PLACERVILLE, Calif. – From the folks who brought you Hangtown Halloween Ball, the best Halloween party in the Sierra is back and waiting for your smiling faces to join them October 16 – 18, 2026, for three unforgettable days and nights of music at the Hangtown Music Festival. The lineup is stacked, and the party is back at the beautiful El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville, Calif. Protected by towering Italian Cypress trees, the fairgrounds make for a stunning venue familiar to many musicians and attendees. Everything in the grounds is a short, easy walk away, making the weekend a breeze with the best live music always at your fingertips. This festival loves to make the weekend easy, which is why all late-night shows are included in the cost of the weekend pass! No more deciding which late nights to fork up the extra cash for, just show up and enjoy all the music the whole time.
The headliners this year are an incredible mix of talented musicians, each bringing their own unique and spooky vibe to the party. On Friday and Saturday night, Leftover Salmon will grace the stage with their unique psychedelic blend of Bluegrass, Americana, Rock and Zydeco on both Friday and Saturday night, a focal point of the festival. They always bring an abundance of energy to their festival sets and keep the crowd moving. I’ve never seen a boring Salmon set (and I’ve seen lots of their sets). Vince Hermann is a wonderful vibe maestro leading the charge, with other founding member Drew Emmit absolutely ripping it up on his mandolin. Andy Thorn, serenader of wild foxes, will be pouring notes out of his banjo faster than you can think. Alwyn Robinson holds down the groove on the kit along with bassist Greg Garrison. Jay Starling is on both keys and dobro. These guys are seriously fun and not to be missed!
What a treat to get Devil Makes Three on Saturday of the Hangtime Music Festival! This power trio has created their own genre that lies somewhere in between the storytelling traditions of Americana and Folk, the rebellious spirit of Punk, soul of the Blues, and the raw twang of Bluegrass. Known for hits such as “Old Number Seven” and “The Plank”, their music is uniquely their own and there is no show quite like them. Their latest album, “Spirits”, has a quite spooky vibe to it making them an excellent fit for a music festival in October. They are sure to be a favorite set of the weekend at Hangtime!
Sunday night will feature Elephant Revival, a collection of multi-instrumentalists who blend elements of Americana, Folk, Indie, and Celtic music. The band consists of Bonnie Paine (vocals, cello, djembe, washboard, musical saw and stomp box) Bridget Law (fiddles, vocals), Dango Rose (upright bass, mandolin, banjo, vocals), and Darren Garvey (drums, percussion, vocals). They often have surprise guests join them, so I would bet on some sit-ins throughout their set featuring other Hangtime artists!
Speaking of other Hangtime artists, there are so many more notable acts on the lineup aside from the headliners. Sam Grisman Project and Hot Buttered Rum will bring that bluegrass get down you’ve been yearning for. Poor Man’s Whiskey Dark Side of The Moonshine will surely be a treat digging into the Pink Floyd discography. Tejon St. Corner Thieves will bring the self dubbed “trashgrass” vibes. Joe Craven and his daughter Hattie will be performing together in the Joe & Hattie Craven Quarter. Bison and Funky Frontier will bring the heat from Tahoe to remind you we know how to party about it up in these mountains.
Don’t wait any longer for prices to go up on this festival! You’ve heard all you need to hear, you know where the goods are this Halloween. Three days of Bluegrass, free late nights every night, three stages, and vibes so immaculate you can’t even comprehend it till you’re there.
Photos by Larry Sabo:
-Story By Dylan Bradley