Two bands, three hours of Grateful Dead music, and no cover charge await Olympia's west side on Saturday, Aug. 1.

The 6th Annual Jerry Garcia Birthday Bash takes over West Central Park from 7 to 10 p.m. The free, all-ages concert at 1919 Harrison Ave. NW is part of the park's Summer Nights concert series and features The Fauxhemians and Return to DeadGrass.

Saturday, Aug. 1, would have been Garcia's 84th birthday. The Grateful Dead's lead guitarist and bandleader died Aug. 9, 1995, at age 53. For the sixth year, the bash draws Deadheads and music lovers from around the region to the west-side park to celebrate his catalog, according to event organizers.

The lineup

The Fauxhemians are the alter ego of Vendredi's Bag, a fixture of Olympia's jazz scene for the past decade. For the Garcia Bash, the group trades its jazz repertoire for the Jerry Garcia songbook. The band is led by James Schneider, a former South Puget Sound Community College Jazz Band Director and founding member of Hot Club Sandwich, a CMJ top-20 charting jazz group that recorded with mandolinist David Grisman, one of Garcia's frequent collaborators.

The concert is free.

Drummer Ahmer Nizam brings national Dead credentials as a founding member of Dark Star Orchestra, the Chicago-born Grateful Dead tribute act that launched in 1997. Vocalist Danielle Westbrook co-founded Olympia Jazz Central and the Olympia Funk Festival. The lineup also includes Betsy Perkins, Theo Ragan, and Matt Booth.

Return to DeadGrass, led by Seattle musician Ricky Gene Powell, reinterprets the Dead catalog with a bluegrass acoustic twist, according to the event listing. Powell plays mandolin and vocals alongside Tom Rooney on guitar, Colin Klein on banjo, Tim Wetmiller on violin, and Jim Marsh on upright bass.

What to bring

Lawn chairs and blankets are encouraged. Food trucks will be on site, and no registration is required.

Details are available at olyarts.org.