Milestones in the history of the
Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Association
September
1975 |
A preliminary newsletter is sent
to a mailing list from personal address books. |
October
1975 |
The first "official" newsletter
is mailed to a new membership of 40. |
November
1975 |
The first MBOTMA logo appears
in the masthead of the newsletter. |
February
1976 |
A benefit mini festival is held
at the Cedar Theatre in Minneapolis. |
August
1976 |
MBOTMA is incorporated
in Minnesota as a non-profit.
MBOTMA puts on a one-day festival in Shakopee called
Summer 1. |
November
1976 |
MBOTMA puts on a concert
with Bill Monroe at Orchestra Hall. |
January
1977 |
The first pictures appear in the
newsletter; they are of the Christmas Party. |
March
1977 |
A benefit mini festival is held
at Withrow Ballroom. |
April
1977 |
The newsletter takes the form
of a booklet instead of loose pages stapled together. |
June
1977 |
The first 3-day festival held
in Elk River. |
July
1977 |
MBOTMA presents Jimmy
Martin. |
August
1977 |
MBOTMA presents the Osborne
Brothers. |
July
1978 |
A benefit mini-festival is held
in Withrow at Zahler's Ballroom (repeated Oct '78 and '79.) |
February
1980 |
The first ever Buy, Sell, Swap
meet (Winter Bluegrass Weekend) is held at "the Sheraton
Inn NW. |
May
1980 |
The current MBOTMA logo
appears in the masthead of the newletter. |
August
1980 |
The second ever first annual festival
is held in Taylor's Falls |
August
1981 |
The second ever second annual
festival is held in Taylor's Falls |
November
1982 |
MBOTMA puts on a concert
with Bill Monroe at Orchestra Hall. |
November
1984 |
MBOTMA is reincorporated
into a 501( c )3 non-profit. |
January
1986 |
Larry Jones, MBOTMA's president,
is installed on the IBMA's
first board of directors. |
February
1986 |
MBOTMA is recorded as being
a founding member of the IBMA in the Associations Category. |
June
1986 |
The newsletter
takes the name Inside Bluegrass. |
April
1988 |
The first MBOTMA benefit
is held at Dulono's Pizza. |
August
1988 |
The August festival moves to Camp
in the Woods, Zimmerman. |
August
1989 |
The festival opens with a permanent
stage built by volunteers. |
| 1992 |
MBOTMA releases The Minnesota
Album, a studio project featuring 19 member bands. |
June
1993 |
The first Minnesota
Homegrown Kickoff is held in Zimmerman. |
| 1993 |
MBOTMA releases The Zimmerman
Tapes, a live project featuring 21 member bands. |
March
1994 |
The Winter
Bluegrass Weekend moves to the Radisson Hotel in Plymouth |
May
1997 |
MBOTMA's founder, Tom
O'Neill, passed away May 7, 1997. |
| 1999 |
MBOTMA releases Hand Stitched,
a studio project featuring 19 member bands. |
November
2000 |
MBOTMA celebrates its 25th anniversary
with an awards banquet and gala at the Radisson Hotel in
Plymouth. |
| 2001 |
Jed Malischke is hired as MBOTMA's
first professional executive director. |
August, 2001 |
Our last festival at Camp in the
Woods. Onward to El Rancho Manana! |
| 2002 |
Summer festivals take place at
El Rancho Manana on a temporary stage with canvas awnings. |
| June 2003 |
The Minnesota Homegrown Kickoff
is held on the partially constructed new stage. Much of
the work was contributed by MBOTMA volunteers. |
| August 2003 |
The stage at El Rancho Manana
is completed, including custom lighting and landscaping,
in time for the Minnesota Bluegrass & Old-Time Music
Festival. |
| December 2005 |
MBOTMA celebrates its 30th anniversary
with a Holiday Jamboree at the Radisson Hotel in
Plymouth, planned to be a new annual event. In 2006 the
event is moved to November and becomes the Harvest
Jamboree, a 2-day fall festival with national and regional
acts, workshops and a band competition. |
