Old timey fun

Break out the banjos and fiddles for the annual Northern Nevada Bluegrass Festival. The event occurs hot on the heels of Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys’ appearance in Carson City last month. Stanley was featured on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, which has been credited with rekindling interest in this music form. But it appears bluegrass was popular in the Truckee Meadows even before O Brother, as this is the Northern Nevada Bluegrass Association’s 18th festival. True Blue, Harmony Grits, Piney Creek Weasels and 1996 Grammy Award-winner Kathy Kallick (pictured) headline the all-day event Aug. 16. Local bands Back Forty, Saddle Rash, Moonlight Hoodoo Review and the NNBA Volunteer Orchestra also hit the stage. Professional musicians hold workshops, and there are open jam sessions following band performances. Gates open at 8:30 a.m. and the festival goes until 8:30 p.m. at Bowers Mansion, 4005 Old US Highway 395 in Washoe Valley. Advance tickets are $16 and can be purchased at Maytan Music Center, 777 S. Virginia St. Tickets are $18 at the gate. Call 348-4692 or visit www.nnba.org for details.