Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest Returns to Santa Monica Mountains May 17
Somewhere between the main stage and the food trucks, a circle forms. Someone pulls out a fiddle, someone else unzips a banjo case, and within a few minutes there are six people playing a song nobody planned and everyone somehow knows. This is not the scheduled part of the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival. It's just what happens there.
(CLAIR | Simi Valley, CA) — The Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival will return to King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas on May 17, continuing a tradition that started in 1961 with 30 contestants and 500 listeners on a patch of canyon land above Malibu.
What began as a simple banjo and fiddle contest founded by Margot Slocum and Peg Benepe has become one of the oldest continuously running traditional music events in the country. The festival survived forced relocations in the 1970s after LA County cracked down on large outdoor events following Altamont, spent decades at Paramount Ranch in Agoura Hills, and now calls the Santa Monica Mountains location home.
Sixty-three years later, the festival still does what it always has, but with a scope that sets it apart from typical music festivals. Many attendees come with their own instruments, creating spontaneous jam sessions throughout the day wherever space allows. These informal gatherings happen in the grass, under trees, and in corners of the ranch grounds without any official organization.
Musicians find each other and fall into playing together. Someone starts a tune, others join in, and the session either takes hold or dissolves naturally. For players of old-time, bluegrass and folk music, these unplanned moments often become the highlight of their day.
The formal competition runs alongside the informal jamming. Categories include fiddle, bluegrass banjo, traditional banjo, flatpick guitar, fingerstyle guitar, mandolin, harmonica, accordion, ukulele, full band, backup playing, singing, and folk dance. Each instrument category offers beginning, intermediate and advanced divisions, creating space for first-time competitors and seasoned players alike.
Cash prizes are awarded throughout the competitions. The winning band earns a performance slot on the main stage at next year's festival. Musicians interested in competing must register by May 10 through the festival's ticketing site.
Five stages will host performances throughout the day for those who prefer listening to playing. This year's lineup includes Foghorn Stringband, known for old-time playing that can fill an outdoor field. Jake Blount, one of the more compelling voices in traditional music, brings scholarship and feeling to his exploration of the African American roots of folk music.
The Jordan Tice Trio, Sweet Megg featuring Water Tower, Banjo Kitty, The Guesthouse, The Prairie Moons, and Whole Hog complete a bill that spans bluegrass, old-time, Americana, and folk without losing focus.
Workshops offer hands-on learning opportunities alongside the performances. Jordan Tice will teach guitar fingerpicking. Jake Blount leads a session on old-time fiddle. Foghorn Stringband runs a band workshop. Sweet Megg teaches singing. These sessions require participants to bring their instruments and expect to learn by doing rather than by listening to lectures.
The festival grounds include local artisan vendors, food trucks, and craft beer stations spread across the ranch. An instrument petting zoo gives curious attendees the chance to handle banjos, fiddles, and other instruments they may never have touched. A family stage runs performances and workshops designed for children, with kids under nine admitted free for general admission.
King Gillette Ranch provides room to spread out in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains. The setting allows festival-goers to find their own spot and let the afternoon develop naturally around the mix of planned and unplanned music.
The festival has weathered relocations and decades of changes in the music industry while maintaining its core identity. It remains focused on traditional music, open competition, and the kind of informal gathering that happens when musicians bring their instruments to the same place on the same day.
Tickets are available at my805tix.com/e/topangabanjofiddle/tickets in general admission and VIP options. Advance tickets cost less than door prices. The competition registration deadline is May 10. Questions about competing can be directed to registrar@topangabanjofiddle.org.
After 63 years of continuous operation, the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest has figured out what works and sticks with it.
To learn more about the festival, visit www.topangabanjofiddle.org/
