RIGBY—Bluegrass fans are gathering to Eastern Idaho for the return of the Bluegrass on the Snake Festival. Music enthusiasts will be able to enjoy live performances and other events at the festival.
The Bluegrass on the Snake Festival was started by event coordinator Teresa Mortensen.
“My husband and I have been playing music together for a long time,” Mortensen said. “We decided to move over to Bluegrass, and we went to a few Bluegrass festivals and really liked them and thought there's nothing like that around here that's affordable. So, we decided to start one.”
The festival will feature performances from nine bluegrass bands from various states.
“Some of the best musicians in the country are in some of those bands and they'll be coming,” Mortensen said.
Now in its third year, the festival has grown. With around 450 attendees last year, the festival attracts more than just Idaho locals.
“The first year was just a one-day festival, then it was free and last year was our first three-day event and most of the people that came were from out of state,” Mortensen said. “And a lot of people will just follow the bluegrass circuit, and they just go from one to the next to the next and then they head back home at the end of the season.”
The festival will offer music workshops covering guitar, mandolin, fiddle, bass and banjo. The festival will also offer an open mic performance, band scramble competition, food trucks and vendors and the opportunity to play with and learn from other musicians.
“It's family event, bring your kids,” Mortensen said. “The bands that are there will be out in the parking lot. So, everybody has a chance to meet them and play with them and just have fun. If you got kids that are interested in music, and they get to come and watch someone that is really a good instrumentalist on and playing on stage, if they get to watch that and they get a chance to jam with that person later, that’s huge.”
The Bluegrass on the Snake Festival is Friday through Sunday at the Rigby Rodeo Grounds, with campsites open now. You can purchase tickets and find more information online here.