Friends and family reunite at the 2017 Granite Creek Pickers Retreat

PALMER — This weekend witnessed the annual Granite Creek Pickers Retreat, a grassroots music festival featuring various local bands playing folksy, bluegrass and traditional or “old-timey” music at the Spring Creek Farm. There were 40 bands and three dances, including a line dance where everyone was encouraged to jump in. Camping space was available to those who wanted to stay overnight or all weekend.

Family oriented: that was the prevailing theme expressed over and over as people were interviewed at the event. The festival has been around for over a decade and was founded by Jason Overby and his wife, Telsche. The Sutton dream team along with the other Overbys and more extended family, with even more extended arms, in the community have held this event together over the years. Since the beginning, it has been a safe haven for the folksy folks to pick the night away with friends they haven’t seen all year — at a “family reunion” of sorts.

Everyone involved reveled in the warm, friendly environment where kids could roam free without parents worrying. One of these children wandering the festive farmlands was Rhone Leach. He has been to the festival four times.

“It’s fun because I get to play around and my friends are here, too,” Leach said.

His friend, Rowan Winnstaffer is also a fan of the event.

“I like it because there’s music and it’s my mom’s birthday,” Winnstaffer said.

It’s that security and comfort that Jason and his growing family strive for. His concern to preserve the event and protect it from unruly behavior and consequent damage was universally felt across the festival. He drove that family-first theme home.

“It’s the most family friendly event- ever. We try and keep it kind of low-key,” Jason Overby said.

Telsche explained that there were people in attendance who only saw each other two times a year, here and the Juneau Folk Festival. Anyone walking towards the stage would notice bands playing on the side of the road or at a campsite. Long-time friends reunited to jam once again.

“Really, they’re here to share music with others but really they’re here for that,” she said.

She pointed over to the family picnic area where a group of people sat around in a circle playing music and chatting and laughing. “See those guys sitting under the tree, playing music together? That right there. That’s why we have the ‘Old Timey’ and ‘Bluegrass’ signs up. So that they know how to find the people that they really want to play with.” Telsche said.

Justin McCain, a solo artist, opened the festival Friday night with some help from another Overby, Alyssa – with her famous washboard. McCain was in good spirits and noted how much he enjoyed coming out to the Pickers Retreat, “There’s so many talented people here. I love it.” He also commented on the music scene in the Valley, “The music scene here is growing, for sure I feel like it’s getting better, more happening.”

“I wouldn’t miss this; it’s a great festival. This is gonna be fun!” said Carter Bon Craft, an “old-time string band” player who accompanied several bands on stage.

This collaborative spirit seemed to be another prevailing theme throughout the weekend. Many bands played together on and off stage. There were even last minute additions to some band’s line up- like the Chicks That Pick, a band comprised of women plucking and picking bluegrass tunes.

“Of course we have a couple dudes every now and then; usually they’re wearing dresses.” said Kate Hamre, one of the main members of the ever-changing band. “Today, 6 musicians got picked up on the way here (to the stage), literally!”

“With the Chicks, it’s an ever revolving cast of characters. It depends on what’s going on. Whose baby is sick? Who’s pregnant? Or who’s going to take care of their kids or whatever,” Hamre said.

This sort of band member rotation should sound familiar to anyone accustomed to the Overbys family band, the Outlaws and Inlaws, whose members add and subtract as life carries on.

“You know what the great thing about the Overbys is? It’s always a ‘yes.’ One year, our friend Murray plays piano and they didn’t have a piano; so Charlie he got this trailer and took a bunch of guys and they went and got their piano from their place. They strapped it to the trailer and hauled to the festival at Granite Creek. Amazing,” said Hollie Hill, another chick from the Chicks that Pick.

Carol McNamara is very familiar with the Overbys and stated that she watched Jason grow up. She donated a popcorn stand to the festival to be used as a stage. The stand was originally a project of her now deceased husband, Jerry (of Kernal Mac). The husband and wife, dynamic duo sold popcorn at the fair for years. Jerry started to craft the stand with an “old, art deco theatre” look. Jason finished the project with that style. With the help of Smith and others, they remodeled and painted it. The stage is on a trailer. Portability is an aspect Jason really enjoys since the festival’s location changes frequently.

“I thought it was perfect. It’s what my husband would have wanted,” McNamara said.

McNamara no longer sells popcorn at the fair. She stated that she only takes her popcorn to festivals like this. She also stated that the money she makes goes into the events, “fundraising.”

“It’s friends, music, community, family,” said Katy Rexford, yet another chick from the Chicks that Pick.

“It’s definitely the best festival of the year,” Hill and Rexford said one after the other, comparing it to a holiday.

One of the attendees, Ali, also affirmed the retreat’s theme, “It’s good old-fashioned, clean, family fun.” As they sat and stood around their campsite, another member of their group, Steve Rafuse mused over family reunion vibes and the upcoming line dance for Saturday, where everyone is encouraged to dance together.

“Everyone’s out there grooving… We’re all like second cousins,” Rafuse laughed.

The Granite Creek Pickers retreat had workshops and jam sessions, reunions and new friends. This seemed to harken to that ether of traditional folk music, getting passed down generation to generation. This community of music and music lovers seemed like a never-ending song- a collaborative continuation where everyone has a role to play at one time or another.

“It’s like an Alaskan wide community of bluegrass musicians who have relationships together across distances and time to come together,” Telsche said.

Contact reporter Jacob Mann at 352-2252 or jacob.mann@frontiersman.com.