When a group of like-minded bluegrass aficionados got together fifty years ago in Minnesota, chances are they never dreamed the organization they founded would be what it is today. The Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA) started with a newsletter and now has a membership of over 700 people, with a monthly magazine and three major festivals presented each year.
Ross Willits serves as the organization’s executive director, a position it seems he was destined to hold. “I have a Ph.D. in theatre history like most other bluegrass artists,” he jokes. Ross ran theatres and non-profit arts organizations for thirty years.
His musical background is a bit shakier. “I moved to a new high school in 1980 and heard a bluegrass band one day. I didn’t know anything about bluegrass, but the banjo player knocked my socks off. He taught me to play the guitar that summer in his basement, and between listening to Deliverance, “Will the Circle be Unbroken,” and the Dillards, I was good enough to play with the band around Wisconsin. But when I went to college, I left the guitar behind.”
Ross picked up playing bluegrass again twenty years ago. A friend needed a bass player for their band, so Ross learned to play bass. “I have been playing in bands for the last twenty years.”
When Ross learned that the MBOTMA was looking for new leadership, he realized that his experience in arts organizations and non-profits, along with his experience in bluegrass, gave him the skills he would need to apply for the position. “And here I am,” he says.
The Association’s magazine, Minnesota Bluegrass, features original articles about Minnesota-based bands and performers and stories reprinted with permission from other publications. It has been published eleven times a year consistently for fifty years.
The three festivals presented yearly include the Winter Bluegrass Weekend, held indoors at the Crown Plaza Convention Center in Plymouth, Minnesota. “That event is special,” says Ross. “There are three stages for member bands to play. This year, we had 33 concerts over the 2 ½ day festival.” Headliners for both bluegrass and old-time were brought in for the festival. “We had the Rick Faris Band from Topeka, Kansas for bluegrass. Our old-time artists were David Scrivner and David Cavins from Missouri. “They led old-time jams, square dances, and more,” says Ross. “It was wonderful.”
The Fall Jam is held in the same venue in conjunction with the Great Minnesota Uke Gathering. “That one is based on learning and workshops,” explains Ross. The last Fall Jam featured a songwriting workshop led by three-time IBMA Songwriter of the Year winner Tim Stafford. For the 2024 Fall Jam, Becky Buller, a Minnesota girl who was the first female to win the IBMA Music Award for Fiddler of the Year, will teach a workshop. And Ned Luberecki, named IBMA’s Banjo Player of the Year in 2018 and Broadcaster of the Year in 2023, will teach banjo. Becky and Ned will also present a show at the event.
The biggest festival of the year is the Bluegrass August Fest, which will be held from August 8 through 11 this year. The festival, which draws 4,000 to 5,000 people, is held at Minnesota’s largest campground, El Rancho Manana, located in the center of the state. It features national talent, local bands, and member bands. “The stage at the festival was built by members of our Association,” says Ross. It’s an amazing stage—a natural amphitheater in the trees.
Headliners for this year’s August Fest include Ron Block, Dave Adkins & Mountain Soul, Purple Hulls, Amanda Cook Band, The Waddington Brothers, Earl White Stringband, The Baker Family, Dave Peterson & 1946.
According to Ross, the MBOTMA has 85 member bands, many of which play in venues across the state. “It creates such a great community spirit,” he says. The music brings people together in so many ways.”