For all Bluegrass enthusiasts, just down the road from Oso is Darrington, Washington, known for its Bluegrass Festival. People come from all over the country to attend this yearly event. Darrington’s own local band, ‘The Combinations’ have been together over thirty-five years. Some of the original members of this band are Bertha Whiteside, her husband, Sam Nations, who passed away May 26, 2000, Grover and Ernestine Jones, Roy Morgan, and his wife. All these were founding members of ‘The Combinations’, and the Darrington Bluegrass Country Music Association Festival, which began in 1977.  With many helping hands throughout the community, the grounds developed into the well-designed, convenient showplace it is today. They make improvements yearly with the help of volunteers, and have a lovely amphitheater. Below the stage is a small dance area that abuts grassy ground perfect for families with active children, and anyone wanting to sit in lawn chairs or lay on a blanket to soak up the suns rays. There are storage buildings, a kitchen that accommodates food service, and buildings currently under construction planned for monthly jams throughout the year.

No one leaves unfulfilled, unhappy or disappointed. This show transforms first time Bluegrass audiences into ardent lifetime followers.  

The Festival grounds are nestled at the foot of White Horse Mountain, which is a part of the Cascade Mountain Range. The Stillaguamish River borders the north side of the grounds. The river provides icy bathing for those willing to accept a lack of privacy and dip into mountain fed cold water.

A perfect image of the White Horse becomes visible when snow covers the rocky cliff. During dry, hot years only the barren cliff is visible.  

Bands perform on the amphitheater stage with such heart stopping excellence, I expect to see flying bugs dancing in the air with the rhythm.

Top notch well known bands perform.

Some local groups are: Money Creek Mining Co., Fast and Blair, Birdsview Bluegrass, North Country Bluegrass, Blueberry Hill, and Joyful Noise, are contributors to the festival and bring their amazing talent.

I was fortunate enough to jam with The Navy Country Current Band. They have been frequent headliners. We played under the only roof covered building, which is a blessing when the mountain rain passes through. Some recent years’ headliners are: The Radio Ramblers from OH, Carolina Road, NC, Great Northern Plains, OR, New South Fork ID, and Greenbrier Connection, UT.

Ages three to ninety three play musical instruments and many sing. Everyone joins in on the jams gathered under the Recreational Vehicles awnings or beside the tents. There are fiddles, mandolins, guitars, bass fiddles, dobros, accordions, banjos, tin flutes, and some homemade pie pan mandolins, cigar box and bed pan mandolins as well as a variety of other unexpected instruments, even five string violins. You’ll find mandolins and banjos that have six strings, too, and all are played with gusto. There is even an occasional fiddlers’ stump. 

People arrive a week before the actual show. Dry camping is the only accommodation for the diehard musicians and their families. Tents and campers tend to attract the dirt kicked up by the crowds. The larger RVs manage to keep most of the dust from getting inside. There are many commercial honey buckets located around the campsites, available to ease the pressure of the crowd’s personal needs. There are small washbasins and water faucets available outside, too. All are appreciated.

Music is played late into the night, until the musicians physically cave under with fatigue and must sleep.

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