An Interview with Wintergrass 2026 Festival Director Patrice O’Neil on “Rad Trad,” Music, Workshops and More!

Wintergrass is a 4-Day Gathering set for February 19-22, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency in Bellevue, WA.  Artists include Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass, Woody Platt & The Bluegrass Gentlemen, Melissa Carper, New Dangerfield, Mr. Sun, John Reischman & The Jaybirds, Väsen, and more.  TICKETS AND INFO

Wintergrass returns to the Hyatt Regency Bellevue from February 19-22, 2026. 

This west coast festival got its start in 1994. Over the decades, it has established itself as a premier “discovery” festival, where attendees can experience, explore, and engage in music over a four-day weekend. 

The festival is located in the comforts of Hyatt Regency in downtown Bellevue – making it a perfect venue for this winter festival.   This year’s festival focus is Rad Trad, paying respect to the roots of music through the interpretations of new performing artists. 

We caught up with Festival Director Patrice O’Neil to discuss “Rad Trad” and some of the unique Wintergrass offerings.

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Wintergrass 2026 Festival Director Patrice O’Neil

Festy GoNuts: Wintergrass 2026 is focusing on a “Rad Trad” vision – honoring tradition while exploring new musical paths.
What does Rad Trad mean to you, and how did that idea shape this year’s lineup?

Patrice O’Neil: A tension between traditionalists and boundary-pushing musicians has long been a part of the acoustic music world, probably most keenly present in forms like bluegrass and jazz. We think that tension is interesting, so we wanted to present very traditional bluegrass bands and head-scratching expansions of the genre. We relish the conversation this juxtaposition generates. We also love seeing how tradition morphs into contemporary, which then becomes tradition and so on.

Wintergrass is more than a series of performances – it’s an immersive experience with workshops, jams, dances, and more.
If someone is coming to Wintergrass for the first time, what part of the festival do you think will surprise or delight them the most, and why?

The activity in the hallways always surprises first-time attendees. All hallways and exhibit areas are open to the public, so wanderers can plant themselves by a jam and listen to music, or go into the Builders Room and examine a stunning array of finely crafted instruments while visiting with the luthiers.

Music education – for adults and youth – is central to Wintergrass.
Can you talk about the role workshops, intensives, and youth programs play in the festival, and how they help connect audiences more deeply to the music?

It’s simple. We’ve been raising our own audience since day one. The best way to fill seats is to teach people to play the music they listen to. But more than that, we believe music for a lifetime for all is critical for humanity. We know the joy of playing music with others is something anyone of any age can experience if given just a bit of knowledge.

One of the most popular workshops presented is the Two-Chord Songs Session. Pre-schoolers learn basic rhythm. Older kids learn not only to play those two, maybe three-chord songs, but also to perform them. High school kids are prepped for a career in music. People of any age participate in the Never Too Late Session, which is exactly what it sounds like: it is never too late to pick up an instrument and learn how to play it. Music and friendship are good for the soul. I could go on.

After four days of music, learning, and connection, what do you hope attendees – especially first-timers – carry with them when they leave Wintergrass 2026?

First and foremost, new friendships. We love connecting people to jams, like the ones hosted by the Outlander Bluegrass Social Club in Seattle. But we also hope we’ve sparked an interest in picking up violins or sitting down at the pianos that have been gathering dust. We also know many folks discover music they’ve never heard before and learn to not just love it, but seek it out. So when Wintergrass bands play at clubs or theaters in the hometowns of Wintergrass attendees, there is an eager audience awaiting them.

To learn more about Wintergrass, visit wintergrass.com

Wintergrass 2026 Lineup:

Danny Paisley & The Southern Grass
Woody Platt & The Bluegrass Gentlemen
Melissa Carper
New Dangerfield
Mr. Sun
John Reischman & The Jaybirds
The Paperboys
Väsen
The Fretless
Caleb Klauder & Reeb Willms Country Band
Same Street Band with Darol Anger
Bruce Molsky & Brittany Hass
Biribá Union
Missy Raines & Allegheny
Mollie O’Brien & Rich Moore
Pine Leaf Boys
Jerron Paxton
Hanneke Cassel Trio
Jordan Tice Trio
Joachim Cooder
Fog Holler
Nina Gerber & Chris Webster
Madeleine Roger
Sons of Rainier
The Horsenecks
Squirrel Butter
Briarfinch
Hillman City Sway