Check out the new photo gallery from Wintergrass 2008. This is a great slide show from Maria Camillo.This slide show provides a sample of artists,vendors,jamming,academy,kids and vendors. A great variety showing some of the highlights of the festival.And after you are done checking out her Wintergrass pictures take a look at some of her other galleries on her site. Click here for the slide show.
Remember the Wintergrass is held in the downtown area and there are only so many parking spots close in. The easiest parking is at the Free Parking Lot at the Tacoma Dome Station of the LINK. The Link runs every 10 minutes and the Wintergrass shuttle also stops there into the late hours. For all the parking information check out the FAQ section of the Wintergrass Website. http://www.acousticsound.org/!wg_faq.htm
Wintergrass has some great dances lined up this year with the Ebony Hillbillies, Trampeled by Turtles, The Wilders and The Duhks!!!
The dances this year are NOT in the ballroom. They are at the Varsity Grill stage located one 1/2 block from the Hotel Murano on Broadway at 1114 Broadway. There is a separate dance ticket also available for the Friday night dances. There is not a separate dance ticket available for Saturday night. If you want to go to the dances on Saturday night, you must buy a full Saturday pass or a full weekend pass.( Day or weekend tickets get you access to all stages, all shows, all dances and all workshops!!)
A big part of Wintergrass 2008 are the workshops. Workshops are scheduled for Friday and Saturday mornings at a variety of locations including the Hotel Murano, the church, the Marriott and the Varsity Grill. The workshops will be held on a topics that will interest fans and pickers alike. All the bluegrass instruments will have workshops with local and national performers, “Meet the Bands”, sound equipment questions, music theory and even a workshop entitled “Toddlergrass”. Some of the performers who will be giving workshops this year include Michael Cleveland, The Grascals, Darol Anger, The Seldom Scene, Bobby Osborne and many others. A complete schedule will be posted to the website soon.
Wintergrass 2008 would like to thank a great group of local restaurants who are helping to support Wintergrass 2008(Remember Wintergrass is a non-profit 501(c)3 non-profit organization that relies on a variety of forms of support.) Don’t forget to thank these great restaurant’s when you visit them during Wintergrass. For directions check at the Wintergrass Information Desk in the Hotel Murano by the registration desk.
Ravenous Restaurant
785 Broadway
Tacoma, WA 98402 (close by)
253-572-6374
Indochine Asian Restaurant (On the Link)
1924 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98402 (close by)
253-272-8200
The Old Spaghetti Factory
1735 Jefferson S. (close by)
Tacoma, WA 98402
253-383-2214
Katie Downs Tavern & Eatery
3211 Ruston Way
Tacoma, WA (a short drive to the water)
253-756-0771
El Toro
1128 Broadway Plaza
Tacoma, WA 98402 (within 1 block)
253-722-5196
Varsity Grill
1114 Broadway (within 1/2 block)
Tacoma, WA 98402
253-627-1229
Rock Pasta Brick Oven Pizza
1920 Jefferson Avenue
Tacoma, WA (close by)
253-272-1221
Peggy’s Pantry “Cinnamon Rolls” At Freighthouse Square(accessible on The Tacoma Transit LINK)
2501 East D Street,
Tacoma, WA 98421
Harmon Brewery (Accessible on the LINK)
1938 Pacific Avenue
Tacoma, WA 98402 253-383-2739
Hotel alert! If you are staying at the Hotel Murano please know that the new hotel will not have any rollaway beds available this year. If you’re used to packing friends into your room, but sure to bring a sleeping bag! Remember the Hotel Murano (formerly the Tacoma Sheraton) is going under major renovations and the hotel will be different this year. Check out the hotels website for more info. http://www.hotelmuranotacoma.com/ The website has some pictures of the new rooms and more info on some of the changes going on.
The Varsity Grill is a large restaurant just 1/2 a block from the Hotel Murano accessible either via
Broadway or Ct. C, which is the alley-like street directly across from the hotel courtyard.
Wintergrass will be using the upstairs space which is complete with a spectacular bar, stage and dance
floor. It’s large enough to accommodate the dances but apart from the restaurant enough
to be its own thing. You can also get drinks at the upstairs bar and food and drink
downstairs. We’re excited about being there as are the owners and think this is the start of
a new Wintergrass tradition. This new venue will host workshops,national and regional bands and will host both the Friday and Saturday night dances.
The Wintergrass 2008 is out! The schedule is now available on the website so start your planning. And as you know that at any festival the schedule might change due to travel arrangements and unforseen problems. There is a new stage this year at the Varsity Grill just up the street from the main festival site The Hotel Murano.
Here is the link for the schedule http://www.acousticsound.org/Wg08Schedule.pdf
Wintergrass has started a new online email list so people can meet-up and plan their Wintergrass music, rides and jam sessions. Here is the info on the group:
This email list is a forum for people to find roomates, rides, musicians to jam with, classifieds for music items for sale and other misc. items pertaining to the Wintergrass Festival held in February. This is the home page for the group http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Wintergrass/
