There's a 'Blizzard' on the horizon
By Cheryl McCormack
Editor
Cotton Wood is at it again, bringing high quality, bluegrass music to the state of North Dakota.
A local favorite, the band will be performing at the 10th Annual Blizzard Bluegrass Festival, which takes place the first weekend of the new year at Bismarck State College (BSC).
"It’s a perfect time of the year to get out and get your feet tapping, and hear some great music," Washburn musician Jill Wiese said.
The blizzard first "blew in" in 2005, shortly after Blue Moon Rising, a Tennessee-based bluegrass band, played at Cross Ranch State Park’s Missouri River Bluegrass Festival.
A few months after the festival, Wiese, who plays bass, guitar and vocals for Cotton Wood, said she received a call from Tim Tipton, Blue Moon Rising’s bass player, asking if it would be possible for his band to play a concert in Bismarck.
"Then he asked me if I could line it up," Wiese said. "I told him I was not really a promoter, but more of a player in a bluegrass band. He asked if we had a college in Bismarck, and the rest is history."
