For its 33rd edition, the Wintergrass Festival (February 19-22, 2026 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Bellevue, Washington) pulled out all the stops to celebrate traditional roots music and its evolution.
The fest's self-proclaimed theme was “Rad Trad! Listen, Learn, Belong.” With performances by Bruce Molsky, Darol Anger, Missy Raines, Brittany Haas, Melissa Carper, Jerron Paxton, New Dangerfield, Nina Gerber and many more, along with both intensive adult workshops and four different levels of youth educational classes, Wintergrass delivered on all counts.
Moreover, as the fest was held within the confines of a hotel meant that the variable Pacific Northwest winter weather would not be a factor. Thus, attendees could focus on what brought them there without undue extraneous distractions.
Once again the column was fortunate to have longtime contributor Peter Dervin there. Here is his report and, as always, photos are in the gallery.
