In today’s music festival clutter, High Sierra sticks to its roots- roots that began back in 1991. The festival places a high value on the festival goers and feels “they are the ones who really make the festival.”
Rebecca Sparks began her career with High Sierra Music Festival in 1991 as a volunteer and has been a partner with the organization since 1994. We were lucky enough to sit down with her and learn all about High Sierra Music Festival.
How have you seen High Sierra Music Festival evolve over the years?
Rebecca: It started out as a pretty small low key festival. It was one of the first festivals of its kind. There were a lot of festivals that catered to specific genres. We were one of the first ones that brought together a large variety of genres.
What’s amazing is that people have literally grown up at the High Sierra festival. They have been coming here since they were kids and now they bring their own kids. Friends have developed and people have met their partners at this festival. Some people have probably been created at this festival! It’s really beautiful to see the same groups of friends return to the festival every single year.
What does High Sierra do to set itself apart from other festival ?
Rebecca: It’s not so much about what we do, it’s more about the festival community. There are dedicated fans, real die hard music fans, people are respectful of people’s space and the community. The people really make this festival and that sets us apart. We really care about all of our festival goers.
Is there anything new or something people can really look forward to?
Rebecca: People definitely can look forward to reinforcing all the bonds that they have made and can look forward to making new ones. There are so many wonderful traditions that people have created at the festival.
There is a new parade crew that will be coming through the festival. Definitely look out for them or even join them
Could you tell us a little bit about the festival grounds and scenery.
Rebecca: Quincy is a really hip town that is set in a little valley. If you get a chance I highly recommend checking out the area. When you look around you will see a really nice vista at the stages and around the campgrounds. There is also great bike riding and swimming holes not too far away. It’s a really beautiful place
Tell us five artists you’re excited for? (Spoiler, Rebecca is excited about a lot of artists)
The Del McCoury Band
Turkuaz
The Motet – (Doing A Vaudeville Set)
Floozies
Sierra Hull
TAUK
Jamestown Revival
Twiddle
Session Americana
The Record Company
Xavier Rudd
(Full Lineup here)
What kind of extra things are going on at the festival?
Rebecca: There are “Play Shops” which will have unique pairings of musicians. They are always a memorable part of the overall festival experience and have provided some incredible highlights through the years. They provide opportunities for fans to see musicians in novel and often one-of-a-kind musical settings. (Check out the schedule here)
There are also Troubadour sessions at High Sierra where talented songsmiths performing over the weekend get a chance to shine in an intimate late night setting. This is located in the Mineral Building, each evening is presented in a round robin fashion. (Check out the lineup here)
In addition to this, there are yoga classes, different types of movement classes, a silent disco and an onsite radio station and maybe even some unofficial events like kickball…
The festival will have fantastic food and beverages. For a little bit of extra money you can check out a wine tasting.
It’s not hard to see why Rebecca went from volunteer to festival partner. To experience High Sierra Music Festival for yourself grab a ticket here and head to Quincy, CA June 30th – July 3rd.
