BoCO has returned to its roots.

Saturday will be a full day of music in downtown Washington as the Beaufort County Traditional Music Association revives the BoCO Traditional Music Festival —with emphasis on the traditional. Music starts at 10 a.m. at three different venues: at the Turnage Theatre Gallery, on a stage at the Marine Market and at an outdoor jam spot on West Main Street, and will be topped off by a performance of The White Top Mountain Band and the Green Grass Cloggers on Turnage stage at 7:30 p.m.

Started in 2009 by BCTMA and the Beaufort County Arts Council, the festival evolved over time, becoming an event shared by both traditional and indie/rock musicians. The festival has come a long way in seven years and seen many great musicians, but 2015 marks a return to its founders’ original intent to share traditional music–bluegrass, Old Time, gospel and more—with fans and players alike.

“Conferring with BCTMA, they persuaded me to take it back in that direction and that meant that BCTMA has more ownership of the festival,” said Joey Toler, executive director of the arts council. “They were willing to take on more of that responsibility.”

For BCTMA, whose ranks have grown, splintering off into numerous bands — Tiki Roadhouse, Motley Tones, Skinner Family, Flatland Zingers, Lonesome Creek and Stillwater, to name a few — it gives the organization the opportunity to share the mission of preserving traditional music, through music.

With a few invited guest on the lineup, including Now & Then, a Carteret County-based duo, guitarists Mark Rutledge and John Bradley, from Greenville, singer/guitarist Ann Meadows and rockers JB Mayes and John Benson, and headliners of the event, The White Top Mountain Band, BCTMA-member bands will anchor the festival.

Players and pickers are also encouraged to sit in with the ongoing West Main Street jams, including a 2 p.m. slot, led by Bob Daw and Ann Meadows, dedicated to original work of singer/songwriters.

For those in the mood for dancing, the Green Grass Cloggers, preservationists of art of clogging will be teaching a beginning clogging workshop on the Turnage stage from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., before the group will make some show-stopping appearances with The White Top Mountain Band later in the evening.

“We hope it will be a good, rowdy time. It won’t be a sedate, sit down and listen — it will be a tap your toes, get up and dance kind of time,” Boyer said.

BoCO is also being held in conjunction with the Washington Marine Market for the second year running, representing a teaming of efforts of the Washington Harbor District Alliance, BCTMA and BCAC.

“Last year, I think was a big success. A lot of our folks went down there and a lot of people who came to the Marine Market filtered up to listen to the music,” Boyer said. “It worked out real well.”

All BoCO venues and performances are free and open to the public, which also fulfills another mission, according to Toler.

“This is part of the overall programming scheme to offer a variety of programs for the public, and by variety I mean pricing — free events, events by donation, low-cost events,” Toler said. “We have sponsors for the festival, so all of our expenses are paid for and that means we can offer it for free to the public.”

For more information, visit bctma.org.