Laurie Lewis & Friends with opener Bluegrass Holiday in Concert at UU Petaluma’s Sanctuary Series

Laurie Lewis, with opener Bluegrass Holiday, come to the intimate setting of the sanctuary at the Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma in a concert on Sunday, July 19, at 4 p.m..

Grammy-award winning songwriter and bluegrass icon Lewis brings her band of music-makers once again to UU Petaluma, re-creating that cozy feeling from the days when she regularly played at the old Roaring Donkey on Kentucky Street. You can expect to feel that you are in the presence of beauty, accomplishment, and something truly special. 

Providing an opening set will be Sonoma County’s own Bluegrass Holiday. Bluegrass Holiday is a top bluegrass band based in the North Bay area of Marin and Sonoma Counties. They entertain audiences with traditional bluegrass that will have them out of their seats dancing one minute and crying in their beer the next. The Bluegrass Holiday musicians bring that crisp 3-part harmony that marks the bluegrass vocal style as well as flashy, hotshot instrumentals. Formed in 2023, they’ve played the Cline Country Bluegrass Festival, Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, San Francisco Bluegrass and Old Time Festival, and the Vern’s Stage and the Father’s Day Festival of the California Bluegrass Association. They can be found entertaining audiences throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

“We’re excited to bring a new and beautiful listening room to the already rich Petaluma musical landscape,” says David Dodd, one of the series organizers. “The church sanctuary is an acoustical gem, and we are happy to offer this space for pure musical enjoyment.” The building, a 1901 Italian Gothic Revival gem by noted Petaluma architect Brainerd Jones, is undergoing restoration by the congregation. Dodd says that the UU congregation plans to utilize these concerts to raise awareness of the need for defense of our migrant neighbors in the face of ever-increasing threats of deportation. 

This is an all-ages event, with no alcohol served–just some snacks and drinks for a late afternoon concert. A suggested donation at the door–no advance ticket sales–of $25 will go directly to the artists, and a free-will offering will be taken to support efforts by the Sonoma County Sanctuary Coalition. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Doors open at 3:30, so plan to arrive early to get a good seat!