Mountaingrass Bluegrass and Old-Time music festival, runs Thursday 13 through to Sunday 16 November 2013 at Feathertop Chalet at Harrietville in the beautiful Ovens valley.
MountainGrass is unique in that it combines concerts of bluegrass and old-time music with many opportunities for both emerging musicians and old-hands to come and play together and practice their craft and hone their skills. It also offers the opportunity to buy a hand-crafted instrument with some of Australia’s best luthiers and instrument makers in attendance.
MountainGrass starts informally on Thursday evening with everyone invited to come and participate in “pick” (jam), or just sit back and listen. The event then starts officially on Friday night with the first of many concerts. This is followed by a weekend of workshops, concerts, picks and jams, and finishes with a blackboard concert on Sunday night. There will also be bands on in the local hotels on Friday and Saturday night – free admission and all welcome. The festival program can be seen on the MountainGrass Website.
The organisers have secured two special guest bands from the United States: Special Consensus and Chris Henry & The Hardcore Grass. They will be joined by favourite Old-Time bands from Australia, The Flying Engine String Band and Appalachian Heaven. Add to this the highly popular Australian band the Flying Emus, Bluegrass Parkway, and many other Australian and NZ acts including The Davidson Brothers, The Company, Old South, Pipi Pickers, Little Rabbit, Coolgrass, String Theory and local favourites Peter Denahy and Kissin’ Cousins. A full list of artists can be see on the MountainGrass Website.
Season tickets, Day tickets, and reasonable priced single concert and single workshop tickets will also be available at Feathertop Chalet. Season tickets are now available online. Day passes will be available at the festival.
Accommodation is available onsite at Feathertop Chalet for $65 per person per night for bed and breakfast. There is also a wide range of accommodation in Harrietville ranging from camping and cabins to Bed and Breakfasts, guest houses and entire houses. See the Accommodation Page on the MountainGrass website for a comprehensive list or contact Alpine Valley Getaways, 03 5759 2653 for help with your booking.
The event will be based at Feathertop Chalet, where a marquee is being used for the main concerts. Other concerts will be held at the Harrietville Community Hall and the Mountain View Retreat Hall less than 5 minutes walk from Feathertop Chalet.
Evening meals and lunches and will be available at Feathertop Chalet, the two hotel motels, and local guest houses. Both of the local cafes will be serving breakfasts, lunches and other food all day.
Other attractions in the local area include a trout farm, lavender farm, blueberry farm, local made produce, Harrietville Museum, several cafes, an ice-creamery, two hotels, and the famous Bright Markets on Saturday November 15. Harrietville and its surrounds offers great terrain for road cyclists and mountain biking. For bushwalkers there is the famous Bon Accord and Bungalow spur walking tracks to Mt Feathertop which begin or end in Harrietville.
Mountaingrass is an initiative of the Australasian Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association Inc., and is supported by the Alpine Shire Council, Feathertop Chalet, Mountain View Retreat; The Snowline Hotel, The Harrietville Hotel Motel, and Casbak Alpine Units.
Comments from some of last year’s attendees:
Well done on pulling together a great event over the weekend. I went along to Feathertop Chalet on Saturday evening and watched the O’Donnell’s, Karen Lynne and Don Rigsby. As usual I was in awe at the musical skill of the performers and appreciated their positive energy which was undoubtedly spurred on by the enthusiastic crowd.
Thank you so much one & all for the wonderful job putting together the festival this year, I had ball and played non stop until I got too sore to continue, rested then played some more – Serial jamming addict.
Thanks to all involved for a great Mountaingrass 2013. We have been going to the festivals at Harrietville for the past 14 years and that was certainly one of the best. Congratulations and well done to all involved, just fantastic.
MountainGrass is scheduled for Thu. 13th to Sun. 16 November 2013 at Feathertop Chalet at Harrietville Victoria.
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