Far away from the tourist crowd of coastal Monterey County, on the border of Fresno and Kings counties in the unincorporated community of Parkfield, one of the most important California bluegrass events takes place each spring: the Parkfield Bluegrass Festival.
The event attracts top names in the genre, so popular that this year’s headliner comes from Norway. Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra is a band inspired by the soundtrack of a 2012 Belgian movie, The Broken Circle Breakdown. Joakim Borgen (mandolin) and Rebekka Nilsson (vocals) started the group in Oslo after falling in love with the movie score, producing a sound critics have called as American as can be.
Curiously, Appalachian fiddle is not far removed from Norwegian folk tradition, and the band’s transatlantic sound makes that kinship feel entirely natural rather than exotic. Their recording of “Wayfaring Stranger” became an online sensation, racking up millions of views on YouTube, and they performed at MerleFest – likely America’s most celebrated bluegrass festival – earlier this year.
Borgen left on good terms in 2024, but the band still delivers sentimental tunes about passing trains, blue skies, small towns, family and separation from loved ones – alongside a killer cover of Dire Straits’ “Brothers in Arms.”
About 15 bands will perform in Parkfield this year, among them Foghorn Stringband, an old-time string band from Portland; Kings River Boys; the popular local performer Dave Stamey; and The Honeysuckle Possums. The lineup spans seasoned veterans and rising regional acts, offering something for longtime devotees and curious first-timers alike.
Held annually over Mother’s Day weekend in Parkfield since 1998, the festival offers live music, late-night sets, campground jams, workshops and a kids’ camp. The town’s permanent population leaps from 18 to over a thousand bluegrass fans, and for more than 25 years the event has built an unforgettable blend of community, nature and foot-tapping sound.
That sound was born in the Appalachian mountain Scots-Irish tradition, but bluegrass came to California partly thanks to Dust Bowl migrants, who crossed the plains with their instruments. In Parkfield – remote and unhurried – it has found one of many homes.
PARKFIELD BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Thursday, May 7-Sunday, May 10. Parkfield-Coalinga Road, Parkfield. $40-$160. (805) 994-0929, parkfieldbluegrass.org.