The Freight's favorite singer, fiddler, and songwriter for all seasons, Laurie Lewis hosts our exuberant holiday celebration, setting alight the longest night of the year with great music and food, an exchange of gifts, and a visit by the spirits of the season -- not to mention some of the Bay Area's hottest performers donating their services in support of the Freight.

Laurie's Grammy-nominated duet partner, mandolinist/singer, Tom Rozum, will join her on stage, along with bassist Todd Sickafoose, for some of the pair's signature red-hot playing and beautiful vocals. "All or nothing" banjo whiz and slide guitarist extraordinaire (and former Grant Street Band member), Tony Furtado offers up his trademark high-energy rootsy, bluegrass- and Celtic-tinged groove.

The innovative Bluegrass Intentions -- Eric & Suzy Thompson, Bill Evans, Alan Senauke, and Larry Cohea -- combine impeccable musicianship and superb harmonies to create roots-based bluegrass music that sparkles with ebullience and creativity. Local Mexican folk trio Cascada de Flores (Arwen Lawrence de Castellanos, Jorge Liceaga, and Sabra Weber) bring to the Freight stage the soulful and energetic music to be found in plazas across Mexico at fiesta time.

Teenaged wonder siblings Natalie and Brittany Haas -- Natalie's a brilliant cellist who has recently been working with Scottish fiddler Alasdair Fraser, and Brittany's superb violin can be heard in Darol Anger's American Fiddle Ensemble -- win all hearts with their charming stage presence and lovely instrumental pieces, including Gaelic melodies.

Need we say more? Come on down!