SAN JOSE, Calif. — It’s year No. 25 for Northern California’s biggest music festival — Hardly Strictly Bluegrass.

So, grab your picnic blanket, invite some friends and get ready to enjoy three days, Oct. 3-5, of great music on multiple stages at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Oh, and you know what you can leave at home? The money that you’d usually need to buy tickets, since this festival — which was founded in 2001 by billionaire philanthropist and mega-music lover Warren Hellman — is still free to attend.

And they aren’t kidding with that Hardly Strictly Bluegrass moniker. While Americana acts do represent a good portion of the annual festival’s lineup, this year’s scheduled performers also include Cuban/funk star Cimafunk, jazz singer Samara Joy, Cambodian pop/rock act Dengue Fever and free-jazz/rock guitarist Marc Ribot.

In other words, expect some surprises when you attend HSB.

In honor of the 25th anniversary, we are highlighting 25 acts to check out at this year’s festival.

For more information, visit hardlystrictlybluegrass.com.

Oct. 3

1. Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

The legendary Long Beach country-folk-rock act has been making music since the ‘60s and boasts a songbook that includes such fan favorites as “Dance Little Jean,” “Make a Little Magic,” “Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper’s Dream),” “Modern Day Romance,” “Fishin’ in the Dark” and, best of all, “An American Dream.” Oh, yeah, and they also did a tune that everyone who lived through the ‘70s knows — “Mr. Bojangles.”

Details: 5 p.m., Swan Stage

2. Margo Price

“Midwest Farmer’s Daughter,” Price’s debut album from 2016, was nothing short of astounding – opening our ears to a new country music great, one with a voice reminiscent of Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette and other legends of the genre. Since that moment, Price has kept crafting worthy albums, including the newly released “Hard Headed Woman.”

Details: 4:05 p.m., Banjo Stage

3. Marc Ribot

The adventurous guitarist-composer, who has collaborated with the likes of Elvis Costello, John Zorn, Tom Waits and Vinicio Capossela, is surely one of the tantalizing names on the overall HSB bill. He’ll be showcasing his latest critically acclaimed album, “Map of a Blue City.”

Details: 6:05 p.m., Horseshow Hill Stage

4. BALTHVS

We are hearing great things about the live show of this groovy psychedelic/ambient music trio from Bogota, Colombia. We somehow missed them at the 2024 Outside Lands festival in San Francisco, perhaps because we were watching Renee Rapp or Slowdive instead, but we’ll have the chance to correct that situation at HSB.

Details: 1 p.m., Towers of Gold Stage

5. The War and Treaty

The husband-and-wife country-folk-soul duo, consisting of consisting of Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, delivered its major label debut in 2023 — and the result was nothing short of one of the year’s best albums. The disc, “Lover’s Game,” propelled The War and Treaty to massive critical acclaim and, eventually, a spot among the nominees in the Best New Artist category of the 2024 Grammys. The group eventually lost that contest to Victoria Monét, but they’ve definitely won the hearts of legions of music fans.

Details: 4:20 p.m., Rooster Stage

6. Margaret Glaspy

Although now based in New York City, this rock-pop singer-songwriter-guitarist-fiddler has strong Northern California ties, having been born in Sacramento and raised in Red Bluff. She’s also married to accomplished jazz guitarist Julian Lage, who hails from Santa Rosa. She comes to the festival in support of this year’s “The Golden Heart Protector.”

Details: 3:20 p.m., Arrow Stage

7. Shawn Colvin

Colvin’s first two albums — 1989’s “Steady On” and 1992’s “Fat City” — are all-time great Americana/folk/country efforts. She’s best known, however, for her next full-length collection of original material — 1996’s “A Few Small Repairs” — which delivered the big hit “Sunny Came Home” and sold more than a million copies.

Details: 2:45 p.m., Rooster Stage

8. Sinkane

Born in London but raised in Sudan and Ohio, Sinkane (whose real name is Ahmed Gallab) is a vocalist/multi-instrumentalist that blends prog rock, trip-hop, krautrock, prog rock, funk and jazz. He’s worked with such acclaimed artists as Damon Albarn, Charles Lloyd, David Byrne and Joshua Redman.

Details: 1:45 p.m., Arrow Stage

Oct. 4

9. Samara Joy

This Bronx native, who is still a month shy of turning 26, has quickly become one of the most accomplished vocalists in all of jazz today. Notably, this incredibly talented singer has won five Grammy Awards — two a piece in the best jazz vocal album and best jazz performance categories as well as a best new artist trophy in 2023.

Details: 1:15 p.m., Towers of Gold Stage

10. Jeff Tweedy

The Wilco frontman is sure to draw a huge audience for his fourth performance at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass. During his previous HSB outings – in 2007, 2014 and 2018 – Tweedy played a bunch of Wilco songs. Notably, the incandescent “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” made the setlists of all three.

Details: 4:40 p.m., Towers of Gold Stage

11. Albert Lee

The 81-year-old Englander has been making music since the 1950s, gaining a reputation as quite the guitar hero working alongside luminaries from a number of genres. It should be a real treat to see the man known as “Mr. Telecaster” work his Fender in person. He appears as part of Buddy Miller’s Cavalcade of Stars.

Details: 2:10 p.m., Rooster Stage

12. Patty Griffin

She’s a fantastic songwriter, whose tunes have been handled by such artists as Emmylou Harris, Kelly Clarkson, Sugarland, Bette Midler and The Chicks. Yet, nobody sounds better singing these songs than Griffin herself.

Details: 2:55 p.m., Towers of Gold Stage

13. Austin de Lone Tribute

Guitar hero Bill Kirchen and several of his talented pals are paying their respects to this accomplished keyboardist, who worked with Elvis Costello, Bonnie Raitt, Boz Scaggs, Nick Lowe, Commander Cody, Loudon Wainwright and, yes, Kirchen himself. De Lone died in January at the age of 78.

Details: 2:20 p.m., Banjo Stage

14. Sam Bush

It’s just not Hardly Strictly Bluegrass without some proper mandolin. And you’ll get plenty of that when this two-time inductee to the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame (first as member of New Grass Revival and then as a solo artist). He’s also part of Buddy Miller’s Cavalcade of Stars.

Details: 3:25 p.m., Rooster Stage

15. Maria Muldaur

Sure, we all know her voice from that big “Midnight at the Oasis” hit from 1973. Yet, this Marin County-based vocalist has recorded so much worthy music — across so many different genres and styles — over the years. So come on out and show your love for this Bay Area music legend.

Details: Noon, Arrow Stage

16. Courtney Barnett

The Australian indie-rock artist created quite a buzz with the release of her debut 2015 album — the wonderfully named “Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit” — which helped Barnett land a best new artist nomination at the 58th annual Grammy Awards. She’s continued to do quality work through the years, with her most recent full-length — the instrumental “End of the Day” — hitting shelves in 2023.

Details: 5:55 p.m., Swan Stage

17. Jontavious Willis

The young Georgia bluesman, who reportedly counts among his mentors both Keb’ Mo’ and Taj Mahal, has performed at the Chicago Blues Festival and other notable events and venues. The singer-songwriter’s approach to country blues is nicely documented on his latest album, “West Georgia Blues.” He performs — and stop us if you’ve heard this before — as part of Buddy Miller’s Cavalcade of Stars.

Details: 12:10 p.m., Rooster Stage.

Oct. 5

18. John Prine tribute

You’ll quite likely experience the best set of songs of the entire three-day festival during this performance, which honors one of the most amazing songwriters of all time. Expect to see a few tears on listeners’ checks as Jason Wilber and Dave Jacques — two longtime Prine collaborators — remind us once again of the genius of this late, great folk-music poet.

Details: 2:05 p.m., Banjo Stage

19. The String Cheese Incident

The Colorado jam band is scheduled to play a 70-minute set at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and, technically speaking, SCI could fill that entire space (and then some) with one single song. And that’s not just hyperbole, given that the group once played a 75-minute version of the tune “Rosie” in concert.

Details: 4:45 p.m., Towers of Gold Stage

20. Jimmie Dale Gilmore and the West Texas Exiles

The Texas Panhandle native is a HSB regular, having made the lineup of (roughly) 228,413 of these festivals. He keeps getting booked because, well, he’s just that good – blessed with a memorably high, lonesome singing voice that he puts to tremendous use on his hardscrabble country tunes.

Details: 2:55 p.m., Towers of Gold Stage

21. Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles

Longtime friends/supporters Sparhawk (from the Minnesota indie-rock act Low) and those progressive bluegrass/folk-lovin’ Turtles (also from the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”) are out on the road with their first-ever full-length collaborative effort, this year’s descriptively titled “Alan Sparhawk with Trampled by Turtles.”

Details: 5:55 p.m., Swan Stage

22. Lola Kirke

Talent runs in her (extended) family. Her dad is none other than the legendary classic rock drummer Simon Kirke of Bad Company and Free. She also has one sister (Jemima) who is an actress and another (Domino) who is a recording artist. And her brother-in-law is Penn Badgley from the fantastic “Gossip Girl” TV series. Lola Kirke has also done her share of acting (notably, in “Mozart in the Jungle”) and — more significant for this situation — delivered some really likable country music recordings.

Details: 1:20 p.m., Arrow Stage

23. Charlie Parr

The Minnesota country-blues musician, whose influences reportedly include Charlie Patton, Bukka White, Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt and “Spider” John Koerner, makes such wonderfully lively and fun music. Just listen to his rambunctious cover of The Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon” and you’ll definitely hear what we mean.

Details: 2:55 p.m., Horeshoe Hill Stage

24. Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets

The power-pop troubadour, best known for the incredibly catchy late-‘70s hit “Cruel to be Kind” and for penning the Elvis Costello signature tune “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding,” is once again teaming up with those wild masked surf-rockers from Nashville. Lowe and Los Straightjackets are supporting their most recent collaborative effort, 2024’s “Indoor Safari.”

Details: 2:05 p.m., Swan Stage

25. Watchhouse

The Chapel Hill, North Carolina, husband-and-wife team, consisting of Andrew Marlin and Emily Frantz, delivers some truly mesmerizing folk music, benefiting greatly from Frantz’s violin work and their gorgeous harmony vocals. The duo released its eighth studio album, “Rituals,” in May.

Details: 5:35 p.m., Rooster Stage

©2025 MediaNews Group, Inc. Visit at mercurynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.