Sometimes I find it truly incredible how different each festival is. Sure, when you poke around in different genres you’re going to have a different vibe, but even within the realm of strings and grass, you’ll find the good and you’ll find the bad. Northwest String Summit at Horning’s Hideout in Oregon doesn’t exactly make it into either category. I think it stands alone in the “this is the most amazing, beautiful, compelling, warming, etc.

Planning is underway for Yonder Mountain String Band’s 8th annual Harvest Festival, set to take place at the majestic Mulberry Mountain from October 17-19th in Ozark, Arkansas.

Mandolinist, vocalist and songwriter Jeff Austin is unstoppable. He is celebrated for his fleet fingers and penchant for improvisation on stage, but those qualities also speak volumes about how he chooses to live. Austin has cultivated his natural musical abilities and allowed himself to be driven by his boldest instincts. In this way, he has been able to build positive, exciting momentum around his life’s greatest passion.

In just a week, on July 18^th, it’ll be that time of the summer again. That time when people from all over the country storm the state of Oregon with their families, their banjos, fiddles, mandolins, guitars, etc., and head to the small town of North Plains. Slowly they will wind their way through towering green trees and down a curvy road, until finally, they find themselves in a clearing surrounded by peacocks and shimmering shades of green. Not a bad tradition, if you ask me.

The 12th Annual Northwest String Summit returns to Horning's Hideout (North Plains, OR) with the finest acoustic pickers and standout electric bands from July 18 - 21, 2013. Located just 20 miles outside of Portland, OR, Horning's Hideout stands as one of the most scenic festival sites in the country. A family-friendly and locally-sourced festival, Northwest String Summit caps its capacity at 4,500 attendees to ensure an intimate experience for all festival-goers at an incredible ticket price.