Although summertime is the traditional festival season, a couple of music festivals of note take place in Oregon during January.  The Fifth Annual River City Bluegrass Festival is slated for Jan. 9-11 in Portland, while the Florence Winter Folk Festival is set for Jan. 17-19. 

Among the artists scheduled to perform at the Oregon Convention Center during the River City Bluegrass Festival are Sierra Hull (an up-and-coming 17-year old singer and mandolin player), Dailey & Vincent (who dominated the 2008 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards and were named both IBMA Entertainers and Emerging Artists of the Year) and living legend Dr. Ralph Stanley.  Rounding out the lineup and helping to expand the boundaries of bluegrass, while drawing  on its traditions, are Darol Anger, Cadillac Sky, J.D. Crowe & the New South, Bill Evans & Megan Lynch, Tony Furtado, Hot Club of Cowtown, Jim Kweskin’s Jug Band (Geoff Muldaur & the BBQ Orchestra with special guest Bill Keith), The Kruger Brothers, Longview, Psychograss, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Dan Tyminski Band, The Whites featuring Jerry Douglas, and Linda & Robin Williams. 

There also will be plenty of opportunities for jamming, both at the festival and at the Red Lion Hotel.  For additional information, visit www.rivercitybluegrass.com.

Topical singer-songwriter and folk icon Tom Paxton headlines the Florence Winter Folk Festival, which is now in its seventh year.  Paxton also will perform free Kids Koncerts in local schools on the Friday preceding the festival. Barry McGuire (of “Eve of Destruction” fame) will be “Trippin’ the 60s” with former Byrds member John York, while Cabin Fever NW, a female duo that was the People’s Choice winner during the 2008 festival, is slated to kick-off the musical festivities on Saturday morning.  The festival’s eclectic musical lineup also includes Mack Bailey and Rachel Levy, C. Daniel Boling, Calaveras, Deadwood Revival, Rita Hoskings, The Rites of Spring and The Wanderers. 

In addition to musical performances, the Florence festival will feature craft demonstrations, art and craft booths, informal music jam sessions and workshops.  For more information, log-on to www.winterfolkfestival.org.