Festival Music

Southern Comfort is an award-winning Classic Country band from Central California, bringing decades of sound and soul to every performance. With over 70 shows in 2025 alone, including an appearance at the 19th Annual Bakersfield Country Music Awards—where each member was honored with a Lifetime Award of Recognition—this seasoned group delivers music with authenticity and heart.

Their setlist spans the golden era of country music, from the 1940s through the 1980s, celebrating the legends and timeless songs that defined a generation. From honky-tonk favorites to heartfelt ballads, Southern Comfort creates a nostalgic, feel-good experience that invites audiences to sing along, dance, and relive the roots of classic country.

Join Southern Comfort inside the Butterfly Ballroom for a true taste of country tradition, right here at the Mariposa Butterfly Festival.

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Inky’s Basement Band brings a lively, feel-good sound that’s equal parts soulful, playful, and irresistibly fun. With a blend of blues, rock, and groove-driven rhythms, this band knows how to get a crowd moving and keep the energy high from the first note to the last.

Their sound is rich with personality—layered with expressive vocals, dynamic instrumentation, and a rhythm section that keeps things bouncing. Whether you’re dancing, clapping along, or just soaking in the music, Inky’s Basement Band delivers a performance that feels like a celebration.

🌲🎶 The Jespersons – Indie Folk from the Heart of the Sierra 🎶🌲

Live at the Mariposa Butterfly Festival!

Born in the shadows of Yosemite’s granite peaks, The Jespersons are an Indie Folk duo whose music feels like mountain air — fresh, earthy, and soul-stirring.

✨ Featuring Jared Jesperson, with his rock and jam band roots from Southern California, and Kaye Jesperson, whose folk, country, and gospel influences come from her homeland of New Zealand and Australia, this couple met in the mountains in 2010 and have been blending their voices and hearts ever since.

Their sound is grounded in tight, rich vocal harmonies and expressive instrumentation on cello, mandolin, and guitar — creating music that is evocative, uplifting, and deeply human.

🎵 Expect touches of bluegrass, blues, and jazz wrapped in an authentic folk spirit that will stay with you long after the last note fades.

Matthew McCormack is an Americana solo artist whose music blends heartfelt storytelling with rich acoustic soundscapes. Rooted in tradition yet deeply personal, his songs carry echoes of folk, country, and soul—creating a sound that feels both timeless and refreshingly authentic.

With a warm, engaging stage presence, Matthew invites listeners into each song, weaving melodies and lyrics that capture the spirit of open roads, quiet moments, and shared human experience. His performances create an atmosphere that is both intimate and uplifting, drawing audiences in and holding them there.

Join us inside the Butterfly Ballroom as Matthew McCormack takes the stage, bringing his signature Americana sound to the Mariposa Butterfly Festival.

🎶🌸 Mike Wichmann – A Local Favorite at the Mariposa Butterfly Festival! 🌸🎶

For over 30 years, Mike Wichmann has been a cornerstone of the Mariposa/Yosemite music scene — strumming his acoustic guitar and ukulele, singing stories that span decades and genres, and bringing people together through music.

As Mike says:

✨ “It’s a Mariposa thing — making our own entertainment and building community through music.” ✨

His performances are woven with memories, melodies, and meaning — songs you know and love, shared with heart and gratitude. From folk to classic rock to originals, Mike brings upbeat springtime vibes and a deep appreciation for the vibrant musical spirit of this small but mighty community.

🤠💃 Kick Up Your Boots with UPS Sue at the Mariposa Butterfly Festival! 💃🤠

Y’all better bring your dancing shoes because UPS Sue is back and she’s bringing the boot-scootin’ fun to the festival! 🎶

Join us for line dancing lessons led by the one and only UPS Sue — she delivers more than just packages... she delivers smiles, rhythm, and serious moves! Whether you're a seasoned stepper or just want to learn the basics, Sue will have you dancing in no time.

🪶 It’s family-friendly, full of energy, and guaranteed to get your toes tappin’! Come learn, laugh, and line dance your way through the weekend.

🌺🎶 The Mariposa Uke Ensemble – Live at the Butterfly Festival! 🎶🌺

What started in 2017 with one local woman’s dream to learn the ukulele has blossomed into one of Mariposa’s most beloved music groups — the Mariposa Uke Ensemble!

This tight-knit crew of 20 strummers strong meets weekly (yes, even through the pandemic on Zoom!) and brings joy wherever they go. Their upbeat energy and crowd-pleasing cover tunes have made them a favorite at local events — and now, they're lighting up the stage at the Mariposa Butterfly Festival! 🦋

🎵 Come enjoy sweet harmonies, contagious smiles, and the happiest little instruments around — the coolest band in town is ready to play your favorites!Mariposa Uke Ensemble formed in 2017, when one local woman was motivated to learn how to strum the tiny four-stringed instrument. Today, that group of performers has crescendoed into a tight-knit community. This group grew into 20 members that meet weekly even on Zoom. Not even a pandemic could stop their music. They have been performing at local events and are a crowd pleaser.  Come hear the coolest band in town performing your favorite cover tunes!  

🥁🎶 T-Ranch and the Kidd – Where Tribal Meets Trance 🎶🥁

Live at the Mariposa Butterfly Festival!

Get ready for a musical journey like no other with T-Ranch and the Kidd — a genre-defying Americana duo blending the raw rhythm of tribal beats with the hypnotic pull of trance grooves.

🎸 Featuring award-winning banjo player and prolific songwriter Tarantulabanjo (aka Andy Roberts) and former LA session drummer and vocalist Jon Kidd, this duo pulls from old-time, rock, folk, and world music traditions to create a sound that's both primal and poetic.

Their performances are deep, dynamic, and unexpected — a true fusion of tradition and innovation that gets into your bones and moves your soul.

🌌🎸 The Soul Galaxy – Live at the Mariposa Butterfly Festival! 🎶🌟

Hailing from right here in Mariposa, CA, The Soul Galaxy has spent over a decade captivating audiences across the Yosemite and Western Sierra Slope region — and now they’re bringing their cosmic sound to the Butterfly Festival!

🎸 Featuring co-founders Tim Hager, one of Northern California’s finest guitarists and a protégé of blues legend T-Bone Walker, and powerhouse drummer Jon Kidd, a sought-after session percussionist with L.A. roots, this duo creates a sound that’s as familiar as it is fresh.

Their music blends soulful standards, deep cuts, and originals, all wrapped in exquisite improvisation that transforms every set into a one-of-a-kind musical journey. No two shows are ever the same — and this one will be unforgettable.Hailing from the musical home base of Mariposa, CA is The Soul Galaxy. For nearly 10 years, the group has performed for every conceivable audience and every little town in the Yosemite/ Western Sierra Slope area.   The band features co-founders guitarist Tim Hager and drummer Jon Kidd along with bassist Charles Green. Tim is considered one of the finest guitarists in Northern California.  Aptly nicknamed  "The Master of the Stratocaster", Tim is a former protege' of blues guitar legend T-Bone Walker and can do things on the guitar few guitarists can.   Former L.A. session drummer and co-lead singer Jon Kidd provides the thrust for the band, chasing Tim's musical guitar whims akin to Mitch Mitchell's rhythmic sparring sessions with Jimi Hendrix. The sound created is familiar, yet original.  The Soul Galaxy enjoys performing deep cuts of Rock, RnB and Soul standards of the 50, 60 and '70s as well as it's own original material.  The group lives on exquisite improvisation that invites the listener to join along for a musical journey that's never the same.   

Roots. Rhythm. Unity. 

This powerful roots rock reggae collective features Iyah Wise, Michael Wise, Jacob Kipp, Harley Minford, and Jeremy Clark. Formed by Michael Wise, The Intelligence began backing Iyah in February 2025—and in that short time, they’ve already completed two national tours and appeared at multiple festivals across the country.

Their mission is clear and heartfelt: to spread consciousness, creativity, discipline, and unification through music that moves both the body and the spirit.

“With open hearts and open ears we hope to share with you, a moment that you can forever hold as a memory in your heart.”

We can’t wait to experience that moment together in Mariposa.

Meltwater Bridge Acoustic delivers a smooth, soulful sound that blends acoustic melodies with rich harmonies and an easygoing, heartfelt vibe. Their music flows effortlessly—like the name suggests—creating a relaxed yet engaging atmosphere that invites listeners to settle in and stay awhile.

With a style that draws from folk, Americana, and acoustic rock influences, Meltwater Bridge Acoustic offers a versatile set that feels both familiar and fresh. Their performances are warm, intimate, and full of musical connection, making them a perfect complement to a day of community, creativity, and celebration.

This talented duo — Terry Barnes on guitar and vocals, and Steve Barnes on percussion — brings heartfelt originals and fresh interpretations of your favorite songs from the '60s, '70s & beyond. Their soulful sound and easygoing vibe make every set feel like a personal concert under the sun.

🌼 Mariposa has become a second home for these musicians, with performances at The Hideout, Western Days, AutoCamp, and The Grovehouse. And now they’re back for another unforgettable show at the Mariposa Butterfly Festival!

These musicians each performed as singers during their early school days in Bakersfield, California. 

From those beginnings, each developed their music on parallel paths.

Cheyenne Hernandez's love of singing was inspired by her mother who sang to her almost every night before bed as a child. She also loved to write, and filled journals with poetry through her teen years until she learned to play guitar and began composing songs in her early twenties. 

Since then, Cheyenne has traveled the world on a journey of healing, experienced other cultures, performed, and met other musicians. She’s recording an album in Colombia, South America, with her music teacher of two years, Juan Heredia. She currently plays solo and in several bands in Mariposa, Merced and Oakhurst and is working on local recording projects.

Dan Gross, as a young adult, was drawn into folk and Bluegrass. He learned the banjo and explored the American landscape of folk music. Dan performed in Bay Area musical theatres, singing, dancing, and playing various instruments, including bass, octave mandolin, and baritone banjo. He wrote his first song in 2012 and honed it with guidance at the Yosemite Songwriting Retreat, which set seed for more songs to come. Today he writes and performs in a variety of modes and meters.

Cheyenne and Dan feel grateful and honored to live in Mariposa and be a part of the rich arts and music community that thrives here.