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Musings on folk, Americana, country, bluegrass and newgrass


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Last chance to pre-register for Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2025 tickets in Friday, Dec. 6

A friendly reminder that today, Dec. 6, is your LAST CHANCE to pre-register for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival pre-sale. 

Pre-registration closes at 11:59 p.m. MT tonight! You can find all the information about this process on the Planet Bluegrass website here

Pre-register

Remember that if you aren’t approved, or if you choose not to buy tickets, your $10 pre-reg payment will be refunded. You’ll receive an email on Monday if you’ve been approved! 


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Tico Time Bluegrass Festival announces lineup and tickets on sale for May 16-18, 2025

From the good folks at the Tico Time Bluegrass Festival:

The 5th annual Tico Time Bluegrass Festival, nestled in the heart of the stunning Animas River Valley, is the perfect place to escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life and immerse yourself in the sweet sounds of live bluegrass music. Whether you’re jamming with your fellow festival-goers at a campsite, taking a dip in the river, or dancing up a storm on the beach, this festival promises to be an adventure filled with unforgettable moments, lifelong friendships, and cherished memories.

The festival will take place May 16-18, 2025 at the Tico Time River Resort, 20 Road 2050, Aztec, New Mexico (20 minutes south of Durango, Colorado) with performances by some of the finest bluegrass musicians around, including The Infamous Stringdusters, Railroad Earth, Leftover Salmon, Peter Rowan & Sam Grisman Project playing music from Old & In the Way and more, Tim O’Brien & Jan Fabricius, Rebecca Frazier (2 Sets) ft. Grateful Strings & Original Set, The Fretliners (2 Sets), Stillhouse Junkies, Liver Down The River, High Country Hustle, Magoo, Foggy Memory Boys, Silas Herman & The Tone Unit, La La Bones, Robin Davis Duo, Hunker Down, Slay & Stinson, Still House String Band, The Little Moon Travelers, Andrew Cooney & Derek Dames Ohl, Alex Graf Duo, All She Wrote, Timber!, San Juan Circus, MC Alex Blocker, Bob Hemenger and Steezy Strings. Tickets on sale now at https://ticotimebluegrass.com

New this year at the event will be Zipline Tours, rental cabins with air conditioning and premium car camping with water and 120V power.

Come and enjoy live music in a beautiful natural setting at Tico Time River Resort along the Animas River Valley. This resort offers various accommodations such as shaded riverside camping, full hook-up RV spots, glamping tents with real beds, car camping, and access to fun activities like swimming, SUPs, kayaking, hiking, zipline tours and waterslides. You can also check out the cafe, food trucks, craft vendors, and general store, as well as permanent bathroom and shower facilities. There is daily yoga, workshops, and kids activities available to make this a fun family-friendly event. Everything has been thoughtfully designed to ensure your comfort and convenience during this family-friendly musical adventure.

The Tico Time Bluegrass Festival is all about fostering a sense of community and companionship in the world of Bluegrass Music. The event strives to create an environment where we can all come together and express ourselves through our shared love for music, nature, and adventure.

“A magical festival weekend experience,” says Festy Go Nuts, join the celebration of three days of community, friendship, and the best of Bluegrass, Roots and Americana music.

For more information and to purchase tickets https://ticotimebluegrass.com 


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ROMP Festival ticket prices increase at midnight on Dec. 2

From the good folks at ROMP:

This year’s ROMP festival is headlined by a powerhouse roster of talent, featuring some of the biggest names in bluegrass and beyond, including Wynonna Judd, Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, The SteelDrivers, The Dillards, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Willie Watson, Mountain Grass Unit, and many more. With its blend of classic bluegrass, innovative Americana, and roots music, ROMP Festival is a celebration of both the legends and rising stars in the music industry.

ROMP offers a variety of camping options, including both tent camping and RV camping. The festival is also known for its family-friendly atmosphere, offering a blend of world-class music, spectacular outdoor settings, and a range of activities for festival-goers of all ages. In addition to the impressive music lineup, attendees can look forward to several artist-led workshops. 

Ticket prices will increase on Dec. 3. Four-day tickets are discounted at $185, and VIP tickets are available for $465 and include catered meals, air-conditioned restrooms, and prime stage views. Onsite tent and RV camping passes are also available. Children 12 & under are free for general admission.

For tickets and more information, visit ROMPFEST.COM


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Old Crow Medicine Show to headline ‘Music for the Mountains’ benefit show in Raleigh on Oct. 27

From the good folks at WRAL: Ketch Secor, founder of Old Crow Medicine Show, shares his deep connection to North Carolina, where the band first found its roots and inspiration.

Though he grew up in Virginia and now lives in Tennessee, Secor says his heart is in North Carolina.

“I look to those mountains for my inspiration and my heart really,” the  founder and frontman of Old Crow Medicine Show told WRAL on Thursday, Oct. 24. “If your heart is really for the western mountains in North Carolina, it’s broken now.”

Old Crow Medicine Show started playing together more than 25 years ago and got it’s first break on the streets of Boone.

“Old Crow Medicine Show met Doc Watson, the granddaddy of all pickers on the street corner right out in front of Boone drug on King Street in Watauga County,” Secor said. “So that was sort of my encounter with the roots, with the traditional music makers of North Carolina.” 

Perhaps most well-known for the song “Wagon Wheel,” Secor wrote along with Bob Dylan’s lyrics, Old Crow garnered much inspiration from the mountains.

“The southern highlands are really the region that that that, you know, without without them, there’d be no rock and roll, there’d be no country music,” Secor said. “It’s really quite sacred to us. You know, if you love song, American song is really at at its peak, up in those jagged peaks.”

Many places that have meant so much to Secor and his bandmates were forever changed by Hurricane Helene.

“The little town of Beach Creek that we lived in in Avery County, North Carolina, has had terrible, irrevocable damage, the place where we’re supposed to play this weekend, Spruce Pine in Mitchell County, North Carolina. I mean, Mitchell County has just been devastated,” Secor said.

Secor has been on the ground in the mountains, helping deliver supplies and seeing the damage for himself. He says the recovery is just beginning.

“We need to remind folks that that the the hard work really is what’s ahead,” he said. 

He also wants you to know you can support Western North Carolina on Sunday, Oct. 28, and have fun doing it by checking out the band on stage at Red Hat Amphitheater during the Music for the Mountains benefit concert. WRAL is a proud sponsor for this event. Joining Old Crow will be Chatham County Line, B.J. Barham of American Aquarium and more.

 “I want you guys to come out there bring bring your dancing shoes and your wallets,” Secor said. 


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Mile 0 Fest Key West 2025 tickets on sale

Five Nights of Music in Paradise

Jan. 21- Jan. 25, 2025

From the good folks at Mile 0 Fest Key West:

Calling all music lovers! Immerse yourself in the laid back island vibes of Mile 0 Fest Key West, a premier boutique music festival. Each year boasts a stellar lineup of established and rising artists performing in beautiful outdoor venues. Experience all Key West has to offer while listening to your favorite bands and making new life-long friends.

With only a few thousand passes available, don’t wait to book your dream music vacation!

Learn more at this link: https://www.mile0fest.com


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Tar Heel Troubadours concert series wraps up at N.C. history museum with Rissi Palmer, Miko Marks and Henhouse Prowlers on Oct. 4-5

The North Carolina Museum of History is embarking on a transformative journey that will redefine how visitors experience the state’s rich history. As part of this project, the physical museum building will close to the public on October 7 to begin an exciting makeover that will last two to three years. The Museum Shop will remain open to the public until December 29, 2024.

Don’t miss your chance to visit the museum before it closes. With two exciting concerts planned, this final weekend will punctuate the many wonderful years of programming and exhibits the museum has brought to the community. Following the museum building’s closure, Tar Heel Troubadours will experience a brief pause during this time.

Tar Heel Troubadours: Rissi Palmer & Miko Marks
From 7–9:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, there will be a performance by Rissi Palmer, who is known for her groundbreaking work in country and R&B music, coining her own genre called “Southern Soul.” She advocates for musicians of color and those marginalized in mainstream country through her radio show Color Me Country with Rissi Palmer on Apple Music Country. Palmer will be joined by Miko Marks has created a unique sound by blending country, blues, southern rock, and gospel. Her warm and soulful spirit has drawn widespread acclaim, establishing her as a catalyst for change in the country music genre.
Tar Heel Troubadours: Henhouse Prowlers
The Henhouse Prowlers will perform from 7–9:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 5. The group has been spreading their powerful and original music for nearly two decades. Their latest album, Lead and Iron, showcases their songwriting and intricate instrumentation. The band has also been working with the US State Department and their nonprofit, Bluegrass Ambassadors, to tour more than 25 countries, bridging cultural gaps through music and education. Their experiences in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East have shaped their worldview and influenced their approach to incorporating international elements into their traditional American music repertoire.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit https://www.ncmuseumofhistory.org/news/events/tar-heel-troubadours-henhouse-prowlers


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IBMA’s 2024 Momentum Award winners include DownRiver Collective, Heather Berry Mabe, Wyatt Ellis and Gibson Davis

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) 2024 Momentum Awards, sponsored by Campbell University School of Law, were presented on Wednesday during the World of Bluegrass convention in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. Jaelee Roberts served as host and Master of Ceremonies during the luncheon. A number of the band of the year nominees gave toe-tapping performances including DownRiver Collective, Jackson Hollow, Jake Leg, JigJam and The Price Sisters.

The following awards are given to artists and those in the business of bluegrass during the early years of their career. The purpose is both to recognize special talent on the way up, and to give a boost to their efforts at this crucial stage. And the winners are:

Band of the Year DownRiver Collective, a group of Belmont University alumni out of Nashville, Tennessee

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IBMA Bluegrass Ramble artist lineup features something for every musical taste

Bluegrass is back in Raleigh beginning Tuesday with IBMA’s World of Bluegrass featuring the annual Business Conference, award shows, showcases, the Ramble, free music on stages spread across downtown on Friday and Saturday and of course, the headliners at Red Hat Amphitheatre.

Beginning Tuesday, the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Official Showcases are the premier platform for introducing talent and new music to the bluegrass community during IBMA World of Bluegrass®. 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.

All emerging bluegrass bands, as well as established bands with new music or new personnel, are encouraged to apply. Thousands of bluegrass fans fill six venues throughout Downtown Raleigh over three nights to catch the newest in bluegrass music!I

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20th annual Fall Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival set for Oct. 3-6, 2024

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; a Music Lovers’ Paradise!

To purchase tickets or to learn more about the festival, visit https://www.shakorihillsgrassroots.org/


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31st Creedmoor Music Festival set for Saturday, Sept. 21


From the good folks in Creedmoor, North Carolina, which is just north of Durham:

The 31st annual Creedmoor Music Festival will be held from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on SATURDAY, SEPT. 21, 2024.

The lineup include GrassStreet, British Invaders, Soul Triii, God’s Men of Harmony, Fifth Floor, Bender Street and Sagamore.

Parking Information

Complimentary parking will be available at the Creedmoor Community Center located at 108 East Wilton Avenue.

Main Street in Creedmoor will be closed to traffic starting at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. from West Lyon Street to Park Avenue for the safety of festival attendees.

The Creedmoor Music Festival welcomes Bill Young, co-anchor of CBS 17 News This Morning and CBS 17 News at Noon, and Amber Freeman, the vibrant co-host of My Carolina on CBS 17, will be the Guest Emcees for this year’s Creedmoor Music Festival.

Young, known for his love of cars and his impressive collection of 200 neckties and 300 quirky socks, is ready to bring his unique flair to our festival stage. Visit his Facebook page and vote for your favorite tie and sock combo for him to wear on air.

Freeman, the engaging personality behind Triangle’s only daily one-hour lifestyle TV show, is bringing her lively energy to the festival. With a passion for Ranch Doritos, champagne, pickles and Prince, Freeman is set to add a fun and unique vibe to the event.

Vendor Information

Sponsorship Opportunities

No Pets Policy
While pets are welcome at several other city events throughout the year, due to the nature and location of this event, the CMF Committee established a “No Pets” policy.  We understand this policy may not be popular with some, however the committee is appreciative of the full cooperation that has been shown by attendees over the years.

Stay up-to-date with the CMF!

Potential performers, vendors, and sponsors are encouraged to register for Event News & Updates under e-Notification to ensure receipt of time-sensitive festival announcements and information.  Residents and other interested persons are also encouraged to register and stay informed of all news and happenings in Creedmoor.

For more information, contact
MusicFestival@Cityofcreedmoor.org