Playing in Poway: Rattlesnake Creek Returns to Old Poway Park

The old-time string band Rattlesnake Creek will perform at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 20, at Templar’s Hall in .

The Poway Folk Circle event will feature seven members playing and singing American traditional roots music. Some of the songs the band will play include Sail Away Ladies, Oh! Susanna, Cluck Old Hen and Wayfaring Stranger.

“We really like it when people join in and sing along on some of the songs with us,” fiddle and mandolin player Barbara Brooks said. “These will be songs that people remember from their childhood.”

All members sing three- and four-part harmonies together and play different acoustic instruments, such as the fiddle, clawhammer banjo, mandolin, guitar, standup bass, whistle and harmonica.

“We do a lot of harmony singing. We also do harmonies with our instruments,” Brooks said. “And we play mostly by ear, although some of us have had classical training on our instruments.”

The Poway-based ensemble is comprised of local residents living in Poway, Ramona, Rancho Bernardo and Escondido.

The group came up with their name from Rattlesnake Creek, which runs through Old Poway Park—one of their frequent performance locations.

The band formed from members of Poway Folk Circle, Poway Folk Circle Founder and Organizer said.

“They played in various song circles and jams, but they had put together such a great presentation. They were so impressive and they were so true to the music. I knew they would have to play for Poway Folk Circle one day.”

The string band first started with two members and then grew to a group with five females and two males.

“We started with the banjo player Chris (Christine Ouang) and me on the fiddle meeting at a jam and we started playing together,” Brooks said. “Gradually, people started joining us and we became a band.” 

The band occasionally plays in costume for Civil War re-enactments, such as the annual event in the Old Poway Park. In addition, they play at farmers markets, nursing homes and daycare centers.

“We play for children. We play for elderly people. It’s happy music,” Brooks said.

To start your weekend of music, the will play live jazz music for their weekly performance from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 15, at . The event is free to the public.

The next day, there will be an event at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 16 at . The free weekly event welcomes all musicians to perform.