La Mesa Spring Harp Fest

Location

Start your Easter weekend with a free, fun, family-friendly event! Spring Harp Fest, an all-day music festival, has been a San Diego tradition since 1999. Its 2026 harmonica music showcase is headlined by internationally acclaimed performing artist Brody Buster from Kansas City. The Harp Fest also features six SoCal bands, each with a talented harmonica soloist. Activities at the Harp Fest include competition for emerging harmonica artists, a dance floor, food trucks, booths, and raffles. 

Since 1999, the Spring Harp Fest has introduced music-lovers to exciting local bands and their harmonica soloists. The daylong, family-friendly outdoor music festival, held annually at the beautiful Harry Griffen Park amphitheater, also hosts a competitive jam session for amateur harmonica artists, with trophies awarded to its top youth and adult players.

Guests are encouraged to bring their kids, pets, and coolers.  “Mouth harps” (harmonicas), hula hoops, cameras, bubbles, and dancing shoes are welcome! Spring Harp Fest includes food trucks, merchandise booths and raffles; proceeds help cover the costs of providing the free festival each year and support free music lessons and harmonicas for local young local musicians. Attendees who pay a $20 entry fee can even sign up to compete, onstage with a backup band, for the title of “Best Unknown Player!” The Harp Fest awards this title and trophy to one young player and one adult participant each year, based on audience applause. (Two featured artists, Dan McDowell and Troy Sandow, won the competition in past decades.)

Performances begin at 11 a.m. and continue through 6:30 p.m. Brody Buster, International Blues Challenge winner, takes the stage at 5:45 p.m., supported by the Blue Healers, a local band. The lineup also includes SoCal artists Billy Watson and the International Silver String Submarine Band, Troy Sandow, Gonzalo Dremoniz and the Tango Ganaz Project, the Harmonica John Frazer Band, Jump Start with Mike Maldano, and Dan McDowell with The Tradition.

The Spring Harp Fest raises money to promote understanding of and appreciation for live harmonica music by presenting an annual music festival, and by providing support for young harmonica players through gifts of harmonicas, lessons and music camp scholarships. Our efforts have provided more than 5,000 harmonicas for local music programs and young musicians. Although admission is free, a tax-deductible donation of $20 is suggested for those who can support our work. Learn more at www.springharpfest.org.