practical infos

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​​Bluegrass in La Roche is a 4-day, family friendly, music festival at the beginning of August. It appeals to Bluegrass fans and non fans looking for an affordable day out with family or friends, good food and drinks and excellent music that is not too loud. 
The festival is organised Roch'événements, a non profit association, and managed and staff by volunteers who have developed solid professional expertise in event production since starting out in 2006.
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Ticketing and Access
Tickets can be bought online or on the day at the festival entrance.
Prices are 5€ for a day ticket, 12€ for a 3-day ticket (Friday, Saturday & Sunday), 15€ for a 4-day ticket. Entrance is free for children under 13.
Visitors will be given wrist bands to show when entering the festival in exchange for online tickets or directly if buying on the site. 
In line with ongoing security measures in France, everyone is required to go through a control point and bag check when accesssing the site
Information on site
Immediately after the entrance is the information chalet and festival shop. Our volunteers will answer all your questions, give out programmes and sell you any festival merchandise you may want to buy. 
Paying with €uroches on the festival site
To avoid having cash at too many points around the festival, all food and drink must be paid for using our own local currency the €uroche. These may be obtained at the cashpoint "caisse" chalet at the exchange rate of 1 €uro to 1 €uroche.
Credit and debit cards may be used to buy €uroches and for CD and merchandise purchases.
Market sellers are not subject to festival payment conditions and may accept whatever form of payment they wish.
Wheelchair access
Access to the site for wheelchairs is possible as there are no stairs or steep climbs to get in and the entire festival site is tarmac.
There are blue badge parking spaces in town. We cannot guarantee they will be free during the weekend of the festival.
The lunchtime stage converts to a wheelchair viewing platform for evening concerts. It is next to the sound engineers.
Toilets reserved for diabled users are on the ground floor behind and to the left of the food court.
Children
Chilrdren under 13 get into the festival for free under supervision.
There is a children's play area on the balcony of the new school building behind the food court. 
Children should be supervised by a parent or guardian at all times.
Instrument check
There is an instrument check in the gymnasium behind the stage (entrance to the left of the stage next to the Red Cross. This is a free service open to all, performers and spectators.
The instrument check opens one hour before the festival starts each day and closes half an hour after the last band finishes playing.
​Instruments not checked out will be locked away for the night.
Festival merch
The festival has a collection of tee shirts, caps and other merchandise for sale from the information tent by the entrance to the site. 
Festival market
Independent market stalls are open throughout the festival around the perimeter of the site.
​They sell a variety of arts and crafts, clothing, head wear.
Band merch
​Nearly all bands performing at the festival have music (CDs, Vinyls, Downloads) and sometimes other merchandise for sale in the chalet next to the stage.
After their set, bands will go to the tent between the CD chalet and the Information chalet to meet and greet, sign autographs and take photos.
Luthiers expo
Master instrument builders from Europe and the USA show their products for anyone to try and buy. What could be better than dealing direct with the luthier? 
​There is also a musical accessories stand in the luthiers hall.
Dogs
Dogs are permitted on the festival site provided they are kept on a lead. Owners are asked to clean up after them and keep them muzzled according their category as defined by French law.
Seating
Seats are available in front of the stage. There is no reservation and seats cannot be retained by leaving possessions on them. 
There is also plenty of free seating with tables available around  the site, mainly next to the food court and the Champagne bar.
The Environment
As far as we can, we try to be environmentally friendlyl. Our food and drinks are, where possible, sourced locally. We use recyclable plates and festival goers are asked to use (and re-use) our festival drinking beakers. These may be taken on deposit (1 euro, given back at the end of the festival).
Please try to respect the waste sorting system when throwing anything away.
What to wear
La Roche sur Foron is 600 m (2000 ft) high and the festival is outdoors. It can get very hot during the day and quite cold at night.
You will need sun cream and a hat in the day, and a fleece jacket for the evening.
You may also need rainwear as we nearly always get some rain - usually a light shower or a short, spectacular mountain storm (we only had to cancel a show once in 15 years).
There are areas that are protected from the elemnents by tents, parasols and trees, and the ground is tarmac (no mud) but most of the site is exposed so please come prepared.
Red Cross
A Red Cross tent is staffed permanently throughout the festival in case of sickness or injury. It is located in the gymnasium behind the stage. The entrance is to the left of the stage.
Toilets
Public toilets are available on the first floor of the new school building behind the food court.
Toilets reserved for the disabled are on the ground floor.
Where to stay
For information on places to stay, see the page on this website about La Roche-sur-Foron or go the website of the Tourist Office.
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Food and drink bars on site
The F&B stands are located at the far end of the site from the entrance.
They are entirely staffed by volunteers.
The festival offers a wide choice of hot and cold home made food (including vegetarian options), and beers, wines and soft drinks. 
All food is sourced locally and prepared on site in compliance with French and European hygiene standards. 
F&B bars are open at all festival times, including Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to take advantage of the Lunchtime Sessions with reduced prices for lunchtime stage concerts.
The Champagne Bar is also open to the public.
Food and drinks at the festival must be paid for with our local €uroche currency (= €1) which can be exchanged at the cashpoint chalet (CAISSE) on site.
F&B remains our primary source of income. We really appreciate that you consume food made on site rather than bring your own.
Food menu
HOME MADE DISHES
Jambalaya - Chilli con Carne - Croziflettes - Sausages in Wine Sauce
Fried Rice (V) - Salads (V)
FESTIVAL FARE
Burgers - Veggie Burgers (V) - Sausages - Merguez - Spit Roast Ham
Best Fries on the festival circuit
DESSERTS
Crêpes - Ice Cream - Fruit - Popcorn
Drinks menu
BEERS
Mont Blanc Lager , White Beer, Red, Green (made with Genepi, mountain flower)
Mont Blanc Brewery has won international awards at beer festivals in Europe and the USA
WINES
Champagne  - Sparkling wine
Red - White - Rosé
Cider
SOFT DRINKS
Sodas - Juices
Coffee - Tea
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security at the festival
 In line with measures taken throughout Europe on safety in public places, all people accessing the site will be required to present their bags to our security staff. 
​We thank you for your cooperation and your understanding.
On the site, a team of trainee security guards from the Sainte Famille High School are on duty at all times. This is part of their training and they are under supervision.

the story of the festival

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In 2004, Christopher Howard-Williams went to see Roland Jobard, then cultural attaché on the Town Council, and asked if La Roche-sur-Foron would like to host a Bluegrass festival.
Roland looked across  his desk and said "Why not? What's Bluegrass?" - in that order!
They then had to decide where and when to organise the festival - and how much to charge?
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They say that success is often about the right people meeting at the right time, and this was such a story.
In 2004 Moonshine Bluegrass Band (FRA) played a show in the town square of La Roche sur Foron. On mandolin and guitar that day was Christopher Howard-Williams, a resident of La Roche since 2000. A few days after the show he went to visit Roland Jobard, cultural attaché to the mayor of La Roche sur Foron, to ask if the town could be interested in hosting a Bluegrass festival.
"Why not?" replied Roland. "What's Bluegrass?"
After the split with EBMA, Dennis Schutt's EWOB event had moved to Germany and then Czech Republic. Dennis was looking for a new location to host the event. Christopher agreed to try at La Roche for two years. Roland gave Christopher a cautious green light and suggested he go see Didier Philippe, director of the Tourist Bureau.
Didier was actually looking for an event to promote in the summer months to attract more visitors into the town. He had never heard of Bluegrass Music.
A meeting was soon called with Roland, Didier, Christopher and representatives of the town's social, cultural and economic communities.
Mayor Michel Thabuis gave the group one instruction: "Make it work!"
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The first issue was to decide where to hold the festival. 
Not expecting to get more than 200 or 300 people to come to a Bluegrass festival in the French Alps, Christopher believed the local cinema Le Parc would be big enough. In those early meetings Gérard Bugnon, with experience of organising country festivals around France, saw big and encouraged the group to imagine a large event ("we don't want to organise a village fete!" was his rallying cry). They settled on the courtyard of the local junior high school, a large, open space in what used to be an abbey. Fortunately the school principal, Sebastien Maur*, also thought it was a good idea.
The next issue was to decide how much to charge for entry. The date for the festival had been set for the first weekend of August based on other festivals and events in the region, so there would be lots of holiday makers in the area. After a lot of discussion back and forth, the committee decided to make entrance to the event free on the grounds that people may not be prepared to pay for a festival of music they had never heard of, but if it was free they may be curious enough to go and see, risk free. We gambled that if they got in for free, they may be more willing to spend money in the festival on food and drinks.
And that was it: the business model for La Roche Bluegrass Festival was born. 
​La Roche sur Foron has a large pool of volunteers who jump in to help out with anything the town organises and they keep the social life of the town ticking. It says a lot for the spirit of La Roche that 80 people volunteered to work for the festival that first year even though they knew nothing about Bluegrass. Christopher made it his business to introduce them to the music, its history, its cultural specificities and its unique ability to mix professionals and amateurs on the same stage and in the same jam sessions.
* Sebastien Maur became mayor of La Roche sur Foron from 2016 - 2020

 ​HISTORY OF BLUEGRASS

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Bluegrass grew out of the rural communities in the Appalachian Mountains, where life was hard and music was the only accessible leisure activitiy at the Saturday barn dances and Sunday church services.
Made popular by the growth of radio, Bluegrass followed the social and economic developments in the USA.
Nowadays, Bluegrass is gaining new audiences thanks to stars like Chris Thile and Billy Strings.

our festival values

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As an organisation we share many of the values that are strong in the music we promote.
  • Authenticity - Talent - Innovation - Sharing
By respecting these values, we are able to offer our artists, visitors and workers fair and equitable treatment for a great experience at Bluegrass in La Roche
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AUTHENTICITY
The music is 100% hand made and passed down through the generations in family and community jam sessions.
We are not in this to make money, we do it mostly for free because we have a passion for it.This makes it easy for us to make the right choices
TALENT
Bluegrass music may look easy to play superficially, but it takes great talent to hit the sweet spot with no artefacts or electronic enhacements.
Our teams have become experts at what they do to make sure artists and vistors get the best from their time at Bluegrass in La Roche
INNOVATION
In constant evolution, with roots and branches, Bluegrass grew out of the traditions of Appalachian mountain music and continues to grow creatively absorbing influences from jazz, rock, reggae and even classical music.
Every year we sit down with our teams to see what we can do that's new or different to make the festival better for everyone.
SHARING
Bluegrass is a world wide community of artists and fans who share their love of the music through playing on stage, at home or in jam sessions. The artists do not come to just play their set; the come to meet new musicians and to play as much as they can while they are here.
In this spirit we strive to make the music accessible to all by keeping prices as low as we can to keep the festival sustainable.