Countless converging communities are now reeling from the sad news of Kreg Nelson’s sudden passing, this past weekend. Many of us know Kreg from his time as head of the Backstage Security crew at Strawberry, and the hundreds of guests that he checked in, over many years’ time, will always remember being greeted by Kreg’s incredible warmth, larger than life smile, and good humor.

That spirit of genuine kindness and inclusivity made him easy to love, wherever he went, even when he was being brutally honest or telling a really bad joke. Any of us would gladly welcome the worst that he could give. Kreg sported a style of being in the world that was both polished and raw at the same time. He carried himself with grace and charm, in a way that no one else dare attempt to imitate. He was totally one of a kind, and yet, we could all use a lot more Kreg Nelson in the world.

When a giant heart falls, the shock wave of grief is not only heard, but felt deeply, and shared among many. The Strawberry community offers its deepest condolences to Kreg’s family and enormous extended family of friends. R.I.P. dear friend, you are missed.

“Requests, questions and heckles encouraged” — Strawberrians, let’s do this. Join John Craigie (humorous storytelling, serious folk) for his Facebook Live show on Saturday May 9, at 6:00pm PST!”

…the lovechild of John Prine and Mitch Hedberg with a vagabond troubadour edge.” – The Stranger

#JohnCraigie #Yippee

Concert location: https://www.facebook.com/johncraigieofficial/

Today, Strawberry is launching a new forum that includes a Ticket Exchange and Message Board. If you have tickets to the Spring 2020 Strawberry Music Festival and are unable to use them at the 2021 Spring Festival, you can list them for sale on the Ticket Exchange. The Message Board is a place for general discussion and for connecting Strawberrians during our long hiatus until next year. To participate in this forum, and make a post to the Ticket Exchange and/or Message Board, you will need to register with a username and password. It just takes a few minutes to sign up at https://strawberry.freescruz.com/. If you need help with the registration process, you can email our Webmaster and volunteer forum moderator, at webhog@hogranch.com.

We are so grateful for all the support and kindness we have received during this stressful time. We hope you are all staying healthy and safe, and that this forum will be a good independent source for Strawberry connections and camaraderie.

In an effort to practice social distancing and minimize the risk of catching and/or spreading the COVID-19 virus, Strawberry staff will be working from home for the next two weeks, starting Friday, March 13^th. During this office closure, we will be checking messages and returning calls regularly. Tickets and festival information are also available online 24 hours daily at http://strawberrymusic.com/.

Right now, we are still planning to hold the Spring 2020 Strawberry Music Festival, on May 21^st – 25^th, at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, in Grass Valley, CA. It is still too soon to know what impact COVID-19 virus will have on the festival and its attendees. We are monitoring the situation closely, and are preparing contingencies to protect the health and safety of our patrons and participants. We expect to have more information by the end of the month. Please be informed of the latest public health recommendations by visiting the California Department of Public Health at https://www.cdph.ca.gov/ , the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at https://www.cdc.gov/, and the World Health Organization at https://www.who.int/.

In the meantime, we will continue to spotlight and promote the musicians who are scheduled to play at Strawberry this year. Many of these touring musicians will be hit hard by the cancellation of upcoming public appearances and can use our continued support. We hope that you are in a good place to receive this music. Please stay safe and healthy and we hope to see you there.

You can now view the Strawberry’s Spring 2020 Main Stage Schedule. Day and Evening Tickets (without camping) will go on sale Wednesday, April 1st at 9:00 am. And that’s no foolin’! Stay tuned for more fun festival news on the way, including the Main Stage TBA, plus Big Bear, Amy’s Orchid Lounge, and Revival lineup announcements.

Plan your day and plan your stay at the Strawberry Music Festival – Spring 2020 taking place on May 21 – 25, at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, in Grass Valley, CA. To buy tickets or for more information visit strawberrymusic.com.

#StrawberrySpring2020

We are very pleased to announce that Evie Ladin Band w/ Keith Terry & Erik Pearson is joining Strawberry’s Spring lineup. This neo-trad kinetic roots trio weaves together tantalizing three part harmonies and percussive dance with Evie’s renowned clawhammer banjo, into a sound tapestry that is rich with instrumental chops and sonic surprise. These tenacious and invotave string musicians/dancers are both old-time and new-age. Ladin last appeared at Strawberry with the Stairwell Sisters in 2006, and Pearson with the Crooked Jades in 2004, so we’re more than ready to welcome them back in 2020!

Strawberry Music Festival – Spring 2020 takes place on May 21^st – 25^th at the Nevada County Fairgrounds, in Grass Valley, CA and we hope to see you there! For tickets and information please visit our website at https://strawberrymusic.com/ or call (209) 984-8630.

#StrawberrySpring2020

The David Bromberg Quintet is scheduled to headline Sunday night at the upcoming Strawberry Music Festival, in Grass Valley, CA. Jerry Jeff Walker said it best, “The reason man created stringed instruments. David touched them with a lover’s fingers and they moaned that true love right back at him. Wood and wire and flesh spoke.” We are thrilled for the return of this long-time festival favorite, who last performed at Strawberry in 2004. This year, he will join us on the heels of his forthcoming new album, “Big Road,” set to release on April 17^th. Show of hands please; who saw David Bromberg at Strawberry in 2004 and who plans to see him again in 2020 with his fabulous quintet???

To buy camping tickets to Strawberry Music Festival Spring 2020, or for more information, visit our website at http://strawberrymusic.com/ or call the Strawberry office at (209) 984-8630. Day and evening tickets will be available for purchase after the Main Stage schedule is complete, sometime in April. Sign up for our email announcements to receive direct notification about ticket sales, festival programming, and lineup additions.

Three really wonderful acts have just been added to the Spring 2020 lineup! Blues, American roots, and country-rock legend, Delbert McClinton is scheduled to headline Saturday night, after winning his fourth Grammy Award, for Best Contemporary Blues Album, this year. The Watkins Family Hour is set to perform between John Craigie and Delbert McClinton, on Saturday night. This popular brother-sister duo, featuring gifted singer-songwriters, Sean and Sara Watkins, is coming to Strawberry on the heels of their new album, “Brother Sister,” set to release on April 10^th. Longtime festival favorite, Marley’s Ghost, is a talented ensemble of vocalists and multi-instrumentalists, who has honed a widely varied repertoire of music, over more than 30 years together as a working unit. Marley’s Ghost is scheduled to kick off a fabulous Friday night of music that also includes Samantha Fish and Sam Bush. Please visit Strawberry’s Spring Lineup, to see to who else is playing this spring. Just click on any performer photo to read their bio, watch video, and/or link to their website.

There are still more lineup announcements to come, including Sunday night’s closing act. Strawberry’s Spring 2020 Music Festival will take place on May 21st – 25th at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, CA. You can buy tickets or get more information at https://strawberrymusic.com/ or by calling (209) 984-8630. We hope to see you there!