If you missed hearing the announcement during Raleigh Wide Open 2026, PineCone has big news about an exciting new youth program.
PineCone is partnering with Junior Appalachian Musicians, or JAM, to create JAM Kinfolk-Durham. This evening program, starting in January, will introduce middle and high school-age players to the joy of making music with roots in the Appalachian Mountains. Students will meet once a week at the Durham Arts Council to learn skills and songs on acoustic instruments and to continue the tradition of building community through music.
The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) World of Bluegrass is just three weeks away, and single-day tickets for IBMA Bluegrass Live! and Late Night at Barrelhouse are available for purchase.
Whether you can only make it Friday, Oct. 23, or Saturday, Oct. 24, you can now pick the day that works best for you and still experience the music and community IBMA World of Bluegrass has to offer.
The lineup for IBMA Bluegrass Live!, presented by Chattanooga Tourism Co., in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee, includes performances from Sierra Ferrell, Leftover Salmon, Larry Sparks, Michael Cleveland & Friends, Lindsay Lou presents Bluegrass Women, Lonesome River Band, Della Mae, Jason Carter Band, Special Consensus, Randy Steele & High Cold Wind, Barefoot Nellie & Co. and many more.
IBMA Bluegrass Live! takes on a new shape in 2026, offering fans two unique ways to experience the festival: the ticketed IBMA Bluegrass Live! experience and the free outdoor celebration, Pickin’ in the Park.
IBMA Bluegrass Live! 2026 will feature can’t-miss performances from the artists listed above across The Signal, the Chattanooga Convention Center and Barrelhouse Ballroom. The new format brings fans closer to artists and creates a more consistent experience, rain or shine.
With more intimate venues and a more focused festival experience, tickets will be limited. Fans are encouraged to secure their spot early when tickets go on sale to experience this special weekend of bluegrass music.
This year, attendees can choose between a GA Weekend Pass and a new VIP Weekend Pass designed for fans who want an elevated festival experience. The VIP Weekend Pass includes premium seating at the Chattanooga Convention Center, mezzanine seating at The Signal, access to a dedicated front-section standing area at The Signal, and a dedicated VIP entrance to bypass the line at The Signal, along with pre-sale access for Late Night at Barrelhouse and limited, first come, first served seating.
VIP ticket holders will also receive access to two exclusive Happy Hour receptions held ahead of the evening performances at The Signal, featuring live music, complimentary wine, beer, and whiskey tastings, and light snacks. These VIP-only events will include performances by Randy Steele & High Cold Wind on Friday, October 23, at Stratus Rooftop at Caption and Barefoot Nellie & Co. on Saturday, October 24, at 50/50 Wine + Martini Bar.
The festival will also feature Late Night at Barrelhouse performances at Barrelhouse Ballroom, with appearances from Lonesome River Band and Jason Carter Band. VIP and GA Weekend Pass holders who wish to attend Late Night at Barrelhouse will need to purchase a separate ticket, which will be available soon.
The 2026 festival will also introduce Pickin’ in the Park, in partnership with River City Co., a free outdoor community celebration formerly known as Streetfest. Located in the heart of downtown Chattanooga at Miller Park and Miller Plaza, Pickin’ in the Park will offer two days of live bluegrass music featuring college bands, Kids on Bluegrass participants, and local Chattanooga talent.
The free event will take place Saturday, Oct. 24, and will also include arts and crafts vendors, food, and plenty of space for fans and community members to gather, relax, and enjoy the music. No tickets are required for Pickin’ in the Park, making it an open celebration for bluegrass fans and the Chattanooga community.
From the good folks over at WinterWonderGrass festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado:
“Fourteen winters of dancing through blizzards, music on mountaintops, sunny skies, and memories made among strangers who become friends and friends who become family.
In 2027, we’re bringing 26 bands to five stages – The String Cheese Incident makes their first-ever WinterWonderGrass appearance, and their first return to Steamboat since 2002…who remembers that?! They’ll be joined by Trampled by Turtles, Daniel Donato, Kitchen Dwellers, Magoo, Hayes Carll, Jerry Douglas Band, Lindsay Lou and many more.
“As always, check out two free pop-up shows on the mountain, a kickoff mountain top dinner, late-night sets after the music ends, and daily free beer tastings from 2–4 p.m.”
The Hilltop Hounds hail from the rolling hills of North Carolina. With a sound that combines traditional country roots with folk, bluegrass and the blues, Hilltop Hounds are sure to get you dancing and singing along.
Beer and Banjos is a free, family-friendly evening of roots music every Tuesday at Raleigh’s Bowstring Pizza and Brewyard. Hosted by the mighty local musicians known collectively as the Beer and Banjos All-Stars, these weekly concerts feature guest musicians and take place on Bowstring’s spacious patio when the weather allows, or inside by the bar when rain, heat, or cold threaten the vibe.
Tips for the musicians are gratefully accepted (look for a helper walking around with a bucket for cash and QR codes for online tips), and don’t forget to check out the merch table. Bowstring serves tasty pizza and other food as well as cold beer and other beverages.
Learn more about Beer and Banjos events statewide here.
The 2026 North Carolina State Fair will feature live music, rodeo, tractor pulls, motorsports, and special exhibits across multiple stages and venues on the fairgrounds. A highlight of the fair is the Homegrown Music Fest, which features some of the state’s best local talent along with bluegrass and folk music. Learn more at this link.
Live Music Performances Schedule
Local Waterfall Stage
This is North Carolina’s finest line-up of local talent. With more than 60 sets over 11 days, you’re sure to find your new favorite band:
Oct 16: Say Less The Band
Oct 17: The Genius Party
Oct 18: Dallas Tetnus, Tre. Charles
Oct 19: Lydia Salett
Oct 20: Dudley & Jazz Xpressions, Folkknot
Oct 21: Robert Hunter
Oct 22: Christina Eagle
Oct 23: Fancy Gap
Oct 24: The Embers
Oct 25: Senior Citizens FunFest & Program
Oct 26: Funkelstiltskin
Heritage Circle Stage
North Carolina was built on bluegrass. The Heritage Circle Bluegrass & Folk Stage takes us back to our roots with a toe-tappin’, bass-slappin’ good time:
If you have been to MerleFest, you have heard Scythian, who often play three or four sets during the four-day festival held each spring in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. In fact, I have named them the festival’s unofficial house band. So you know you don’t want to miss them when this Virginia-based band makes a stop in the Triangle!
Named after Ukrainian nomads, Scythian (sith-ee-yin) plays roots music from Celtic, Eastern European and Appalachian traditions with thunderous energy, technical prowess, and storytelling songwriting, beckoning crowds into a barn-dance, rock concert experience.
Nashville’s Music City Roots says Scythian is ‘what happens when rock star charisma meets Celtic dervish fiddling’, and the Washington Post claims “Scythian’s enthusiasm is contagious, and shows seem to end with everyone dancing, jumping around or hoisting glasses.” The foursome brings various influences together to create a conglomerate which is technically precise and steeped in various folk traditions. You have to catch the live show to understand why The Camel City Dispatch said of their MerleFest performance: “[Scythian gives] no quarter in their quest to entertain and bring a joy to their music that gives it an irony-free, wide open feel of manic possibility. The playing is technically brilliant, but it is the energy that carries the day.”
The Carolina Bible Camp Bluegrass Festival in Mocksville, North Carolina, was started in 2011 by the Camp’s Board of Directors as a fundraiser for the Camp’s scholarship and capital development funds. It has achieved that goal, operating in the black every year thanks to careful planning and generous stewardship of the festival’s sponsors, organizational team and volunteers.
The festival has also become a way to introduce a larger community to the Camp, and to bring Camp friends and family together for a special annual event.
In 2019, Carolina Country magazine readers voted Carolina Bible Camp Bluegrass Festival the winner of the inaugural “Carolina’s Finest” award for the Best Festival in the state of North Carolina! In 2020, the COVID-19 global pandemic and state restrictions prohibited us from holding the festival. We were more grateful thuan ever to gather together in 2021, and again, we were blessed to win the Carolina Country “Carolina’s Finest” award for Best Festival.
This year’s festival will feature Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, The Biscuit Eaters, Lucas Ross, Ettore Buzzini and Blue Diggity.
From the good folks at Suwannee Roots Revival: The 10th Suwannee Roots Revival is excited to announce lineup additions for this fall’s festival including Amelia Day, The Resolvers, Victoria Cardona, Asydequest, Two Foot Level, Suns of Stars, Yet To Be Gold, The Jack Shealy Band and Firewater Tent Revival! They are joining a fabulous lineup which includes Trampled by Turtles, Sam Bush, Leftover Salmon, Peter Rowan, Donna the Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Shadowgrass, Eddie 9V, Shinyribs, The Lee Boys with Roosevelt Collier, Armchair Boogie, Verlon Thompson, Jon Stickley Trio, The Grass Is Dead, Mosier Brothers Band, Holy Roller, Nikki Talley Band, Quartermoon, and Sloppy Joe. Suwannee Roots Revival takes place Thursday, Oct. 8, through Sunday, Oct. 11, at the renowned Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park (SOSMP) in Live Oak, Florida. Fostering the longtime tradition of hosting some of the most prominent names in American roots music and beyond, this four-day family-friendly music festival includes camping, music workshops, kids’ activities, arts & crafts, and daily yoga. Nestled in 800 acres of gorgeous Spanish moss-draped oak and cypress trees along the Suwannee River in northern Florida, Suwannee Roots Revival celebrates community-based fun, growing friendships, laughing families, and the joy you get from making memories with friends old and new. Festival Director Beth Judy says, ”When it comes to music festivals with camping onsite, our venue, Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, is the very best. Combine that with our Suwannee Roots Revival’s rich history of amazing festivals that have created an open, loving community of people from all walks of life and ages. Add to that this compelling and exciting lineup and you’ve got the blueprint for an incredible musical adventure filled with fun, laughter and friends. I highly suggest making plans to be there if you have not already. You’ve never had such a good time!”
Amelia Day
Asydequest 
Victoria Cardona
