2025 events are listed below 

(either page down or click on specific event for more detail)

jam sessions and banjo workshops
The jam sessions are run on the second Sunday of the month, year-round.  The old-time jam is the first half (2:00-3:30pm) and bluegrass jam the second half (3:30-5:00pm).  You can come for one. or the other, or both! The Banjo Workshops (booking essential) are between 2pm and 4pm.

Second Sunday – Old Time and Bluegrass Music Jam Sessions 
Second Sunday – Banjo Workshop

1st February – Rain Of Animals (UK)
31st January – BB and Alex (USA)



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Second Sunday each month – Jam Sessions and Banjo workshop



Held on the second Sunday afternoon of each month between 2pm and 3:30pm for the Old Time Music jam session and 3:30pm to 5pm for the Bluegrass Music jam session – at the Petone Community Centre.

And Banjo Workshops are available – needing advance booking for a 2pm to 4pm workshop – at the Petone Community Centre.

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Saturday 1st February – concert – Rain Of Animals (UK)

Rain Of Animals from the UK are the euphonious collaboration between Pepita Emmerichs (Oh Pep!) and Theodore Barnard (Wire & Wool) and their love of all things mandolin, fiddle, guitar, harmony vocals, bluegrass, oldtime, swing, tunes and songs. Spanning soulful originals to arrangements of classics and gems of rarities you wish you had discovered earlier, their sound is both new and old, unique in it’s instrumental wizardry and musical integrity all at once. Steeped in a passion for acoustic music, the duo formed after an impromptu jam in a legendary Melbourne Irish bar, and in this vein have continued to perform, write and tour together since 2018.

Recorded during the depths of lockdown in rural central Scotland, their album Nali’s World represents the previous few years’ worth of instrumental fiddle tunes that were composed by Pepi And Theo throughout their travels in Australia, Scotland and Europe. The melodies are inspired by treasured landscapes and people they encountered along the way; a guitar, fiddle, and mandolin never far from reach. Self-produced and recorded (playing all instruments including double bass, cello, mandocello and tenor guitar) in their humble home studio, the tracks were then sent to esteemed Nashville engineer Sean Sullivan (Molly Tuttle, Sturgill Simpson) to be mixed. The result is a collection of lush arrangements of emotive tunes that proudly encapsulate the debut Rain Of Animals offering. Since it’s release they have toured extensively throughout the UK, Europe and Australia and collaborated with artists such as Stereo Naked, Harry Bird, Barry Nisbet and Good Guy Hank on various recordings and shows. Most recently ‘Lover Part 1′ was recorded and released in September 23′. It is Rain Of Animals’ first offering in song form and an indication of what is to come in their forthcoming sophomore album!

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Friday 31st January – concert – BB and Alex (USA)

BB Bowness and Alex Rubin, with special guest Rob Henderson

BB Bowness (banjo) and Alex Rubin (guitar) from the USA have been making music together for the last decade and continue to bring their euphoric energy to stages around the world. Since first meeting in the vibrant Boston music scene, they have fused their love of bluegrass and traditional roots music into something fresh and unique. Combining their technical mastery with reverence for tradition, Alex and BB are not to be missed.

Alex Rubin
A member of the April Verch Band from 2016-2020, Alex has toured extensively both at home and internationally, including performances in 49 states and abroad. Alex developed a love for acoustic and traditional music while attending Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. Graduating with a degree in Neurobiology in 2011, Alex returned to the vibrant Boston music scene, studying privately with Berklee School of Music’s ineffable John McGann. Since then, Alex has performed around the world on distinguished stages including at Merlefest, Australia’s National Folk Festival, Estonia’s Viljandi Folk Festival, Kaustinen Folk Festival in Finland, the Vancouver Island Musicfest and more. Alex is also the winner of the 2022 Freshgrass Guitar Competition. Currently, Alex lives in Cambridge, MA and is working on a solo acoustic guitar record.

BB Bowness
Born in the small town of Marton, New Zealand, Catherine “BB” Bowness spent her early years working and living in her family’s Fish-and-Chip shop. Although an unlikely origin for a bluegrass banjo player, New Zealand would offer BB her first introduction to the instrument, sparking a lifelong love and fascination. A world away from the heart of bluegrass, BB spent much of her childhood teaching herself the instrument, and through dedication and tenacity became New Zealand School of Music’s first banjo student, graduating with a bachelor of music in jazz performance. After moving to Boston in 2012, she co-founded her current group, Mile Twelve who have won numerous IBMA awards, including 2020 New Artists of the Year. BB won the 2015 Freshgrass Banjo contest and was awarded the Steve Martin Banjo Prize in 2020.

Rob Henderson
known to many through his bass playing with the superb NZ bluegrass band You, Me, Everybody, he got together with BB and Alex in 2024 via an internet video link and they hit it off! Alex and BB were so impressed with their online jam they decided to get together for a special once only NZ show at the Wellington Bluegrass Society!

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