Crag Rats Centennial

Beargrass Music Festival

At Tilly Jane (next year).

EVENT LOCATION CHANGE! Due to smoke from the Grasshopper Fire, this year the festival will take place at the Mt Hood Town Hall, near Parkdale. Next year at Tilly Jane.

“Where bluegrass meets beargrass”

Venue changed to Mt. Hood Town Hall!

Planning Info for Guests

Emails are being sent to those who’ve bought tickets. The information presented here is subject to change. There will be a final email with the latest info on 8/12/26. If you have questions, please use the comment section at the end of this Google Form.

New Venue: Mt. Hood Town Hall (near Parkdale)

Due to wildfire smoke that frequently drifts in from the Grasshopper Fire just east of Mt. Hood, we’ve had to change the festival’s location for this year. The photo above from Sunday evening shows that even with westerlies, Mt. Hood can create an eddy that pulls smoke onto the mountain’s flank. We can’t risk this happening just before the festival. So we’ve moved it to the Mt. Hood Town Hall. Please enter this into your online map of choice. It’s on Hwy 35 just northeast of Parkdale.

If you’ve paid for a van-ride up to Tilly Jane, we’ll reimburse that portion of your ticket purchase.

In 2027 we’ll bring the festival to Tilly Jane earlier in the summer, when the ground is moist and the flowers are blooming. Maybe we’ll even have beargrass! As a thank you to those who stick with us through this challenging year, we’ll be offering an incentive toward the 2027 festival. Stay tuned.

Schedule for the day:

Saturday, August 15 

11:00 a.m. | Festival opens. Food, drinks, and merch available. But you’re welcome to arrive earlier.

11:45 a.m. | Welcoming remarks (histories of Tilly Jane, the amphitheater, Mt. Hood Town Hall, Crag Rats, state of the Grasshopper Fire, etc).

Let the music begin!

12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. | Jess Clemons

1:15 p.m. – 1:40 p.m. | Break / Changeover

1:40 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. | The Quilt Show

2:55 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. | Break / Changeover

3:20 p.m. – 4:35 p.m. | Dadweed

4:35 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Break / Changeover

5:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. | Chicken $#!t Gamblers 

6:15 p.m. – 6:40 p.m. | Break / Changeover

6:40 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Never Come Down 

Music ends.

What to bring:

  • Campchair (low ones preferred!) or blanket

  • Sun hat

  • Sunscreen

  • Credit card for drinks, food, merch (no cash!)

  • Water bottle

Rules:

  • Have fun!

  • Respect others

  • No smoking, matches or lighters (fire danger)

  • Dogs on leash and quiet, poop picked up promptly

Emergencies:

  • There is a first-aid tent 

  • Cell phone service is good

  • Several Crag Rat doctors and nurses are on site

Food and beverages:

  • Food truck on site (hot and cold sandwiches)

  • Homemade ice cream truck on site

  • Snacks for sale 

  • Beer for sale

  • Wine for sale

  • Water for free

  • Aluminum mugs for beer and water available at $1 each (or use your own)

Parking:

  • Parking on or near site. Attendants will help you find a spot. Be careful if you have to cross Hwy 35.

Camping:

  • Nearby drive-up campgrounds at Toll Bridge and Tucker Park are first-come, first-served. There’s also Lost Lake if you can find a spot.

Video:

  • We will likely make a crowd-sourced film about the festival. We encourage you to film whatever you find interesting. We’ll supply a link to upload the videos and photos you’re willing to share.

Getting there:

  • Enter “Mt Hood Town Hall” into your map app of choice.

Meet the Bands

  • Never Come Down

    Weaving together modern and traditional styles of American music, Never Come Down is a Portland, Oregon based band composed of Joe Suskind (guitar), Crystal Lariza (vocals), Lillian Sawyer (fiddle), and Kaden Hurst (mandolin). Their dedication to thoughtful songwriting and dynamic arrangements highlight polished technical skills and a commitment to listening to each other.

    https://nevercomedownband.com/

  • Dadweed

    Dadweed is an acoustic trio based out of Portland, OR. Reimagining pickin' and thumpin' by blending elements of jazz/folk/pop/R&B within a traditional bluegrass lens, their sets explore a wide variety of styles and dynamics – with a focus on improvisation – showcasing both covers and originals. Dadweed strives to redefine what's possible in bluegrass.

    https://dadweedpdx.com/

  • Chicken $#!t Gamblers

    The Chicken $#!t Gamblers have been honing their harmonies and melting bluegrass pickin’, rhythmic jams, pop culture inspired bluegrass medleys and smooth 3 part vocal harmonies since 2017. The group has locked into a steady rhythm of performing rowdy and explosive shows around the pacific northwest.

    https://chickenshitgamblers.wordpress.com/

The information below is for those who might join us in 2027, this time in the Amphitheater at Tilly Jane.

Celebrating 100 Years of Mountain Rescue on Mt. Hood

The Hood River Crag Rats launched in 1926 to formalize a band of Hood River Valley mountain enthusiasts who’d already been called on for multiple rescues on the flanks of Mt. Hood. In so doing, we became the first dedicated mountain rescue organization in the nation—and one of the first in the world. In 2026 we’re celebrating our legacy with various parties, the most fun of which will be a bluegrass and Americana music festival in the amphitheater at Tilly Jane on August 15, 2026.

The festival has sold out, so this information is only for those who’ve already bought tickets.

Planning Info for Guests

Emails are being sent to those who’ve bought tickets. The information presented here is subject to change. There will be a final email with the latest info on 8/12/26. If you have questions, please use the comment section at the end of this Google Form.

Schedule for the day:

Saturday, August 15 

7:00 a.m. | Cooper Spur Ski Area parking lot opens

9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. | There’s a surprise halfway up the trail. Allow at least 15 minutes for a break here.

9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. | Shuttle bus departures (if you’ve bought van-rides or want backpacks hauled up, please fill out this form). 

11:00 a.m. | Festival opens. Food, drinks, and merch available. But you’re welcome to arrive earlier.

11:45 a.m. | Welcoming remarks (history of Tilly Jane, the amphitheater, Crag Rats, etc).

Let the music begin!

12:00 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. | Jess Clemons  

1:15 p.m. – 1:40 p.m. | Break / Changeover

1:40 p.m. – 2:55 p.m. | The Quilt Show

2:55 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. | Break / Changeover

3:20 p.m. – 4:35 p.m. | Dadweed

4:35 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Break / Changeover

5:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m. | Chicken $#!t Gamblers 

6:15 p.m. – 6:40 p.m. | Break / Changeover

6:40 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Never Come Down 

Music ends. Time to head down the dusty trail (unless you’re camping).

8:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Shuttle bus departures from Tilly Jane (just for those who’ve bought van-rides).

Sunday, August 16

The parking lot exit at Cooper Spur Ski Area closes Sunday at 1 p.m.! If you’ve camped at Tilly Jane, be sure your car doesn’t get trapped inside the parking lot! (If you’re going to be later, be sure to park in the Tilly Jane Snowpark parking area below the Cooper Spur Ski Area gate.)

What to bring:

  • Headlamp for descent

  • Dust mask for trail

  • Jacket for evening

  • Sun hat

  • Sunscreen

  • Pad/blanket for bench

  • Credit card for drinks, food, merch (no cash!)

  • Water bottle for the hike up

Hiking up:

  • 3 miles uphill

  • 1,800 feet vertical gain

  • Festival is at 5,700 feet

  • Allow 2 hours hiking-time up (plus 15 minute break)

  • It’s dusty! Consider a mask

Driving up:

  • Please don’t!

  • If you’re camping Friday night and must drive, beware that parking lot could be quite full

  • If you’re driving up Saturday despite our pleas, beware the slow, bumpy, crowded, dusty road. Allow an hour. Parking could be a nightmare

  • Van rides were purchased earlier and tickets are not available on site

Rules:

  • Have fun!

  • Respect others

  • No smoking, matches or lighters anywhere (fire danger)

  • Don’t walk on the benches

  • Dogs on leash and quiet

Emergencies:

  • There is a first-aid tent 

  • Cell phone service is spotty but generally possible

  • Several Crag Rat doctors and nurses are on site

Food and beverages:

  • Food truck on site (hot and cold sandwiches)

  • Homemade ice cream truck on site

  • Snacks for sale 

  • Beer for sale

  • Wine for sale

  • Water for free

  • Aluminum mugs for beer and water available at $1 each (or use your own)

Camping:

  • Festival-style camping (camp anywhere in Tilly Jane Campground or around the A-Frame as long as you don’t damage living plants)

  • No charge for camping

  • No fires

  • If you’re camping, please fill out this form

Video:

  • We will likely make a crowd-sourced film about the festival. We encourage you to film whatever you find interesting. We’ll supply a link to upload the videos and photos you’re willing to share.

Maps:

Getting there: Enter “Cooper Spur Family Ski Area” into your map app of choice.

To load the maps below onto your phone (CalTopo app): http://caltopo.com/m/0SVHN0P or use QR:

Where Bluegrass Meets Beargrass

A century ago the American Legion built an amphitheater next to the Tilly Jane Campsite. Among multiple decades’ worth of events held here were musical performances ahead of the annual mass ascents of the Cooper Spur Route on Mt. Hood (near the left skyline in this photo), guided by Crag Rats. For our centennial celebration, 21st century Rats have invited several local bands to perform here from noon to 8 pm on Saturday, August 15, 2026.


This fundraising event will raise money for restoration work on historic recreation buildings on Mt. Hood. Any additional money raised will be donated to restoration work on the nearby Cloud Cap Inn, which is maintained by the Crag Rats.

This event is being held on National Forest land with generous cooperation from the Forest Service.

 

Hike Up, Don’t Be a Dusty Driver!

Attendance will be strictly limited to 300 people and we’re hoping the great majority of you make the two-hour hike up the stunningly beautiful Tilly Jane Trail or its equally beautiful and less popular sister, the Pollalie Trail (and hike back down also, of course). There will be entertainment en-route and raffles just for hikers. But we do offer van transportation at a higher price to those who can’t do the hike.

More Info

  • We ask that you not drive your own car up the Cloud Cap Road on the Saturday of the music festival. It’s a rough, dusty road that could use a break—besides, it would be awfully crowded with so many cars.

  • The Lost Lake Resort (which maintains the Tilly Jane Campground) has generously donated all the paid sites to the Beargrass Music Festival. We are also in the process of clearing debris from the entire area so you can “festival” camp wherever you find a spot within the area the Forest Service considers safe. If you’re camping, you’re welcome to drive up on Friday, but we ask that you please not drive on Saturday.

  • Mt Hood Meadows Resort (owner of Cooper Spur Ski Area) is providing its parking lot for the festival on Saturday. The parking lot will be closed at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Be sure that your car is not trapped inside!

    Contrary to our earlier plans, food will NOT be sold in the Cooper Spur parking lot. However, the restrooms are open.

  • You can give your gear (tents, packs, whatever) a lift in the back of the shuttle buses, which will depart the Cooper Spur parking lot from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. There are no arrangements for driving packs down on Sunday, but you should be able to find other campers with cars who can bring your gear down if needed.

  • In addition to the Forest Service toilet, there will be multiple portapotties and a handwashing station. Those so inclined are encouraged to pee in the forest, but use the toilets for more serious business.

  • There will be a stand-up “beer garden” with great views over the amphitheater and all the music. There will also be a sandwich truck (hot and cold) and a homemade ice cream truck. There will also be a few snacks for sale. We wouldn’t want you to get hangry!

  • The only reason we can imagine closing the event would be in case of forest fires. In this highly unfortunate case, we will offer refunds, though we’ll ask you to consider donating your ticket cost to our cause, which is fundraising for maintenance of structures in the Tilly Jane Historic District. Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that!

  • The trail from the Cooper Spur resort parking lot to the amphitheater at Tilly Jane is very well marked and maintained. You’ll also find maps on this page.