Save the date! The Mt. Shasta Rotary Club will host the 38^th annual Blackberry Music Festival at Shastice Park in Mt. Shasta on September 6, 2026. That’s the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. The festival opens at noon and goes to 6:00 PM. Once again, thanks to generous local sponsors, there is no admission fee for entry to the event.

The Mt. Shasta Rotary Club will serve its famous blackberry pie baked fresh the day before by Rotarians and friends. Ice cream, beer, and wine coolers will be available for sale. Local food vendors will offer a variety of additional lunch options. The Shastice Park venue allows for a wide assortment of local arts and craft vendors, free kids focused activities and games and information booths staffed by local community organizations.

The music kicks off at noon – 2:00 pm with Whiskey Gulch. Their music has been described as combining folk, jazz, classical, and punk rock influences into a high-energy, harmonically rich bluegrass sound. The Brothers Reed take the stage from 2:00 – 4:00 pm. It’s been written, “The brothers blend of folk encapsulates the grit and humor of Midwest life with the swagger and serenity of the west coast. Their style evokes finger picking folk singers of the 60’s and 70’s with a contemporary and boundless edge.” The closing act from 4:00 – 6:00 pm will be The Victor Martin Project. Local star Victor Martin is putting together a unique band for this year’s festival which will feature neo-soul, reggae and blues.

Festival sponsors and on-site sales support Mt. Shasta Rotary’s many service projects. Projects include donations to local community service and recreation programs, college scholarships, international student exchange, and support for the high school Interact Club, to name a few. Event profits also help the Rotary Club manage an on-going clean water and health program in Africa in partnership with Save the Rain, Rotary Districts, Rotary clubs, and Rotary International.

The Blackberry Music Festival has been a Labor Day Weekend tradition in Mt. Shasta for over 37 years, drawing local families and friends together with area visitors to celebrate the end of summer with an afternoon of music and picnic fun. Rotary invites additional sponsorships for the festival and its community projects. Festival information and updates, including sponsoring businesses can be found online at www.mtshastablackberry.com.

Mt. Shasta Rotary is a service club made up of local neighbors and friends. Contact the club today at mtshastarotary@gmail.com, and follow it on social media as @mtshastarotary. The club’s website is rotarymtshasta.org.