By Kyler Klix
Sunday, May 4, 2025
Last year, it was questionable whether High Sierra Music Festival could continue, but the organizers found a way to put on the event for its 33rd year. The family-friendly festival is known for multiple music genres and many activities, including music fans camping out and enjoying the outdoors in Quincy, California.
The festival is set for July 3 to 6 at the Plumas County Fairgrounds.
The organizers are taking a different approach this year to cut costs, but Dave Margulies said the event will still offer as much as they have in the past, and the experience should remain the same. Margulies, a co-producer of the festival, said the biggest reduction is how they spend their money on the performers.
“We’re not chasing a big-name talent for the sake of having a big-name talent because what that does is break the bank,” he said. “It (the experience) hasn’t been about one or two bands; it’s about the collective of what happens at High Sierra and the opportunity to discover some new bands along with some established bands they know.”
This year’s lineup includes more than 55 artists, many of whom are returning artists and some up-and-coming newcomers, something the festival is known for.
“There are tons of great new bands and that has always been the strength of High Sierra, which is to uncover new talent,” Margulies said.
SAME EXPERIENCE, WITH MORE
Besides foregoing bigger-name talent, High Sierra will still have four stages with all the same programming and activities from morning through the late night.
“Most of the experience people know and love will remain the same with the kids’ program and daily parades, the ‘daily swirl’ alcohol tastings, troubadour sessions, playshops and all the signature things that make High Sierra what it is will remain the same,” Margulies said.
Plus, there will be plenty of fun in the campground, with some larger camps usually hosting bands and cooking out. There are so many activities that attendees must pick and choose. Many will tell you that the hardest part about the music festival is that you won’t be able to see everything.
“I’ve looked at the grid and seen a lot of conflicts myself,” Margulies said. “There’s no other way around it. Part of the experience is that you want to be in two places at once.”
The only major change people will see will be the music on the Grandstand Stage starting later in the day, and there will be more shaded areas at that stage. Last year’s festival was the hottest on record, and with the midday sun out in full force, many fans didn’t venture out until later.
“The bands didn’t like it, and there were very few people in the audience which wasn’t fair to the artists or patrons,” Margulies said. “So, we’re ensuring it is a better experience by starting later in the day and bringing in more shade for people.”
The festival will be adding 14 hours’ worth of programming in the old Funk-N Jamhouse, which is getting rebranded and repurposed as the Lagniappe Lounge.
“It’s a Cajun phrase that literally translates to ‘a little something extra,’” Margulies said. “We’re reducing the programming here (the Grandstand), so we have to give them a little something more.”
Bands will play this stage from noon to 2 a.m. The venue will have furniture and air conditioning for fans to relax and get out of the sun.
This year, the festival will have a “glamping” option, for those who don’t want to carry their gear to the festival and set up camp. There will be climate-controlled tents with beds in one of the prime locations outside of the grandstand entrance.
UNIQUE OFFERINGS
Festivals are known for multiple bands and stages over a few days, but High Sierra has a different environment that invites more collaboration. Margulies said it’s a “musician’s festival” because the artists love to play there.
“It’s the community of musicians and the way we structure acts where most get to play more than once,” he said. “Which gives artists an opportunity to integrate and hang at the festival for more than one day.”
In this type of environment, touring musicians get to hang out with each other and relax instead of rushing to the next venue. Margulies said this is where invitations are extended for sit-ins on sets, which can create a unique experience for everyone.
“That’s always been an integral part of the High Sierra experience and part of the magic the festival has created,” he said.
The festival is also known for the Artist Playshops. These are special sets of music where some bands do something different than their regular performance, such as a tribute or a collaboration. Some sets are recurring themes each year like Guitarmageddon, 50 Years in the Rearview (songs picked from whatever was popular in that year 50 years ago).
“They are one-of-a-kind performances you won’t see at other festivals,” Margulies said.
THE FUTURE/SUSTAINABILITY
Margulies said they are calling this year a “transition year” in light of the changes, but he also said this is a make-or-break year for them. The festival had help from a federally-funded grant that was given to independent promoters, which helped them in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
“We received enough money to make up for the losses we’ve experienced the last three years, and all that reserve money is gone,” Margulies said.
He said they are now in a position where they are fully reliant on the community to support them, and if they can make it through 2025 without losing money, then they will continue in the future.
“We’ve had that trust from our community for 33 years now, and we’re leaning into that trust that people will understand, and we will curate an amazing four-day weekend,” he said.
Margulies said the price of the festival is a great value for how much music is offered. For about $350, that’s about $7 a band, with camping included, he said.
“Everybody is raising ticket prices, but we’re not raising ours,” he said. “It is one of your best values dollar for dollar.”
Visit highsierramusic.com for tickets and information.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: High Sierra Music Festival
WHERE: Plumas County Fairgrounds, 204 Fairground Road, Quincy, Calif.
WHEN: July 3-6
MORE INFO: highsierramusic.com
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