By Ashley Bradfield, MusicOregon Board of Directors
Chattanooga, TN — Oregon’s bluegrass community was well represented last week at the International Bluegrass Music Association Conference + Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, bringing West Coast perspectives, community connections, and plenty of picking to a national gathering.
Among those attending were Pam Brown, Board Chair representing the Oregon Bluegrass Association and Tygh Valley Bluegrass Festival; Ashley Bradfield, Bluegrass Pride and Music Oregon board member; and Scott Justus, Bluegrass Pride board member and owner of Xanadu in Astoria. They joined fellow Oregon pickers and artists for a week of music, learning, and connection. READ MORE
Oregon voices helped shape several conference conversations. “Taking Bluegrass Where It Isn’t” explored third spaces, alternative markets, and ways to reach new audiences. “Y’all Come: Creating Belonging in Bluegrass” featured both Ashley and Scott in a diversity, equity, and inclusion panel where artists, audio engineers, and retailers shared perspectives on creating welcoming spaces for people from all backgrounds. Scott also hosted the DEI Town Hall, continuing the conversation about belonging and equity in bluegrass.
That spirit carried into Bluegrass Pride’s jam room, where pickers from across the country gathered to make music in an inclusive space. Bluegrass Pride was also honored by the IBMA Foundation as a recipient of the 2026 Arnold Shultz Grant.
Looking ahead, Bluegrass Pride announced its second annual Camp Bluegrass Pride, happening June 7–10, 2027, in Astoria, Oregon, featuring GRAMMY winner Melody Walker and GRAMMY nominee and five-time IBMA Entertainer of the Year C.J. Lewandowski.
Between conference sessions, Oregon attendees celebrated at the awards show, discovered new artists, watched legends like Del McCoury perform, and even caught Billy Strings picking with West Coast musicians during late-night hallway jams at the conference center.
We came home inspired by the music and the connections, and excited to keep sharing Oregon’s rich bluegrass community with the rest of the country.
For more information on Oregon Bluegrass Association visit: https://www.oregonbluegrass.org/
For more information on Bluegrass Pride visit: bluegrasspride.net
