Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country made its debut at High Sierra Music Festival in 2023. The band returns this year to close out the main stage on Friday.
Photo by Kyler Klix.
The High Sierra Music Festival has become a tradition for many people every summer for 33 years. The festival in Quincy, California, is about a two-hour drive from Carson City. The festival has grown over the years, but its future is uncertain. A few weeks ago, the organizers were considering canceling the event, but they decided to proceed as planned.
The show must go on, but this year could be the finale for the festival. Here’s why you should grab some last-minute tickets for the Fourth of July weekend.
GREAT COMMUNITY
I first came to the festival because of music, but I stayed because of the community. My first time in 2016 was a couple of months after I moved to Nevada. I saw the lineup, and it included a few bands I liked and figured it would be a good time. I volunteered to work cleaning the grounds, and after camping on site for the four days, I didn’t want to leave. Even when Monday came around and it was time to pack up, I stayed as long as I could to help clean up and hang out with my new friends.
It's the type of place with friendly people who want to have a good time. People look out for each other and take care of one another. They take the time to set up fun camps with decorations and comfortable features. The music doesn’t stop on the stages either. You’ll find people jamming on their own instruments all over, but some camps have full schedules of bands performing there.
THE MUSIC
High Sierra is a festival for music lovers. There are four to five stages with non-stop music from the morning to past midnight. The organizers book a multitude of genres so attendees can hear Americana, bluegrass, roots rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock, reggae, funk and maybe some new ones they’ve never heard of before. You can go from a large mainstage area with thousands of people into a small room to listen to one person playing an acoustic instrument and telling stories.
This is the type of environment where you get to see bands before they get big. High Sierra consistently brings in artists who are on their way to a big career. Many of us on the west coast discovered bluegrass musician Billy Strings at this festival after he came there in 2016, 2017 and 2018. And there have been many others throughout the years.
There are bands this year that have the same potential to be big stars. Molly Tuttle is a Grammy-winning artist who seems to keep getting more popular. Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country came to the festival two years ago and put on an amazing performance. Now the band gets a chance to do the same on the big stage with a closing set on Friday night. The band Dogs in a Pile has been making a name for itself and is sure to put on a big show.
Discovering new music is one of the joys of the festival. There are plenty of artists I’ve never heard of in this year’s lineup and that’s part of the fun and mystery. More than 50 bands are playing over the four-day event and while it’s impossible to catch them all, you’re bound to find something new you enjoy.
HELPS MUSICIANS GROW
For bands, this also helps them tremendously with their touring. I’ve always thought of High Sierra as a steppingstone to the West Coast music scene for many groups. The West Coast is not an easy place for a band to plan a tour, with the vast travel distances between shows. High Sierra is the kind of place a band from a different part of the country can begin to establish a fan base.
It worked for Railroad Earth in their early days, coming from New Jersey. I remember drummer Carey Harmon telling me about the band’s early days coming to the festival, not being part of the official lineup, and just playing wherever they got a chance. He said they made many friends in those first few years, and it helped grow the band’s fan base.
FAMILY FRIENDLY
High Sierra is very family-friendly. With the festival being more than three decades old, many people have grown with it, and so have their families. The festival caters to these people with family camping zones and a “Rockin’ Nannies” program, which has professional childcare on the premises. You’ll often see kids playing by the stages with all sorts of toys or playing in the water to stay cool during the day.
There is also a Kids Zone with plenty of activities and programs for the littlest fans right up to the teenagers. Every year, I interview parents, and they are always happy that the festival is a place they can enjoy with their children.
SCENERY, WEATHER
In past years, this festival has had some hot weather, but this year we are in luck with a cooler forecast. The weather is set to be mild and sunny with highs in the 80s and overnight lows in the 50s. Compared to the hottest festival on record last year, people are going to be much more comfortable.
The festival’s setting, Quincy, is a beautiful location. With trees and small mountains, the landscape is scenic. The campground is spacious and full of trees, creating lots of shady areas. Quincy is a charming, quaint small Northern California town that was founded during the Gold Rush.
TICKETS
The festival’s last push is a 15 percent discount code on tickets. From High Sierra’s website, when you go to buy tickets, just add the code 15SIERRA at checkout to receive 15 percent off tickets.
To buy tickets, visit highsierramusic.com.
For a festival to last 33 years is iconic. It has survived without any commercial affiliation, which the festival always proudly promotes. As of now, ticket sales are down, so hopefully, enough people choose to return to the High Sierra because it would be a shame and sad for many if we didn’t have this to look forward to. I’m staying optimistic and hoping the festival keeps the spirit alive for many more years.
Now’s the time to make the last-minute decision and pack up to go to Quincy! You can buy a four-day pass or just go for the weekend. It’s close enough to even drive up for a day and come back home.
Here’s to a great 2025, no matter what happens. I hope to see you there.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: High Sierra Music Festival
WHERE: Plumas County Fairgrounds, 204 Fairground Road, Quincy, Calif.
WHEN: July 3-6
MORE INFO, TICKETS: highsierramusic.com (use code 15SIERRA at checkout for 15% off)