It’s been around for years, but its repertoire has been expanded.
The 9th Annual Winlock Pickers Fest, formerly the Winlock Bluegrass Festival, begins Friday at 5 p.m. at Winolequa Park in Winlock and continues through noon on Sunday.
“It’s just getting together with all your friends. It’s really the first festival of the summer season,” said Marv Sobolesky, owner of Marv’s Music in Winlock and one of the festival’s organizers. “It’s good to see them all together.”
According to Sobolesky, people will begin arriving Thursday, and will be “jammin’ all day Friday.” The festival officially gets underway when the first band takes the stage Friday evening. Four groups are scheduled to play — Black River, Misty Mamas, The Loafers and Rose in the Heather. While you’ll hear a lot of traditional bluegrass, there will be other styles as well.
“It’s a little different than a formal bluegrass festival,” Sobolesky said. “One of our bands this year plays Celtic music.”
As in the past, there will be workshops Saturday morning starting at 9 a.m., including sessions on guitar, banjo, mandolin, dobro and fiddle. There will be a slow jam from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday, followed by open microphone performances throughout the afternoon, as well as children’s activities. All workshops and activities are included in admission, which is $5 per person Friday and Saturday. Children 12 and under are free. There is no charge for a gospel show Sunday morning from 10 a.m. to noon.
The bands, ranging from local groups to those from Seattle and Portland, will be featured in concert once again Saturday evening. But the opportunity to participate in the Saturday slow jam is what organizers think will be a big draw this year. Hosted by Rodney and Diane O’Dell, the jam is designed for beginners but is still challenging for advanced players.
“Our motto is ‘We will leave no bluegrass musicians behind,’” laughed Sobolesky. “I think a lot of times people feel intimidated by other players. This slow jam helps break the ice.”
For those unfamiliar with the term, a slow jam literally means songs are played slowly so all levels can participate. One of the reasons the slow jam started was because there were a lot of students who didn’t really have anyone else to jam with, according to Sobolesky. The Winlock Bluegrass Organization holds regular slow jams throughout the year.
Perhaps another draw to the festival, which in past years has had as many as 500 participants, is the fact that the music crosses not only skill levels but generations.
“A lot of these songs are kind of simplistic melodies. That’s what makes it so great,” Sobolesky explained. “The melodies stay with you, but everybody hums it a different way. It can get pretty complex, but there’s no generation gap. You can have a 12-year-old kid playing along with an 80-year-old fiddle player, and there’s no generation gap.”
And Sobolesky said it’s true what they say about music being a universal language.
“I was in Kansas for a workshop, and I met some people from Japan,” he shared. “We couldn’t understand each other, but we all knew the same songs.”
If You Go
What: 9th Annual Winlock Pickers Fest
When: Friday through Sunday
Where: Winolequa Park, Winlock
Cost: $5 per person, per day; children 12 and under free; camping $10 per night
Call: 785-4932
Festival Schedule
Friday:
5 p.m. — Black River
6 p.m. — Misty Mamas
7 p.m. — The Loafers
8 p.m. — Rose in the Heather
Saturday:
9 a.m. — Workshops
10:30 a.m. — Slow jam led by Rodney and Diane O’Dell
1 p.m. — Open Mic
5 p.m. — Misty Mamas
6 p.m. — The Loafers
7 p.m. — Down the Road
8 p.m. — Rose in the Heather
Sunday:
Free Gospel Show
10 a.m. — Black River
11 a.m. — Down the Road
Kathy Hall: (360) 807-8226
