Musical performances and jam sessions will be returning to Winlock’s Winolequa Park from Friday, Aug. 2, to Sunday, Aug. 4, in celebration of the 22nd annual Pickersfest.
The three-day music event will feature acoustic music including bluegrass, Gypsy jazz, Americana and more.
The artists performing both Friday and Saturday include David Grier, The Muddy Souls, Mark Gostnell and the Jacknife Poets, River Scheuerell and Friends and The Union City Council.
Grier is “one of the greatest flat picking guitarists in the world,” according to a news release from the Washington Acoustic Music Association (WAMA). Grier will be visiting from Nashville. He is a three-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Awards Guitar Player of the Year Award.
The Souls are a leading progressive/jamgrass band featuring original songs, virtuosic improvisation, tight vocal harmonies and a high octane groove that will “get you dancing,” according the WAMA news release.
Gostnell is a singer and songwriter who has been influenced and inspired by rock and roll, blues and jazz. Gostnell performs originals with his accomplished bandmates, the Jackknife Poets.
Scheurell is a versatile multi-instrumentalist who plays fiddle, guitar, mandolin and other stringed instruments. He is a young artist carrying on the tradition of acoustic music in the Northwest, including old-time, bluegrass, new acoustic, jazz and Celtic music, according to the release.
Hailing from Union, Washington, in the Hood Canal area, The Union City Council are veterans of the Northwest music scene. They mix elements of bluegrass, old-time, fiddle, blues, gospel and jazz.
Festival attendees will be able to participate in jams of old-time, swing, bluegrass and Celtic music, so WAMA encourages any attendees to bring their instruments. There will be a slow jam session on Saturday afternoon for musicians of all skill levels.
The festival also features workshops on guitar, mandolin, bass, fiddle, banjo and song-writing, all for no additional charge. There will be open-mic opportunities Saturday afternoon.
A weekend pass is $30 and a daily pass is $20. Camping is available in the park for $10 per night.
Food is available at the festival, prepared by and supporting the Winlock Youth Baseball organization, starting at noon on Friday through breakfast on Sunday morning. Pickersfest is also pet friendly.
Seating is limited, so WAMA suggests everyone bring their own lawn chairs. For more information, visit www.winlockpickersfest.com.
