The 4th Annual Monterey Cowboy Poetry & Music Festival and Western Art & Gear Show & Sale will be held next weekend, Fri Dec 13-Sun Dec 15 at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey. Don Edwards, Peter Rowan, Tom Russell, Tish Hinojosa, Wylie and the Wilde West, Skip Gorman & His Waddie Pals, Lone Prairie, Rich & Valerie O'Brien and many others will be appearing. For more info: 1(800)722-9652 and montereycowboy.com
The Long Lonesome Road Bluegrass Band will be appearing in the area this week, Tues Dec 10 8pm at the Freight and Salvage Coffee House [www.thefreight.org] in Berkeley; Wed Dec 11 at 7:30pm as part of the Otter Opry Series, First United Methodist Church, 250 California between Bay & Laurel, Santa Cruz (831)338-0618; Sat Dec 14, First Presbyterian Church of Mountain View, 1667 Miramonte Ave. at Cuesta Dr., Mountain View (650)691-9982 or www.rba.org. The band will also be leading bluegrass workshops on Sat afternoon, Dec 14 at Gryphon Stringed Instruments, 211 Lambert St. in Palo Alto, from 1:30-3:30pm. Ron Stewart will conduct a fiddle/banjo workshop, and concurrently, David Parmley and Randy Graham will hold a workshop on vocals and vocal harmonies. Contact (650)493-2131 or jatuttle@aol.com for info.