A Festival of Bluegrass & Old-Time Music & Dance
This event took place from February 29-March 2, 2008

Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, Plymouth MN

The Winter Bluegrass Weekend: A Festival of Bluegrass & Old-Time Music & Dance is packed with three days of stage shows, dances, workshops, instrument exhibitors, good food, and of course plenty of around the clock informal jam sessions. The core event of the Winter Bluegrass Weekend is the Showcase of Bands. More than fifty groups are expected to be scheduled to perform on two stages all three days. Showtimes are 7:00 PM to Midnight on Friday, 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM Saturday, and 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday afternoon.

The two Saturday Night Headline Concerts will feature nationally known Rustler's Moon with Kathy Kallick and Bill Evans from California. Joining them will be Minnesota fiddle virtuoso Brian Wicklund. The 7:00 PM concert will also feature Minnesota Music Hall of Fame members The Platte Valley Boys. The 9:30 PM concert will open with The Becky Schlegel Band. Due to limited seating, these concerts are ticketed separately from all other Winter Bluegrass Weekend events.

The Dance Parlour is always a busy place with square dances, Cajun dances, honky tonk, the ever popular waltz hour, clogging and more on Friday from 7PM to 11PM and on Saturday from 11AM to 11PM. Many of the dances are taught and called by professional callers. And there are dance instruction workshops too. The featured group this year will be New Bad Habits from Missouri. They will be in concert on Saturday afternoon, providing the music for a dance on Saturday night, and also offering various workshops and other activities.

Behind the scenes at the Winter Bluegrass Weekend will be the Grass Seeds Music Academy. The members of Tangled Roots, along with Brian Wicklund, will be the faculty for a three day music camp for serious pickers and singers ages 8 to 18 (or so). Pre-registration is required and space is limited. These lucky kids can expect to learn jamming etiquette, ensemble playing, how to play back-up and take a lead break, how to sing lead and harmony, and more. They work hard but have fun too.

The Winter Bluegrass Weekend is held at the beautiful Radisson Hotel & Conference Center in Plymouth, on the western outskirts of Minneapolis. Great weather for jamming is guaranteed - as long as you stay inside! Call early for hotel reservations and ask for the Minnesota Bluegrass event rate at the Radisson Hotel (763-559-6600) or Kelly Inn (763-553-1600).

This event took place from February 29-March 2, 2008