As she prepares to roll the carpet out for this year’s Sierra Nevada World Music Festival (SNWMF), Gretchen Smith notes the long-running event’s unofficial mantra which greets guests every year.

“The sign at the front gate reads: ‘Enter in Love. Come in Peace. But Don’t Forget your Dancin’ Feet’,” she said.

There is expected to be a lot of dancing at the June 21-23 show, which takes place at Mendocino County Fairgrounds in Booneville, Northern California. It was first held in 1994 by Warren Smith, Gretchen’s husband who died in January, 2021.

Staying true to form, SNWMF 2024 features an eclectic lineup of rock steady, roots-reggae, dancehall and world music. Leroy Sibbles, The Tennors, Ranking Joe, Barrington Levy, Beres Hammond, Terry Linen, Steel Pulse, Koffee and Stonebwoy are just some of the artistes on the card.

The SNWMF returned in 2023 after a five-year absence. For Gretchen, it was bittersweet; there was a strong turnout but her husband was not there to celebrate its resounding comeback.

“It was amazing. A joyful reunion. Everyone was happy to be together. SNWMF hadn’t gathered as a community for five years—a long separation during which we weathered the pandemic years. SNWMF 2023 was for Warren and that was very special. It was a perfect homecoming,” she said.

Warren Smith was from Northern California and a stalwart of the Golden State’s reggae movement that exploded during the 1990s. In 1975, he debuted as a reggae promoter at San Francisco’s Winterland Auditorium with a show featuring Inner Circle, Dennis Brown and Toots and The Maytals.

He would stage similar events in California and Jamaica, before launching the SNWMF 30 years ago in Marysville, a city in Northern California. It has hosted a who’s who of roots-reggae and world music, a mix Gretchen Smith credits for making their event arguably the most enduring of its kind in the United States.

“SNWMF is known for being an incredibly uplifting experience. The amazingly positive vibes are created by the diverse community of music and nature lovers that gather each year. Many folks, including us, consider the annual festival a family reunion. The music brings us together,” she stated.

(Photo contributed)

Impression of Sierra Nevada World Music Festival 2023