Hermitfest West
Annual Ebbetts Pass Scenic Celebration & Music Festival
SEPTEMBER 12th, 2026 -SEPTEMBER 13th, 2026• FREE!
Hermitfest T-Shirts will be available at HermitFest!!
We invite you to join us in Bear Valley to enjoy one of the year’s last free, outdoor, live music events. The centerpiece of our celebration will again be our day-long, live music event at the Ball Field in Bear Valley, affectionately known as “Hermitfest West.” Visitors may want to consider making a weekend of it and check out the entire Scenic Byway from Arnold to Markleeville. As we always say, “Come Play on the Pass” with us and September is a great time to visit the mountains.
This is a family-friendly event with a kid’s activity area, and we welcome your children, but please keep the little ones in your sight.
This is a Tobacco Free event. In light of the fire danger and concerns with second hand smoke and tobacco waste, we ask you to avoid smoking of any substance, vaping, or tobacco use within the event boundaries. Let’s help keep the forest, ourselves and our kids healthy year round! Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Visit Alpine Tobacco Free for more resources.
Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be available for sale, including options for vegetarians, but you are also welcome to bring your own.
2026 Food Vendor List:
Bear Valley Adventure Company
Cowboy Caribe’s BBQ
Dao’s Delights
Jonesing for Java
Los Pinos Taqueria
Pizza B Goode
Wild Ginger
Cell service and wifi can be iffy in Bear Valley so consider bringing some cash.
Afternoon appetizers and specialty drinks will be provided free of charge by invitation only to our event sponsors, entertainers, and volunteers.
No alcohol will be sold at this event. Attendees are welcome to bring their own picnic, including food and drinks.
Expect to see old favorites and a new headliner. You’ll notice that we’ve adjusted the schedule so the headliner will play earlier followed by an opportunity for the artists to play together and there’s rumors of a late night jam session that you’ll be welcome to join.
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
Noonish: Deep Thicket Dwellers
1:30 pm: Grover Anderson & The Lampoliers
3:30 pm: The HighLife Band
5:30 pm: Dinner Break
6:30 pm: Greg Sutton & Friends
7:30 pm: The Hermitfest All Stars
Schedule is subject to change
Don’t forget a chair, blanket, warm clothes for the evening (temperatures change quickly in the mountains), and your dancing shoes. Please be considerate of others and keep any shade covers or tall chairs further toward the back.
2026 Vendors and Local Organizations represented include:
Alpen Glow Spa & Gym
Arnold Rim Trail
Aspen Forest Home
Bear Valley Mountain Resort
Bohemian Butterfly Sisterhood and Izzy’s Closet
Cal Fire Tuolumne-Calaveras Unit
Canyon Top Creations
Cedar & Stone Spa
The Copper Mobile
Ebbetts Pass Forest Watch
Flower Power Body Care
Fun Fine Artist
Girl on a Scooter
Got Glass
Granados Forge
Heart & Soul Sanctuary
Lackler Ceramics
Lilly & Rose Artisan
Motherlode Weavers & Spinners
PAWS – Performing Animals Wildlife Sanctuary
Potentilla Press
Ready California – St. Vincent de Paul
Sierra Sown
SNAC
Stone Dog Artistry
Sword in Stones Studio
Tallowme Moore Co.
US Forest Service – Stanislaus National Forest
And, of course, we’ll have a little Hermit and Byway swag available for sale including t-shirts, ball caps, and more.
Cell service and wifi can be iffy in Bear Valley so consider bringing some cash.
We welcome your children and even have activities for them but please don’t leave them unattended!
This years activities include a face painter, hula hoops, tie dye t-shirts (bring a white t-shirt), puppet show, games and toys. Check in at the activities area for a schedule on the day of the event.
Sunday morning brings yoga on the lawn from 9-10-a.m., a guided bike ride for beginners and intermediate levels hosted by Bear Valley Adventure Co. at 10 a.m. and live music from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wild Ginger will be offering breakfast, and The Red Apple will be selling their tasty pastries.
9:00 am Yoga on the grass with Alex Mannos
10:00 am Guided bike rides with the Bear Valley Adventure Company
10:10 am Kiana
10:45 am Lainy McGreen
11:25 am West Muir
12:05 pm Dominick Restivo
12:45 pm Desiree & Cyrus
1:25 pm Ty & Connor
Forest Service dispersed camping is available in the area with limited spaces directly adjacent to the ballfield. You’ll want to get there early to be near all the action. Additional camping is available at Lake Alpine, Silvertip, Spicer, Pacific Valley, and Hermit Valley. Big Meadow Campground is currently closed. Big Trees State Park also has developed campgrounds.
The Lodge in Bear Valley will offer a “two for less than one” Hermitfest Special for Friday through Sunday.
Some vacation rentals may also be available in the area. Check in with Bear Valley Real Estate for more information.
Please verify campfire restrictions with the Forest Service and plan accordingly. And, perhaps skip the fire this year given the high fire danger in the area.
Speaking of fire, please do not smoke any substances on County property or within the event area. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
You could also consider lodging and vacation rentals in the Arnold area. Please respect the guidelines of your hosts whether you are camping or taking advantage of lodging opportunities by leaving the area and leave the forest cleaner than you found it. Visit GoCalaveras and sort for lodging options all along Highway 4.
Given the dry conditions, we encourage you to skip the campfire this year. As of this date (a few weeks before the event) campfire permits are available at the Ranger Stations, but that may change as the season progresses.
Additional information on Forest Service campgrounds and restrictions is available here and here. They’ve asked us to remind you to camp at least 100′ from trails and high water lines of creeks.
Generous event parking will be available in the South Lot at Bear Valley (follow the signs). A trail leads from the parking lot to a highway crossing directly across from the Event Area. Please be cautious when driving in that area, as pedestrians may be crossing the road. Limited event parking is available in a small area between the Ballfield and the highway. Parking closer to the event is reserved for event staff, vendors, and those with accessible parking tags. Feel free to use that loop to drop off your family, friends, and gear, but please move your car promptly to another parking area so others can get through.
See a MAP of the event area here:
While we welcome your well-socialized dogs, please keep them on a six-foot leash and do not leave them unattended or locked in a vehicle.
Bear Valley is located on Highway 4 in the Stanislaus National Forest at about the 7100-foot elevation, about 25 miles east of Arnold, CA, and about 36 miles west of Markleeville. If you haven’t driven the pass before, remember that we are a scenic byway for good reason. If you are approaching from the east, the higher elevation portion of Highway 4 between Silver Creek on the east and Lake Alpine on the west is narrow, twisty, and steep, with many opportunities to get out of your car and take a closer look. The route over the top is not recommended for large RVs or trailers. If you are approaching from the west, there are no restrictions.
The Bear Valley Ballfield (Grizzly Field) is located on the south side of Highway 4 just a little ways past the entrance to Bear Valley. There will be banners marking the entrance to the event area at the Highway. There is limited parking and camping available next to the event area. Parking is available in the South Lot in Bear Valley and there are trails to the event area and signs marking the pedestrian crossing areas. See our Parking tab for more information.
See a map of the event area here.
If you are approaching the event site from the east, stop by the Alpine County Chamber of Commerce offices in downtown Markleeville, where they will have maps, cold drinks, and lots of information about things to do over the weekend. On the Arnold side, you may want to visit the Logging Museum, hike a portion of the Arnold Rim Trail, or stop at Calaveras Big Trees State Park to admire the Giant Sequoias. Or stop at the Calaveras Visitor & Wine Center on Main Street in Murphys. The pools at Grover Hot Springs State Park, outside Markleeville, will be closed over the weekend but are open Mondays-Fridays. Check in with them for more details at. 530-694-2248.
There is a nice, very easy, 3 mile trail leaving from the front of the event area and terminating at Lake Alpine. The trail is easy to follow and appropriate for hiking or biking. It roughly parallels the highway until it turns down towards the lake. There is signage, and the trail is in good condition. It might make a nice Sunday hike before heading out. We will have a few Sunday morning activities in the ballfield including music, a yoga session led by popular local teacher, Alex Mannos, and guided bike rides.
The current weather forecast is for warm temperatures, mostly sunny skies, and no rain, but you know the Sierra, conditions can change quickly, so come prepared with warmer clothes to layer on, especially if you plan to camp or stay for late night music. And, don’t forget your dancing shoes!
10 Day Weathercast posted on September 3rd, 2026:
