The 19th Richmond Folk Festival begins Friday, Oct. 13, and runs for three days of a variety of FREE music, food and fun, according to organizers.
With six stages and nearly 90 performances, many people plan to spend more than one day at the festival. Add in more than 30 food vendors, a crafts marketplace, a Virginia Folklife Area and Stage and one of the most beautiful festival sites in Richmond, and we think you’ll want to go for multiple days to experience as much as possible. And the festival goes on, rain or shine, with several of the stages tented.
Essentials to enhance your visit
Festival Hours
Friday, Oct. 13 — 6:30 pm – 10 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 14 — Noon – 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 15 — Noon – 6 p.m.
Performers Read up on all of the fantastic artists who will perform. With styles ranging from jazz to gospel, Irish, rockabilly, salsa and more, there’s something for everyone to love or learn about.
Performance Schedule With six stages and more than 90 performances, you’ll want to plan ahead to make sure to get the most out of the festivals. Take a peek now so you can plan ahead!
Donations This is a LARGE festival with a hefty budget that is supported largely by generous sponsors. However, the festival needs your help to remain FREE and sustainable! There is a suggested donation of $10 per person per day that can be made online HERE, or by finding a volunteer in a bright orange shirt carrying a bright orange bucket at the festival and making a “Drop in the Bucket!” Or, you can text FOLK to 44321 to give from your mobile phone. Thanks for your help in keeping the festival FREE!
Started in 2017, the Wake Forest Listening Room hosted a series of performances featuring local and regional original musicians.
The owners state on the website the main intent behind the listening room was to give artists a “sacred space” where their music could be focused on by the audience with no distractions such as sports on TV or loud conversations.
“The series found a permanent home downstairs from Sugar Magnolia Cafe, where we hosted more than 300 performances before COVID shut us down in late 2021. In October 2023, we’re re-opening in the new space next door to our independent Wake Forest bookstore, Page 158 Books.”
The North Carolina Museum of History will kickoff its newest music series, Tar Heel Troubadours, on Friday, Oct. 6, with the Blue Ridge Girls.
The new music series is a celebration of Americana, roots, bluegrass and traditional music performed by artists from or living and working in North Carolina, according to organizers.
The museum boasts an intimate 300-seat venue where every seat offers a good view, and the sound is even better. There will be merchandise for sale and a bar available with a special beer from Fullsteam Brewery plus wine for purchase.
The Tar Heel Troubadours series works to keep music accessible to the community by keeping ticket prices affordable, organizers said in a press release. There series features nine concerts, including Jim Lauderdale, Fireside Collective, Dawn Landes, Cane Mill Road, Blue Cactus, Paige King Johnson and more. Visit the museum’s website for up-to-date information and tickets.
The Blue Ridge Girls, like their name, invoke a picturesque simplicity with their take on traditional mountain music. The trio of Martha Spencer, Jamie Collins and Brett Morris features a variety of old-time, bluegrass and country songs. They showcase their original songwriting and unique take on other familiar crowd-pleasers. All three women grew up in musical families; they are working to preserve and promote the Blue Ridge’s rich musical heritage. After signing with 629 Music Group in 2022, they went to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to record at the historic Muscle Shoals Sound Studio. They stay busy writing, recording, touring, and sharing their musical talents across the globe. The group’s first single was released in September. Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/blueridgegirls/.
The series is co-sponsored by Come Here NC and That Station.
Recognizing those in the bluegrass community who work diligently to promote the genre, award-winning bass player Missy Raines served as emcee for the 2023 IBMA Industry Awards, which was sponsored by the California Bluegrass Association and publishers of the “Bluegrass Breakdown” newsletter.
“I have come to every single IBMA event and this one is dear to my heart,” Raines said as she kicked off Thursday’s luncheon and awards ceremony at the Raleigh Convention Center.
The annual event has made Raleigh its home since 2013
As the World of Bluegrass festival kicks off its 11th year in Downtown Raleigh this week, the organization behind the event says 2024 will be its final year in the city.
The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) will no longer hold its five-day conference and festival in Raleigh beginning in 2025, organizers announced Wednesday following the IBMA 2023 Momentum Awards luncheon.
While the event has been a big driver of tourism and economic activity downtown since 2013, its numbers have fallen sharply since the pandemic. Raleigh officials say the plan is to replace the event with a new festival with an expanded scope.
The IBMA’s board of directors is conducting a site search and will announce a new host city by the end of the year.
In the meantime, organizers of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s World of Bluegrass, taking place Sept. 26-30, 2023, in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, say they are looking forward to a “normal” year after surviving two hurricanes and a pandemic over the past 11 years the festival has been held in the state’s capital.
This year’s weeklong bluegrass conference and festival offers both ticketed performances at Red Hat Amphitheater, the Raleigh Convention Center, the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts and other venues scattered throughout downtown as well as five additional free StreetFest Stages during WideOpen Bluegrass on Friday, Sept. 29-30.
The 11th annual event kicked off Tuesday with the annual Bluegrass Ramble Showcase and Business Conference. The award-winning band Special Consensus along with special guests launched the musical performances on Tuesday evening at the Lincoln Theatre.
“When the festival is in town every third person has a fiddle, guitar or banjo on their back,” said David Brower, festival producer and executive director of PineCone, the Raleigh-based non-profit that helps IBMA produce the festival. “It’s one of the best times of the year in downtown Raleigh.”
Bluegrass music’s self-described biggest event of the year is set to run in Raleigh through 2024 after which it will move on to a yet undisclosed location, organizers said during Wednesday’s Momentum Awards luncheon, sponsored by Campbell University School of Law. For the 11th year, PNC Bank returns as the presenting sponsor of IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC.
The 2023 winners of the Momentum Awards are:
Band of the Year – Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band of California
Vocalist of the Year – Carley Arrowood-Thrailkill
Instrumentalists of the Year – Bass player Maddie Dalton of Sister Sadie and Resophonic Guitar and Banjo player Gaven Largent of East Nash Grass
Mentor of the Year – Dan Boner, artist, director and professor at Eastern Tennessee State University’s Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies and IBMA Board Chair
Momentum Industry Involvement Award – Matt Hutchinson, host/producer of Bluegrass Jam Along podcast
The Industry Awards and the 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards Show, presented by Yamaha, will be announced on Thursday, Sept. 28, with hosts Ketch Secor and Molly Tuttle.
The Main Stage performances at Red Hat Amphitheater for this year’s festival will begin at 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
The daily lineup for the Main Stage performances at Red Hat Amphitheater includes:
Friday, Sept. 29
The Del McCoury Band
Mighty Poplar
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
AJ Lee & Blue Summit
Kids on Bluegrass
Saturday, Sept. 30
Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway
Kruger Brothers play Doc Watson (with special guest Jerry Douglas)
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys (with special guest Bobby Osborne)
Jake Blount, Kaia Kater & Tray Wellington
Missy Raines & Allegheny (with special guest Alison Brown)
“We are proud that IBMA Bluegrass Live! continues to provide stellar bluegrass music to more fans than any festival in the world,” said IBMA Interim Executive Director Paul Schiminger. “It is truly a celebration of our great music! The lineup on this year’s main stage at the Red Hat Amphitheater is an exciting mix of Hall of Famers and some of the most dynamic and creative artists in bluegrass. Don’t miss these unique and incredible performances!”
Brower added, “There’s a little something for everyone. The main stage at Red Hat Amphitheater has multiple Hall of Fame members, a brand-new super group, hot rising stars and a celebration of 100 years of Doc Watson. And then wait until folks see the lineup for the StreetFest stages that will line the streets of downtown Raleigh. You’re gonna be able to walk around and celebrate where we’ve been as a genre and at the same time get a sneak peek of where we might be headed.”
ABOUT IBMA
IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC is part of the five-day IBMA World of Bluegrass event, billed “The Most Important Week in Bluegrass,” which also includes the IBMA Business Conference, the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble showcase series and the 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards. Tickets and hotel reservations are open now for the general public. More information is available at the IBMA World of Bluegrass website.
Carolina Indie Fest returns Friday, September 29th and Saturday, September 30th with ten bands, fistfuls of food trucks, dozens upon dozens of crafty vendors, new beer releases and a surprise or two to tickle your fancy. Admission is free thanks to the generosity of our sponsors. For the uninitiated, Carolina Indie Fest is a celebration of independent music with ten bands performing all original music over two days in a festival atmosphere. The stage is sited in the rear parking lot of Hugger Mugger Brewing (229 Wicker Street) in downtown Sanford and the vendors and food trucks spill into the adjacent public parking lot above the beer garden and (new this year) onto the parking deck attached to the brewery. Bring a lawn chair and grab the best seat in the house early – the music starts at 5pm on Friday, Sept 29 and 3pm on Saturday, Sept 30.
Music – Here’s the music lineup – click on the name of the band to be directed to one of the places you can find their music streaming.
Beer & More – Every year we have a fest beer release – this Indie Fest’s beer release is a Belgian peach witt (wheat) beer. We save prior year Indie Fest beers to re-release and this year’s Belgian peach witt will be side-by-side with our September 2022 Vintage Ale called Annika’s & our May 2023 Indie Fest release which was a Blackberry Kolsch named Whoa Blackberry Bramble Lam. Sanford’s own Family Mobile Veterinary Clinic is the generous Indie Fest sponsor of all three beers. Of course we have 18 of our own beers produced on site as well as a selection of ciders, wines and craft sodas. Indie Fest Merch – We have Carolina Indie Fest shirts and really cool long sleeved, light weight hoodies for sale at the back bar in the Hugger Mugger Brewing beer hall. There may be some additional glassware and stickers available here and there. Be on the lookout for the first ever appearance of Indie Man!
Staying Updated – We post info on parking and other “day of” type items on the Carolina Indie Fest website. The band lineup and news from weeks leading up to the event can all be found there. We’ll post more timely matters on the Carolina Indie Fest Facebook page. This looks to be another great festival, go ahead and block out those two days on your calendar and bring a lawn chair to settle in and enjoy some great music. If you made it this far into our guide you’re a real trooper – peace love and rock n roll!
The International Bluegrass Music Association’s Official Bluegrass Ramble Showcases are the premier platform for introducing talent and new music to the bluegrass community during IBMA World of Bluegrass and this year is no exception. The event takes place at venues scattered throughout downtown Raleigh on Sept. 26–28, 2023. Each selected showcase act will perform at least twice during the week — typically once during the IBMA Business Conference and once at an IBMA Bluegrass Ramble venue.
Thousands of bluegrass fans are expected to fill six venues over three nights to catch the newest in bluegrass music. If you want to hear the next upcoming bluegrass stars, you won’t want to miss the following shows.
Tickets start at $10 and can be purchased at this link.
SCHEDULE
Tuesday, September 26
RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER ROOM 304 7:00PM Backline 7:35PM Sequoia Rose 8:10PM Buster Sledge 8:45PM Alex Leach 9:20PM Swamptooth 9:55PM DownRiver Collective 10:30PM Thomas Cassell 11:05PM Golden Shoals
RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER ROOM 306 7:00PM Sicard Hollow 7:35PM Caleb Bailey & Paine’s Run 8:10PM Grain Thief 8:45PM Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light 9:20PM The High and Wides 9:55PM Magpie the Band 10:30PM Remedy Tree 11:05PM Wyatt Ellis
JIMMY V’s – SHERATON (420 FAYETTEVILLE ST) 7:00PM J.M. Clifford 8:00PM Lori King & Junction 63 9:00PM The Ruta Beggars 10:00PM Prairie Wildfire
THE LINCOLN THEATRE (126 E CABARRUS ST) 7:00PM Country Gongbang (International Band Performance Grant Recipient) 8:00PM Violet Bell 9:00PM Seth Mulder & Midnight Run 10:00PM Arkansauce
THE POUR HOUSE (224 S BLOUNT ST) 7:00PM Into the Fog 8:00PM The Faux Paws 9:00PM Taff Rapids Stringband 10:00PM Sicard Hollow
RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER BALLROOM AB 7:00PM The Tennessee Bluegrass Band 8:00PM Mild Goose Chase 9:00PM U.S. Navy Band Country Current
Wednesday, September 27
RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER ROOM 304 7:00PM Seth Mulder & Midnight Run 7:35PM The Ruta Beggars 8:10PM J.M. Clifford 8:45PM Mild Goose Chase 9:20PM Taff Rapids Stringband 9:55PM The Faux Paws 10:30PM Lori King & Junction 63 11:05PM Corner House
RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER ROOM 306 7:35PM Prairie Wildfire 8:10PM U.S. Navy Band Country Current 8:45PM Arkansauce 9:20PM Into the Fog 9:55PM The Tennessee Bluegrass Band 10:30PM Country Gongbang (International Band Performance Grant Recipient) 11:05PM Violet Bell
JIMMY V’s – SHERATON (420 FAYETTEVILLE ST) 7:00PM Buster Sledge 8:00PM Thomas Cassell 9:00PM The High and Wides 10:00PM Swamptooth
THE LINCOLN THEATRE (126 E CABARRUS ST) 7:00PM Wyatt Ellis 8:00PM Remedy Tree 9:00PM DownRiver Collective 10:00PM Grain Thief
THE POUR HOUSE (224 S BLOUNT ST) 7:00PM Golden Shoals 8:00PM Sequoia Rose 9:00PM Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light 10:00PM Alex Leach
RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER BALLROOM AB 7:00PM Corner House 8:00PM Caleb Bailey & Paine’s Run 9:00PM Magpie the Band 10:00PM Backline
Thursday, September 28
BEER & BANJOS IBMA WORLD OF BLUEGRASS EDITION VARIOUS VENUES 7PM-11PM
JIMMY V’S – SHERATON (420 FAYETTEVILLE ST) 7:00PM Nixon, Blevins, and Gage 8:00PM River Ridge 9:00PM The Eastside Ramblers 10:00 Cuttin Grass
THE LINCOLN THEATRE (126 E CABARRUS ST) 6:00PM The Holland Brothers 7:00PM GrassStreet 8:00PM Hank, Pattie, & The Current
RALEIGH CONVENTION CENTER BALLROOM AB 7:00PM The Loblollies 8:00PM Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road 9:00PM Turkey Hill 10:00PM Jake Goforth Band
THE POUR HOUSE (224 S BLOUNT ST) 7:00PM Jack Devereux Band 8:00PM Nu-Blu 9:00PM Wildwood Sirens 10:00PM Wyldwood Stringband 11:00PM Into the Fog
It’s less than a month when we all can spread our wings together again at the 19th Annual Fall Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance! This fall’s event hosted by Donna the Buffalo features the incomporable Mavis Staples, Tan and Sober Gentlemen and Big Daddy Love just to name a few!
The Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance is a collaboration between the Shakori Hills Community Arts Center and the GrassRoots Festival Organization, providing a family-friendly celebration of music, dance, art and education. Activities for all ages include yoga classes, sustainability discussions, food vendors, local beverages, demonstrations, workshops and much more! There are a variety of camp site options on a bucolic 72-acre site in Pittsboro, North Carolina.
GrassStreet, a unique bluegrass ensemble that hails from Henderson and beyond, has long been a fan favorite at the Creedmoor Music Festival, which celebrates its 30th anniversary on Saturday, Sept. 16.
The festival, which has its roots as an acoustic bluegrass festival, has evolved over the years to include a diverse mix of country, rock, alternative and bluegrass genres. That’s what makes GrassStreet, which sports some rock, blues and jazz influences, such a great fit, says band leader Wayne Kinton, founding member of the band, who remembers when the event started on a resident’s front porch.
Kinton has been involved with the Creedmoor Music Festival since its inception. GrassStreet, he explains, plays contemporary tunes based on traditional stylings, a mixture of bluegrass standards and original compositions. The current group is a derivative of the band Swift Run which has performed regionally since the early ’80s.
A Henderson native, Kinton plays a 1951 Martin D-18 on stage. On Saturday, GrassStreet can be expected to play a mix of gospel and classic rock songs — from Hank Williams to Bob Seger.
Kinton praised the Creedmoor Music Festival and its organizers for making sure the show has gone on all these years.
“This festival has hung with it and they built on what they had,” he said after the band’s set at last year’s festival. “They had competent and able help, they had a large volunteer pool and they were very well organized. This festival is unusual because it is still here and it is thriving.”
In addition to GrassStreet, free musical performances include the South Granville High School Chorus kicking off the festival at 10 a.m. with the National Anthem followed by seven talented bands performing gospel, country, rock and the aforementioned bluegrass on two stages.
The Sanderford Stage kicks off with local gospel artists, Atonement at 10:30 a.m. followed by GrassStreet at noon. At 2 p.m., Nathan Pope, winner of the top 10 under 20 in the Dallas International Guitar Show, steps on the stage followed by “Got To Be NC” vocal finalist, Grace Lucia.
Granville County’s own Bryan’s Hill Band rocks the Southern States Stage beginning at 10:45 a.m. followed by the sparkly, multi-genre songstress Megan Doss at 1 p.m. Country crooner Tim Cifers steps on the stage at 3:15 p.m.
Along with more than 100 craft, food and other vendors lining Main Street between Lyon and Park streets, Bull City Throwback Cruisers will host a Car Cruise In at the south end of the festival, with a display of cars, trucks and bikes. Local breweries, White Street Brewing Company, Inc and Tobacco Wood Brewing Co., will be on site selling craft beer for attendees to enjoy within the festival boundaries. And for the kids there will be free inflatables and face painting vendors in the Kid’s Corner.
Can’t make it to Creedmoor? GrassStreet will be at N.C. State Fair on opening day Oct. 12 on the Heritage Circle Stage for four shows at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The free roots and culture festival runs Sept. 8-10 in downtown Greensboro
The North Carolina Folk Festival is a nonprofit organization that honors, celebrates, and shares the meaningful ways communities express their creativity and cultural traditions through music, dance, food, crafts and other folk arts to enhance appreciation of diverse traditions and contribute to community vibrancy and inclusivity.
Our signature annual event, the NC Folk Fest, takes place each September and features more than 300 artists on multiple stages with continuous performances. The Festival attracts huge crowds of people to downtown Greensboro for a three-day celebration of cultural heritage through music, dance, handmade crafts, food, and family fun! As one of the fastest growing FREE festivals in the Southeast, the NC Folk Fest features an exciting new lineup of global artists, American roots performers, and North Carolina flavors every year!
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