20th annual Bluegrass Festival officially under way

The Oklahoma International kicks off Thursday in the Cottonwood Flats and ending on Sunday with a golf outing. This year marks the 20th year.

“That’s amazing,” Byron Berline said of the two decade old spectacular event.

Berline, the brainchild of the festival, is a three-time national fiddle champion and current resident of Guthrie. During his travels throughout the world, Berline has been a kind of unofficial bluegrass ambassador to China, Mexico, Australia, Germany, and most points in-between.

While speaking to bluegrass fans worldwide, Berline saw the need for a festival where national and international players could perform and mix freely. This type of event would be new to the bluegrass world and would appeal not only to the musicians themselves, but to bluegrass and other music fans worldwide.

For additional information, including ticket prices, visit the OIBF website.

Schedule

LAND RUN STAGE (Main Stage)
THURSDAY, Sept. 29, 2016:
11:00 am   Red Dirt Rangers
12 noon   Cowboy Jim Garling
1:00 pm    Russell Clan
2:00 pm    Choctaw Line
3:00 pm    The Bonham Revue with Kyle Dillingham
4:00 pm    Hunt Family Bluegrass
5:00 PM    Dinner Break
6:00 pm    Bret Graham
7:00 pm    Mountain Smoke
8:00 pm    Hankerin’ 4 Bluegrass
9:00 pm    Byron Berline Band with Barry Patton & Tim McDonald
10:00 pm   Random Band Jam (click here to see more about this year’s jam!)

FRIDAY, Sept. 30, 2016:
10:00 am   MANDOLIN & GUITAR WORKSHOP with Chris Henry, Andrew Hunt, Thomas Trapp,                              David Bonham, Yasuhisa Katon and Masuo Sasabe.
11:00 am   Bret Graham
12 noon    Calvin Vollrath (Canada)
1:00 pm   Chris Henry & The Hardcore Grass with Brad Benge
2:00 pm   Rushad Eggleston
3:00 pm   Burgan & Chan
4:00 pm   Blue Side of Lonesome (Japan)
5:00 pm   OIBF Auction
6:00 pm   Byron Berline Band with Barry Patton & Tim McDonald
7:00 pm   Steve ‘n Seagulls (Finland)
8:00 pm   Hot Club of Cowtown
9:00 pm   The Cleverlys

FRIDAY NIGHT LATE SHOW:
10:00 pm – 1:00 am   Turnpike Troubadours

SATURDAY, October 1st, 2016:
10:00 am   FIDDLE & BANJO WORKSHOP with Byron Berline, Greg Burgess, Calvin Vollrath,
Elana James, Billy Perry, Jonathan Hunt and Ryukichi “Creamy” Hayakawa
11:00 am   Hunt Family Bluegrass Band
12 noon   Burgan & Chan
1:00 pm   Calvin Vollrath (Canada)
2:00 pm   Chris Henry & The Hardcore Grass with Brad Benge
3:00 pm   Rushad Eggleston
4:00 pm   OIBF Scholarship Winners
5:00 pm   OIBF Auction
6:00 pm   Blue Side of Lonesome (Japan)
7:00 pm   Byron Berline Band with Barry Patton & Tim McDonald
8:00 pm   The Cleverlys
9:00 pm   Hot Club of Cowtown

COTTONWOOD CREEK STAGE (campground)
Thursday, Sept. 29th, 2016
10:00 am                Open Mic Sign-up at Stage
Noon-6:00 pm     Open Mic Performances

Friday, Sept. 30th, 2016
10:00 am                 Open Mic Sign-up at Stage
Noon-midnight     Open Mic Performances

Saturday, October 1st, 2016
10:00 am                 Open Mic Sign-up at Stage
Noon                       Songwriters Workshop
1:00 pm-10 pm     Open Mic Performances

YOUTH TENT:
Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016
9:00 am    One More Road
10:30 am   Russell Clan
Noon          Red Dirt Rangers
1:30 pm     Hunt Family Bluegrass

Friday, Sept. 30, 2016
9:00 am    One More Road
10:30 am  Foust Family
Noon         Foust Family
1:30 pm    Russell Clan

Saturday, October 1st, 2016
9:00 am – 12:45 pm  Youth Instrument Championships Registration
9:00 am – 9:45 am    Youth Band Competition Registration
10:00 am – Noon      Youth Band Competition
1:00 pm                       Youth Instrument Competition

Sunday, Oct. 2nd, 2016: A one, and a two, and a three and a FORE!
THE LEONARD BERLINE MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT
Schedule:  Sign up by 8:00 am Sunday at Cimarron National Golf Club.