Pack Up the Fiddles, Rosin Up the Bow it's Bluegrass Time In Temecula

If you haven't attended the Temecula Bluegrass Festival, you've denied yourself a musical treat that can only be experienced - not described. The streets fill with musicians, carrying their fiddles, wheeling their stand up bass fiddle, thousand dollar banjos and guitars. These musicians are the "Pickers" - the amateurs who somewhere along the line picked up a stringed instrument, played awhile, and eventually discovered the beauty of Bluegrass. With common chords every musician knows, and familiar "reels" a lonely fiddler can find a bass and banjo player and suddenly you have a band.

Old Town Temecula Bluegrass Festival March 18-20, presents some of the top Bluegrass artists on stage, as well as in workshops. Fiddling with Byron Berline, Banjo picking with Dennis Caplinger, Flat picking Guitar with David Burns and picking the mandolin with John Moore, musicians can learn techniques while playing with the best. Workshops are held Saturday and Sunday at the "Merc" 42051 Main Street and are Free. For a schedule see http://www.temeculacalifornia.com/.

That's not all that is free - jamming up and down the street with musicians under pop up tents and street corners, plus concerts outdoors at Town Square on Main Street, and in the Theater are free from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There is also a free concert at Sweet Lumpy's, 6 p.m.Friday night.

FREE CONCERTS:

ON STAGE SATURDAY:
Next Generation, Sligo Rags, Fine Line, Byron Berline, Bluegrass Etc., Silverado Bluegrass, The Girlz, Hunt and Family Bluegrass.

ON STAGE SUNDAY:
Bluegrass Brethren - with Gospel tunes at 10 a.m. outdoors, Byron Berline, Sligo Rags, The Girlz, Windy Ridge, Bluegrass Etc., Silverado Bluegrass, and Hunt Family Bluegrass.

TICKETED CONCERTS
The Grascals, Friday night, March 18, 7:30 p.m. at Old Town Temecula Community Theater. $20 pp.
Good seats available -but hurry - some areas have sold out.

Byron Berline, Bluegrass Etc., and Silverado Bluegrass - 7p.m., at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater. $15 pp. This one always sells out. Better hurry. http://www.temeculatheater.org/.

For map, schedule and program see http://www.temeculacalifornia.com/.