going.”
The RiverCity Bluegrass Festival takes place at the Edmonton Inn and Conference Centre, January 17 – 19.
“Toutes Les Rivières” by Veranda: