California Roots Music and Arts Festival

For the past 10 years the California Roots Music and Arts Festival has delivered top tier reggae, roots, and hip hop to thousands of fans to showcase music, community, and culture at the historic Monterey County Fair and Event Center over Memorial Day weekend. One of the key features that sets California Roots apart is the dedication to creating an environmentally conscious event that benefits the surrounding community, educates and engages the attending fans, and provides a music festival model that is truly sustainable.

The California Roots Music and Arts Festival (Cali Roots) attracts thousands of fans each year by showcasing the best in reggae, roots, and hip hop. As the festival’s presence continues to grow so does its efforts in environmental preservation, carving the path of producing an environmentally sound event. In 2017, Cali Roots introduced their “Redwood Pass,” which is their unique take on the VIP experience. The most compelling part is that for each pass sold, two redwoods were planted. In the first year, that resulted in 800 new redwoods, which rose to 1,800 redwoods planted in 2018-2019.

For the past 10 years, the California Roots Music and Arts Festival has delivered top tier reggae and roots music to thousands of fans to showcase music, community, and culture in Monterey, California. The event has garnered critical acclaim and coverage from national media outlets including Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Billboard, Pollstar, and Pitchfork.
 

The 10th annual California Roots Music and Arts Festival is proud to announce their final round of artists for their milestone 2019 event. Cali Roots X will take place at the historic Monterey County Fair and Event Center from May 24-26, 2019. Adding to the already stacked lineup is Slightly Stoopid and Friends, Atmosphere, SOJA, Tash Sultana, Citizen Cope, Steel Pulse, The Movement, Jesse Royal, Ballyhoo!, Ocean Alley and For Peace Band.
 

The 10th annual California Roots Music and Arts Festival has announced their second round of artists. Joining an already impressive lineup are scene favorites Rebelution, Dirty Heads, Pepper, Collie Buddz, The Green, and Alborosie. Making their debuts at the event are Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, UB40 feat. Ali & Astro, Kabaka Pyramid, The Elovaters, and Roots of a Rebellion. Also a special Matisyahu set performing the set list from his classic Live at Stubbs album rounds out the announcement.

The 10th annual California Roots Music and Arts Festival will take place at the historic Monterey County Fair and Event Center from May 24-26, 2019.  The top tier national festival is the premier gathering for the progressive U.S. Reggae and roots music movement and culture, bringing the scene together over Memorial Day weekend in beautiful Monterey, CA.
 

The California Roots Music and Arts Festival is thrilled to announce their “Forever Redwoods Contest” launching today, August 15, 2018. The contest will run forone-month and the grand prize winners will receive two (2) Redwood Passes for life! The Redwood Passes are Cali Roots unique take on a VIP experience and was introduced in 2017 to much fanfare.

As Monterey woke up for day two of Cali Roots, there was a heavy overcast throughout the neighborhood. Thankfully clouds and thick fog are nothing new to reggae enthusiasts, and the festival proceeded without missing a beat. Day two was a day which focused on roots, both of Reggae and heritage. The artists that played Saturday had a much more thematic tie to family bonds, both those that we are born with, and the family we chose as we go through life.

The last day of a festival is always bittersweet, but fans came to the fairgrounds early to take in as much of Cali Roots as they could. Day three began as festival goers trickled in just as New Kingston wrapped up their sound check. Walking through the gates of the fairgrounds with this live music already playing earlier than usual proved an uplifting and exciting experience to the festival. Starting the day with New Kingston set a positive tone for the rest of the day.

Memorial Day weekend, Monterey Fairgrounds played host to the ninth annual, three-day reggae movement known as Cali Roots. In the three days, Grateful Web was at Cali Roots, there was one word we just kept hearing over and over again; “Homecoming.” From fans we met in the crowd to artists we spoke with behind the scenes, it seemed to be the magic word that everyone could relate to. But to say Cali Roots is a homecoming would be if anything, an understatement.

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