Things to do

Most folks come to the festival for the great performances, workshops, and picking. But we hope you can take some time to enjoy our great town as well.

Shelton has some wonderful restaurants and shops that are worth checking out. It goes without saying that our sponsors help to make this festival possible and that we couldn’t do it without them. You can see a full list of our sponsors here.

Please visit Explore Hood Canal or Shelton Chamber of Commerce for more information.

Click on the sections below to learn more about fun activities happening at the festival. The toughest thing will be choosing between all of them!

Country dance with the BarK Buckaroos right after the Saturday night show and leading up to Midnight Hotdogs! Free with your wristband or only $15.00 without.

Dinner with Chef Xinj

DINNER AND A SHOW!

Friday July 29th 6pm to 8pm $35/person (reserve ahead to make sure you don’t miss out!)

Chef Xinh Dwelley is cooking dinner at the Bluegrass From the Forest festival again!

Friday’s menu includes her famous chicken curry, Manila clams sautéed with lemongrass, Tahini salad, along with fresh bread and ...

Kids Activities

Chick Rose School of Bluegrass

Saturday 10am – 12pm: Intensive workshop led by Donald Strand and Oma Wilcox – gather on Saturday. Meet front of main stage.

The Chick Rose School of Bluegrass is a very special program for kids who want to play bluegrass music. Founded by Chick Rose, who passed ...

Band Scramble

Band Scramble Details Sign-up to be in the band scramble any time after 10am on Saturday. The signup sheet will be located at the Showcase stage. Band assignments will be announced at 3:40 on Saturday. Participants have 40 minutes to prepare one song /one tune. Participants will perform their tunes at a contest performance on ...

Mandolin Tasting

Mandolin Tasting Time: 11:00 Sunday Location: Showcase Stage Hosts: John Reischman & Nick Dumas

A Mandolin Tasting is when you get some very knowledgeable and talented mandolin players in a room with some very nice mandolins. This differs from a mandolin workshop in that the focus in less about playing techniques and more ...

Open Mic

A whole lot of folks meet up at Bluegrass From the Forest and end up creating wonderful song arrangements. Some even bring their original tunes. How about getting up and sharing them at our Open Mic? It’s so much of fun and there is lots of support from fellow ...

Slow Jam

Saturday 11:00 am with Marv Sobolesky at the Showcase Stage.

Have you ever tried joining a jam where they played so fast you couldn’t keep up? It can be frustrating and intimidating. Playing music is a process of joyful growth, and we all need time to learn. If you are ...

Country Dance

Saturday Night Country Dance

Join us on Saturday night of the festival for a country dance hosted by the BarK Buckaroos. The dance begins after the main stage performances end on Saturday night. And since you will have burned a few calories, head over to the barbecue pit for our (in)famous ...

Midnight Hotdogs

Midnight on Saturday night – free with festival admission Location will be announced and signs will be posted

What could be better than free hotdogs at midnight at a festival? It’s pretty great. You probably ate like, five or six hours earlier, you still have a good four hours of jamming ...

Jamming

Where there’s bluegrass, there’s jamming!

If you’re new to bluegrass festivals, one of the best things about them is the jamming. Out in the camping area, folks set up for the weekend and settle down for some pickin’ and grinnin’.

You’re welcome to wander through and listen to the music. Some pickers ...

Vendors

Interested in becoming a vendor at Bluegrass From the Forest? Please click here to download our Vendor Application 2022.

Below is a list of the vendors from our last festival. Stay tuned for this year’s list. If you are interested in becoming a vendor, please contact Duane Wilson at (360) 280–3917.

Radio Fryers ...