At Parkfield Bluegrass Festival, you get Americana music with side of geology

Amid the rolling hills north of Paso Robles is a little slice of pastoral paradise.

"Once you go to Parkfield, it's just so darn charming," said Arroyo Grande resident Connie Moxness, who's visited the area several times. "It's this incredible, serene, remote location where you can hear birds (chirping) in the trees. It's so nice to be here."

But the biggest reason to visit Parkfield this weekend isn't the wildlife. It's the Parkfield Bluegrass Festival, which brings fans of bluegrass, gospel and old-timey tunes together for four folksy days of music, camping under the oaks and jam sessions under the stars in a town best known for its proximity to California's largest earthquake fault.

The festival, which kicks off Thursday, celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2018.

"It's a testament to the fact to there are (still) people who enjoy and appreciate good-quality acoustic music," said Moxness, who serves as board member, secretary and volunteer coordinator for the Bluegrass Music Society of the Central Coast.

About 1,100 people are expected to attend the Parkfield Bluegrass Festival, traditionally held Mother's Day weekend on the 20,000-acre V6 Ranch on the southernmost edge of Monterey County.

They'll hear acoustic music by a mix of new acts, including Molsky's Mountain Drifters, Phil Salazar and Kinfolk and Missy Raines & The New Hip, and returning bands such as the Lonely Heartstrings Band, Sonoran Dogs and Jeff Scroggins and Colorado. (Unfortunately, festival favorites Snap Jackson & The Knock On Wood Players, had to drop out at the last moment.)

"We are just thrilled with the lineup this year," Moxness said.

Also in store are a barn dance, children's activities and workshops featuring instrumental, vocal and dance instruction.

Festivalgoers eager to explore Parkfield's reputation as the earthquake capital of the world can take walking tours of the nearby San Andreas Fault led by a geologist.

And that's just the official entertainment.

According to Moxness, festivalgoers can catch concerts around their own campfires.

"The great thing about this kind of music is you can come ... and see professional musicians perform at a professional level, but you can also go back to camp and knock back a few tunes yourself," she said. "It's very accessible that way."

It all ties into the Parkfield Bluegrass Festival's "mission ... to preserve and promote old-time bluegrass and gospel music," Moxness said, carrying on a rich tradition whose roots reach back to the earliest American settlers.

"This music is the evolution that folks used to play sitting on the front porch," she said.

Moxness added that she's seen a recent resurgence of interest in roots and Americana music, especially among younger fans who aren't afraid to push the envelope.

"Like any cultural artform, it has to evolve," she said. And bluegrass, she added, is evolving in Parkfield.

Parkfield Bluegrass Festival

11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 9:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday

V6 Ranch, 70410 Parkfield-Coalinga Road, Parkfield

$25 to $105, $10 to $36 camping

805-994-0929 or parkfieldbluegrass.org

This story was originally published May 8, 2018 at 3:13 PM with the headline "At Parkfield Bluegrass Festival, you get Americana music with side of geology."