Boston Bluegrass Union

Bluegrass Jam at The Bebop
2026-01-07 21:00 - 23:30 (America/New_York) | The Bebop, 1116 Boylston St, Boston, MA, 02116, United States
Bring your instrument and play some tunes with this talented bunch of bluegrass musicians! Or just come to eat and drink at The Bebop Boston.
Every Wednesday 9-midnight.

Backbeat Brewing Bluegrass Jam
2026-01-08 19:00 - 23:00 | Backbeat Brewing, 31A Park, Beverly, MA, 01915, United States
All pickers, singers and Bluegrass fans are invited to join us on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month at Backbeat Brewing in Beverly, MA. The jam starts at 7pm and runs until at least 10 (usually ends closer to midnight!)

There is plenty of on-street parking. (Meters run to 8pm in Beverly)

The taps offer many delicious brews ranging from NE IPA’s to genuine English style cask ales, and the kitchen cooks up tasty thin crust pizzas (available in gluten free and vegan options).

Wright Farm OT Jam
2026-01-10 19:00 - 23:00 | Wright Farm, 157 Woodside Rd, Sudbury, MA, United States
Monthly jam at a farmhouse in Sudbury. Usually there is a potluck and several rooms to jam in.
First Saturday of the month but check Facebook for the latest: Old Time Music in New England

Hosmer Mountain Boys in Westford, MA (Parish Center for the Arts)
2026-01-10 19:30 - 22:00 | Parish Center for the Arts, 10 Lincoln St, Westford, MA, 01886, United States
Charming, historic, intimate, unique…no words do justice to a PCA concert experience. This intimate space holds up to 125 people seated cafe-style so there isn’t a bad seat in the house. And you will almost always run into neighbors and friends at each event!
Evenings concerts are cafe-style – bring your own food and drinks
https://parisharts.square.site/product/1-10-26-hosmer-mountain-boys/218?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=6
Parish Center for the Arts
10 Lincoln Street
Westford, MA 01886
The Hosmer Mountain Boys are a retro bluegrass band that is quickly rising in the New England Bluegrass scene and having a lot of fun in the process. They were voted the “Fan Favorite” at the 2023 Podunk Bluegrass Festival, performed in Lexington (KY) on WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, and crossed the pond for the 2024 Battlefield Bluegrass Festival in England. Keegan (guitar) and Simon (banjo) met at Mando Camp North in 2018 at age 16 and instantly connected over their passion for Flatt & Scruggs. Red Day, (mandolin) has recently been added to the band this season. Cathy Bumgarner Day (fiddle) and Tom Bowman (bass) complete the lineup with decades of regional bluegrass experience. Simon (banjo) has been described by some attendees at the Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival in Brunswick, ME, as Connecticut’s best‑kept secret. You’ll hear that Keegan’s major guitar‑picking influences include Riley Pucket, Don Reno, and the thumb‑picking style of Lester Flatt. Rounding out the band is Cathy Bumgarner Day on fiddle and Tom Bowman on bass, both staples in the New England Bluegrass Music scene for decades.
Cabaret Seating. BYOB & Snacks

Alison Brown at TCAN
2026-01-11 19:30 - 22:00 | The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), 14 Summer Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
Acoustic instrumental music has never been so beautifully represented as by Alison Brown. As one of the most multi-faceted minds on today’s roots music scene, every one of Alison’s endeavors is marked by innovation, intelligence, and grace. As a banjo player, she throws out the textbook when it comes playing the banjo and the result is a sound that blends the rugged drive of bluegrass with the harmonic sensibilities of jazz, earning vast acclaim and a GRAMMY award in the process.

South County (RI) Old-Time Jam
2026-01-12 19:00 - 21:00 | South County Museum, 115 Strathmore Rd., Narragansett, RI, 02882, United States
Second and fourth Mondays, 7-9pm
South County Museum, 115 Strathmore Rd., Narragansett RI 02882
https://www.facebook.com/southcountyjam
All levels invited! The South County Jam is a friendly and welcoming jam where newcomers are always welcome. We play a wide range of traditional fiddle tunes, going around the circle so everyone has a chance to suggest a tune they know and set the tempo.

Beginner Bluegrass Slow Jam
2026-01-12 19:00 - 21:00 | First Church Dedham – Parish House, 45 Bullard Street, Dedham, MA, 02026, United States
Beginner Bluegrass Slow Jam

When: Second Monday of each month
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
September through June

The Slow Jam is the perfect place for novice players, those just starting their Bluegrass journey, or anyone who’s a little shy about playing with others.
We create the safest possible environment to get comfortable making music with a group.
We play through simple, traditional Bluegrass songs, offering guidance and encouragement every step of the way.
All levels are welcome, and we take special care to support beginners and casual musicians.
Bring your acoustic instrument – everyone is welcome!

Location: First Church in Dedham – Parish House 45 Bullard Street, Dedham, MA 02026

Enter via Bullard Street.
Park in the lot behind the church.
Walk to the grassy quad in front.
The jams are held in the Parish House (the low building).
Upon entering, turn right and proceed down the short hallway to the dining room.

Details: Bring a song to share for some fun bluegrass jamming!
We hope to see you there!

BG Jam Night at Groton Hill
2026-01-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Groton Hill Music Center, 122 Old Ayer Road, Groton, MA, 01450, United States
Second Tuesday of the month. Led by G. Rockwell.
Jams will run every second Tuesday from September through June! Ages 16+ welcome! All alcohol sales will be carded. Non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks will be available for purchase in the Woodland Room.

Berlin OT Jam
2026-01-14 11:00 - 13:00, 2026-01-28 11:00 - 13:00 | 19 Carter, 19 Carter St, Berlin, MA, 01503, United States
2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month. Friendly old time jam at the 19 Carter community center.

Remnant Old Time Jam
2026-01-14 18:00 - 21:00 | Remnant Satellite, 877 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA, 02141, United States
Hosted by Juliana Bernardi. All levels welcome but not a slow jam, per se.
Lil’ summary: If you’ve played with me before PLEASE COME DOWN AGAIN I LOVE YOU ALL. If you haven’t, this is a VERY chill Old-Time jam where everyone has the opportunity to call a tune or sing a song. Bring your instruments, your vocals, and all your lovely and quirky personalities that make the magical cesspool of weirdos and creatives we all love so much!

3rd Friday Jam at PCA
2026-01-16 19:00 - 21:00 | Parish Center for the Arts, 10 Lincoln St, Westford, MA, 01886, United States
Featuring, but not limited to Bluegrass music
Bring your Guitar, Banjo, Fiddle, Bass, Dobro, Harp (all types), mandolin,
bones, etc.. and come and enjoy a night of great music.
The Parish Center For The Arts (The PCA). 10 Lincoln Street Westford, MA
PCA is a BYOB facility, so feel free to bring snacks, a bottle, whatever!
Please bring whatever you need, and be sure to police up everything when we go. I ask you to leave no trash, garbage, bottles, cans, etc behind.
There are chairs and tables as needed.
This is a pass-the-hat event, with proceeds going to the PCA to offset the cost of our usage.
Welcome to players of all skill levels and audiences alike.
Free parking
Monthly on 3rd Fridays, 7-10pm

All-Ages Community Barn Dance & American Roots Music Workshop
2026-01-18 15:30 - 18:30 | New England Conservatory (Brown Hall), 30 Gainsborough St. Boston, MA 02115, Boston, MA, 02115, United States
Join us for an afternoon of workshops, dancing, music, and family fun as we celebrate the launch of new Expanded Education Contemporary Musical Arts (CMA) classes for kids and adults.
3:30 PM | Concurrent Activities
Slow Jam / Intro to American Roots Music (JH 367)
Join multi-instrumentalist, composer, traditional musician, and new Expanded Education faculty member Noah Fishman for a welcoming jam session and an introduction to American Roots Music. The event is open to all ages, instruments, and experience levels; children must be accompanied by a parent. This free gathering is open to everyone.
Family / Play-Party Dance
Enjoy joyful dances and play-party games for parents and kids of all ages — from babies in carriers and toddlers finding their steps to older siblings, teens, and adults. The session is taught by Eden MacAdam-Somer and Will Mentor and features live music. All are welcome.
4:30 PM | Community Barn Dance with an Open Band
Everyone is invited to dance or play in the open band, led by NEC’s American Roots Ensemble with faculty members Eden MacAdam-Somer and Noah Fishman (mandolin/bass), as well as special guests Sam Bartlett (guitar/banjo), Mark “Pokey” Hellenberg (banjo uke/percussion), and caller Will Mentor.
All dances will be taught, and no partner or prior experience is needed. An art cart with hands-on activities, led by NEC’s Early Childhood team, will be available throughout the afternoon. Slip on comfy shoes, bring your friends and family, and join the party — this free event is open to all ages.

Concord, MA Old Time Jam
2026-01-20 14:00 - 16:00 | Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St, Concord, MA, 01742, United States
Third Tuesday of the month from 2-4 PM. The first jam is July 15. No jam in August, then start again in September.
Location: Harvey Wheeler Community Center, 1276 Main St, Concord, MA 01742
The entrance to the parking lot is on Church St. Enter the building from the parking lot. This space is run by the Concord Council on Aging, but all ages are welcome to the jam. There should be someone sitting at the entrance desk who can point you to the room. You might be asked to sign in.

2nd and 4th Thursdays Bluegrass Jam at Backbeat Brewing in Beverly, MA
2026-01-22 19:00 - 23:00 | Backbeat Brewing, 31A Park, Beverly, MA, 01915, United States

Cancelled - Brookline Old Time Jam
2026-01-25 13:00 - 15:00 | St. Paul’s Episcopal Church – Brookline, 15 St. Paul St, Brookline, MA, 02446
Held every Sunday 1-3 at St Paul’s Church in Brookline, MA.
Hosted by Andrew Tanis

We get together and play old-time music.

Join us if you play fiddle, clawhammer banjo, guitar, cello, bass, mandolin, ukulele, autoharp, pennywhistle or anything else, or join us to listen and/or dance.

Check for weekly details on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/427113585480922

Cancelled this week! Princeton Bluegrass Jam
2026-01-25 13:00 - 16:00 | First Congregation Church – Princeton, 14 Mountain Rd, Princeton, MA, United States
Weekly Blue Grass jam at the Fellowship Hall in the First Congregational church of Princeton, Ma
1-4 pm Every Sunday

Cancelled due to snow! Rock Hearts at the Pump House
2026-01-25 18:00 - 21:30 | The Pump House, 1464 Kingstown Rd, WakeField, RI, 02879, United States
Rock Hearts will be returning to one of southern Rhode Island’s premier listening rooms and live music venues. The Pump House is a listener’s room. If you enjoy an intimate setting with excellent sound, great food and bar, and a friendly atmosphere, look no further. They bring in some wonderful talent. Our last show was standing room only. We will be having Rhode Island’s own, Rusty Rails, opening for us. Hope we get to see you.

Whately Old Time Jam
2026-01-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Whately Town Hall, 194 Chestnut Plain Rd, Whately, MA, 01093, United States
The Whately Old Time Jam takes place each month on the third Tuesday from 7pm-9pm-ish, unless there is a special event preceding the jam such as workshop. We gather in Whately Town Hall Audititorium in Whately, Massachusetts.
This is an Old Time jam, keeping to tunes and songs in the Old Time repertoire. Speed and tunes will be up to those who attend. We’ll go round the circle so everyone can choose tunes and pace. Old Time chestnuts, waltzes, obscure and/or crooked tunes, tunes that don’t resolve, tunes with questionable chords, tunes with weird numbers of A/B/C/D/E parts – all welcome if someone can lead it.

Meyer-Marshall-Meyer at Groton Hill
2026-01-30 20:00 - 22:00 | Groton Hill Music Center, 122 Old Ayer Road, Groton, MA, 01450, United States
American music masters Edgar Meyer (bass) and Mike Marshall (mandolin) join together with George Meyer (violin) for a special collaboration usually only heard on the summer bluegrass festival circuit!
Expect to hear works from the genre bending Short Trip Home album of many years ago as well as new music written specifically for this tour.

Bluegrass and Southern Buffet
2026-01-31 16:30 - 20:00 | First Parish Church of Sudbury, 327 Concord Rd, Sudbury, 01776, United States
Join Southern Rail Saturday Jan. 31 for Mardis Gras Night at First Parish Sudbury. Enjoy a catered Southern buffet and dine while you listen! Appetizers served at 4:30. Meal is served 5-6. Music runs 6-8. Cash bar all night.
Snow date will be Sunday Sunday Feb. 1. (Dining 1-2. Music 2-4)
Free parking is available at First Parish’s Meetinghouse, 327 Concord Road, Sudbury, or across the street, behind Sudbury Town Hall.

Handsome Ladies jam
2026-02-05 19:00 - 21:00 | The Haven, 284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain, 02130, United States
A ladies bluegrass jam for all levels that occurs the first Thursday of each month from 7-9 PM at The Haven in Jamaica Plain, MA
Note – January jam is Jan 8.

Bluegrass Love Songs w The Splinters
2026-02-06 19:00 - 20:30 | Follen Church, 755 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA, 02420, United States
Bluegrass Love Songs
A celebration of love with The Splinters Bluegrass Band
Love is a complicated emotion, and music has long been a place to explore those complexities—and bluegrass is no exception. Songs reflecting longing, heartbreak, new relationships, and the occasional tale of deception or misfortune are common in this music. In this program, The Splinters present a range of pieces that touch on these themes, offering a well-rounded look at love in its many forms. The concert features a thoughtful collection of traditional and contemporary bluegrass love songs, performed with the band’s characteristic groove, three-part harmonies, and driving banjo and fiddle.

Register in advance here

About the band
The Splinters, a bluegrass band from Massachusetts, deliver a relentless groove to accompany their tight 3-part harmonies. Tom Pritchard (fiddle) brings the heat to his fiddle playing. J Johnson (mandolin) adds a jazzy flair to his breaks. Chris Reckling (guitar, banjo) picks solid rhythm and punchy leads on top of Garrett Wallace’s grooving bass fiddle. Newest band member, Max Petersen provides the rolling firepower on banjo. A Splinters set veers from straight ahead bluegrass to traditional fiddle tunes and back, with the occasional detour into a modern song. They have been playing together since 2010 and have released 3 albums, available on all the major streaming platforms.

The Bottom Dollars atMarigold Brattleboro
2026-02-07 20:00 - 23:00 | Marigold Brattleboro, 157 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
The Bottom Dollars at the Marigold Brattleboro

8-11 pm
157 Main Street Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 212-1119
https://marigold.org/

Joe Val Bluegrass Festival
2026-02-12 00:00 - 2026-02-15 23:59 | Sheraton Framingham, 1657 Worcester Road, Framingham, 01701, United States
The Boston Bluegrass Union is thrilled to announce the return of the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival! Mark your calendars now for President’s Day weekend, February 12-15, 2026, at the Sheraton in Framingham, MA. Celebrate the return of this beloved tradition as we commemorate:

The 40th anniversary of the inaugural Joe Val memorial

The 50th anniversary of the founding of the BBU

and the 100th anniversary of Joe Val’s birth!

We’re very excited to announce that the 2026 festival will be expanding to start on Thursday night with an All-Star concert, 24 hours of jamming, and workshops all day Friday. It’ll be like adding a full day of JamVal before Joe Val even begins!

Then on Friday night, we’ll return to the full festival with top-tier bands on the Main Stage, plus the Showcase Stage, Kids’ Academy, workshops, and round-the-clock

Damn Tall Buildings at TCAN
2026-02-13 20:00 - 22:00 | The Center for Arts in Natick (TCAN), 14 Summer Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States
Damn Tall Buildings is a celebrated folk-bluegrass band based in Brooklyn, known for their soulful melodies and intricate instrumentals. This seasoned trio—Max Capistran, Sasha Dubyk, and Avery Ballotta—has spent over a decade honing their craft through dedicated touring and recording, creating a distinctive sound that weaves heartfelt lyrics into thoughtful fiddle, guitar, and bass arrangements.

Burren Bluegrass Jam
2026-02-21 14:00 - 17:00 | The Burren, 247 Elm Street, Somerville, MA, 02144, United States
Long-running Bluegrass Jam hosted by Frank Drake. All levels welcome, but not a slow jam, per se.
Usually takes the summer off for festivals, etc. Contact Frank’s web site to get on the mailing list.

Burren Old Time Jam
2026-02-22 18:00 - 21:00 | The Burren, 247 Elm Street, Somerville, MA, 02144, United States
Long running old time jam hosted by Alan Kaufman!

Max Wareham & The National Bluegrass Team at Redbones Barbecue
2026-02-26 20:00 - 23:00 | Redbones Barbecue, 55 Chester Street, Somerville, MA, MA, 02144, United States
Max Wareham & The National Bluegrass Team will be serving up new music alongside some good BBQ Thursday February 26 at 8pm. We’ll be playing 2 sets of music. Tickets available at the link below!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/max-wareham-the-national-bluegrass-team-at-redbones-barbecue-tickets-1982319344522

Jacob Joliff Band at Groton Hill
2026-03-06 20:00 - 22:00 | Groton Hill Music Center, 122 Old Ayer Road, Groton, MA, 01450, United States
Jacob Jolliff – mandolin, vocals
Ross Martin – guitar
Myles Sloniker – bass
George Jackson – fiddle
An alumnus of celebrated progressive bluegrass bands Joy Kills Sorrow, the Yonder Mountain String Band, and Bela Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart project, Jacob Jolliff is one of the genre’s top mandolinists and a sought-after collaborator, sharing the stage with Bela Fleck, Darol Anger, Tony Trischka, Sam Bush, David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Michael Daves, and many others.
