What started as a small local event as the Sooke River Bluegrass Festival has grown into a major event attracting Grammy and Juno calibre artists from across North America. After outgrowing our site at Sooke, we moved to Laketown Ranch Music Park near Lake Cowichan, B.C. in 2019 and rebranded as the Cowichan Valley Bluegrass Festival.

The festival is genre-specific to Appalachian string band music (bluegrass, old-time) with priority going to acoustic artists in those fields​. We have a curated booking policy that selects those either deeply immersed in, or informed by, the traditions of bluegrass, old-time, and related styles such as retro country acts.  

Our festival is culturally different than what music fans find at traditional folk festivals that dominate the Canadian festival landscape. In addition to main stage performances, events take place throughout the weekend that are participatory in nature, including hosted and spontaneous jam sessions, vocal, instrument and dance workshops, and a Saturday night  outdoor square dance.

With most participants camping on site, we create a round-the-clock village where people listen to, learn, play and share bluegrass and old-time music in the oral traditions from which they sprang.

Our artistic vision is to stay genre-specific to the fields of bluegrass and Appalachian-style “old-time” music, which keeps us distinct in the festival landscape. We also embrace related fields informed by those genres, such as traditonal or “retro” country. We encourage the participation of families and youth by admitting free those 17 and under accompanied by a paid adult. We are committed to Indigenous reconciliation, expanding diversity within our genres and welcome everyone regardless of race, genders or creed. 

The Cowichan Valley Bluegrass Festival’s vision is to present high calibre artists in the fields of bluegrass and old-time music, and to support emerging artists in these genres.

Our festival, the largest of its kind in British Columbia, is an opportunity for amateur and professional musicians to come together to learn, create, and share bluegrass and old-time music in the oral traditions from which they emerged. Our 24/7 village atmosphere offers a unique cultural experience for players, fans and visitors alike as they explore music and dance developed in North America by the European immigrant diaspora and enslaved people going back more than 200 years.

Our festival is participatory and experiential, with social and cognitive benefits that are essential to human flourishing. It enhances the cultural life of Vancouver Island, the Cowichan Valley, and all who come to explore the recreational and culinary amenities of the region.