outdoor festival grounds. In 2001, MBOTMA hired its first professional executive director, Jed Malischke, to better serve its membership and mission. The organization now has a steady membership of approximately 1000 individuals and 125 member bands. Two winter concert programs are well established: the Community Concert Series brings MBOTMA member bands to venues in small communities throughout Minnesota, and the Lonely Pines Concert Series features professional touring bands in a series of concerts in large and small cities. Since 2003, the organization has partnered with the Minnesota State Fair to present the Minnesota Flatpicking Guitar & Duet Championships. A fourth annual festival, the Harvest Jamboree, was launched in 2006, It is an indoor multi-day festival with concerts, workshops and jamming. MBOTMA also hosts various jam sessions, sponsors children’s educational programs, and helps support events sponsored by other organizations and its member bands. MBOMTA’s monthly publication, Inside Bluegrass, has twice been voted “Best Newsletter” by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music in America (SPBGMA). The Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Festival was nominated in the "Event of the Year" category by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in 2005 and 2007.1 Until 2020, MBOTMA had an additional festival held in the early Spring, the Cabin Fever Festival. This was a long running festival in Duluth, and ended after their last show in 2019. At the organization's main and self titled event in Richmond, Minnesota Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival (August Fest), they host a three day jam camp leading up to the festival, where people come to jam with other people, and learn about jamming and their instrument. Some of the main attractions of August fest are the touring headline bands, local bands, family areas with activities for kids, jam sessions all throughout the campground all day and night. The Winter Bluegrass Weekend is usually held in early March and is at the Crowne Plaza in Plymouth, Minnesota. During the festival, they have a youth camp called "Grass Seeds" and is for kids from roughly 6-18 years old. Grass Seeds contains workshops, jamming, instrument lessons, band etiquette, and more. Different musical artist and bands host this camp, but it is often hosted by the High 48s band. The Winter Bluegrass Weekend also contains jamming, musician workshops, raffles, and more. External links Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association Bluegrass music Music festivals in Minnesota