A Taste of Folk & Bluegrass Music

The Taste of Folk & Bluegrass Music Festival was developed seven years ago by California Traditional Music Society (CTMS) founder Elaine Weissman as a way to introduce a general audience to the wide variety of traditional music and dance available in the Los Angeles area. The Festival features almost exclusively performers from the Southern California area. In the past we have featured Mariachi music, Italian village music, a marimba ensemble playing music from the Shona people of Zimbabwe, and a Paraguayan Harpist. Each year is a little different from the last. Last year, roughly 100 artists participated in the event.



The Taste of Folk & Bluegrass Music Festival is currently looking for artists skilled in a particular traditional music area, whether it be folk, bluegrass, Latin, or music from other traditional genres. Since the budget for this festival is low, they are looking mainly for California area artists. The festival is held in conjunction with the "Taste of Encino" Street Fair, which attracts about 12,000 people to the all day event. Held on the second Sunday of October (Oct 14, 2007), the music festival provides the entertainment at the center of the fair.



The festival consists of 4 stages, a dance area and two song circle areas. The CTMS programs the traditional music stage and has some funds to pay performers. Typically, CTMS looks for local performers who are the best representation for a particular traditional area. Although they stress traditional folk music performers, in the past they have also presented singer/songwriters.



The Taste of Folk & Bluegrass Music Festival is sponsored by the Los Angeles City Department of Cultural Affairs. Normally, travel and lodgings are not provided because of a limited budget.