Emmylou Harris, a 2018 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, will bring her band to headline the 14th annual Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival on May 23-26, 2024 ,at Pop’s Farm just outside Martinsville, Virginia. Joining her at the top of the band lineup will be celebrated guitarist Cory Wong, an exploding star on the international music scene.
Harris has been estimated to have sold more than 15 million records worldwide. She has also earned 13 Grammy Awards and placed 27 singles into the top 10 US country chart. She will make her Rooster Walk debut with a Saturday evening set.
Wong will also make his RW debut when his band performs a Friday night headlining set. A former member of Vulfpeck, Wong’s live shows are lauded for their instrumental wizardry, incredible cohesiveness and their sheer, energetic fun.
Other bands getting added to the lineup include: Couch (Boston, Massachusetts – funk/rock/soul); Catilin Krisko & The Broadcast (Asheville, North Carolina – rock); Arkansauce (progressive bluegrass from northwest Arkansas); Sneezy (high-energy party music from Chicago, Illinois); Sticks N Thorns (bluegrass duo featuring Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon and Jon Stickley); Travis Book & Friends (Asheville, Americana/rock band led by The Infamous Stringdusters’ Travis Book); The Jared Stout Band (southern rock from the New River Valley of Virginia); T.C. Carter Band (blues from Martinsville); Lua Flora (Asheville – beach folk); Big Fat Gap (Chapel Hill, North Carolina – bluegrass); Jules & The Agreeables (Key West, Florida – rock); DJ What (Martinsville – DJ); and Pirates of the Piedmont (Martinsville – pirate shanties).
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! 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. Find tickets for the May 2-4, 2024, event on sale at this link: https://www.shakorihillsgrassroots.org/
Live from their new home in FestivalPark, 5826 Floyd Highway North, Check, Virginia, here’s the latest about FloydFest 24 featuring Sierra Ferrell, Sierra Hull, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Circles Around the Sun, Hogslop String Band, Victor Wooten and the Wooten Brothers, The Heavy, Heavy and many, many more. Check out the full lineup here.
MerleFest, presented by Window World, has announced the initial lineup for its 36th annual event, taking place April 25-28, 2024, on the campus of Wilkes Community College. Leading the breadth of can’t-miss performances this year are Grammy-winning rogue-folk ensemble Old Crow Medicine Show (celebrating both their 25th anniversary and nearly 25 years since their MerleFest debut in 2000), Red Dirt stalwarts Turnpike Troubadours, decorated blues-rock duo The Teskey Brothers, and recently reunited bluegrass sensation Nickel Creek. MerleFest favorites Steep Canyon Rangers, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, The Earls of Leicester, and more are also set to appear. View the initial lineup below. Additional artists to be announced in the coming weeks.
MerleFest 2024 tickets are available now. For general admission passes, as well as patio seating, reserved seating, camping, parking, and more, please visit merlefest.org/purchase.
MerleFest 2024 will welcome Old Crow Medicine Show, Turnpike Troubadours, The Teskey Brothers, Nickel Creek, Steep Canyon Rangers, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, The Earls of Leicester, Shinyribs, Peter Rowan, Scythian, Donna the Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Kruger Brothers, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Chatham County Line, Chatham Rabbits, John McEuen, Willi Carlisle, Adeem the Artist, The Sensational Barnes Brothers, The Waybacks, Alexa Rose, Andy May, Ashes & Arrows, B. Townes, Banknotes, Buffalo Nichols, Carol Rifkin, Charles Welch, Flattop, Goldpine, Gravity Check Juggling, The InterACTive Theater of Jef, Jack Lawrence, Jake Kohn, Jeff Little Trio, JigJam, Joe Smothers, Josh Goforth, Kyshona, Laura Boosinger, The Local Boys, Mark Bumgarner, Mitch Greenhill & Mitch’s Kitchen, Nefesh Mountain, Palmyra, Pete & Joan Wernick, Presley Barker, Roy Book Binder, The Silent Comedy, T. Michael Coleman, Them Coulee Boys, Tony Williamson, Uwade, and Wayne Henderson. For artist performance dates, visit merlefest.org/lineup.
MerleFest Volunteer applications are now open. As a volunteer, participants will receive free entry to the festival for the entire day of their shift, free parking, and shuttle, and 10% off camping at River’s Edge Campground. Most importantly, volunteers will be supporting a major fundraiser for Wilkes Community College. Please visit merlefest.org/volunteer to sign up before the April 13th deadline.
Applications to be a MerleFest vendor are also open. Vendors are carefully selected to provide a variety of quality and unique goods for every MerleFest fan. Included in the vendor fee is the cost of your tent, tent setup, fire extinguisher, gutters, table, chairs, lightbulb for nighttime illumination, on-campus security, as well as general admission passes for the entire festival and one on-campus parking pass. Simply put, it’s a great deal! Please visit merlefest.org/vendors to apply now before the application window closes on January 15th.
Join RoosterWalk and Rives on the Road for a seafood block party on the historic courthouse square in Uptown Martinsville on Saturday, Nov. 25.
The R.W. Shucks Block Party will feature a delightful and delicious array of oysters, seafood, live music and libations from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Oysters will be offered roasted, on the half shell, raw and as shooters. The Longfin Grill Food Truck and Salty’s Lobster Co. Food Truck will augment the menu with additional amazing seafood options. All food will be sold a la carte.
Musical performances by Marvelous Funkshun (delivering a special Jimi Hendrix tribute set) Colby T. Helms & The Virginia Creepers, In The Meantime, The Pirates of the Piedmont, and The Parrots of the Piedmont (offering a Jimmy Buffet tribute).
The event is sponsored by Hooker Furniture and Pabst Blue Ribbon. Tickets are on sale now at this link.
On Saturday, December 2nd, RUMOURS ATL brings us a perfectly delivered Fleetwood Mac Tribute. Since 2014, Rumours (or Rumours ATL) has set stages ablaze across the U.S. with their scorching Fleetwood Mac renditions. Garnering a reputation as the best Fleetwood Mac tribute band, they’ve captivated audiences internationally, playing top venues and festivals in the US and abroad. With meticulous attention to detail and infectious energy, Rumours sells out venues and leaves fans dancing, singing, and discovering new facets of Fleetwood Mac’s magic at every performance. Believe in miracles and join the unforgettable experience of Rumours. Tickets on sale Thursday, 9/28 at Noon EST.
Sneezy brings the party! Join us for a dancy, fun-filled night of music at The TAD Space in Martinsville, VA. Get ready to be blown away by the incredible performances of Sneezy and Liv Sloan & The Diehards. This event promises to be a night filled with laughter, music, and unforgettable moments.
2023 Rives on the Road Season Passes will be accepted at each of these shows, BUT must be acquired in advance. Every Rives on the Road season pass holder has received an email with their personal code to redeem their tickets for each of these events. Rives on the Road season pass holders must acquire their tickets via Eventbrite by the due date indicated.
Rooster Walk and Rives on the Road
Back in 2016, Rooster Walk Inc., the 501c3 nonprofit company, absorbed a nonprofit named “Arts at the Rives,” and began organizing and promoting concerts at the Rives Theatre in uptown Martinsville. In the fall of 2019, the Rives Theatre tragically caught fire and was a total loss. It has not been rebuilt. To keep the music alive, Rooster Walk Inc., now offers “Rives on the the Road” concerts each year. These “pop-up shows” take place in various venues in the Martinsville-Henry County community, and cover a wide range of genres, from rock and blues to bluegrass, country, jazz and more. Season pass sales have closed… with a record number sold.
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!
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.
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.
Editor’s Note: This story originally ran in the Wake Weekly newspaper at this link.
As summer winds down, Labor Day weekend is heating up with a variety of outdoor music festivals from western North Carolina to Virginia. What better way to celebrate the social and economic achievements of American workers than hanging out with friends and listening to some old favorites, as well as being introduced to some new artists?
Following are just a few festivals featuring a variety of musical genres and activities to choose from:
The Earl Scruggs Music Festival
The Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Mill Spring, North Carolina, Sept. 1-3, is a celebration of the defining bluegrass banjo player Earl Scruggs. It features about 30 bluegrass, folk and Americana acts on two stages, including newgrass band Into the Fog, which has its roots in Wake Forest, where lead singer and band co-founder Brian Stephenson calls home, and Raleigh’s Tray Wellington Band. Other acts include Emmy Lou Harris, Del McCoury Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Earls of Leicester, Pete Wernick,Greensky Bluegrass, The Jerry Douglas Band, Della Mae, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, Zoe and Cloyd, Rissi Palmer, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper and the Jon Stickley Trio. The festival also hosts a collection of food trucks, children’s activities, free horse jumping demonstrations and trail rides for a fee. The festival debuted in 2022 and is a collaboration between the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby and WNCW FM at Isothermal Community College in Rutherfordton. For a schedule and tickets visit earlscruggsmusicfest.com/.
The Happy Valley Old-Time Fiddlers’ Convention
The Happy Valley Old-Time Fiddlers’ Convention at Jones Farm in Lenoir, North Carolina, is Sept. 1-3 and pays homage to the legends and stories of the Yadkin River Valley. The festival includes 11 categories of competition for old time and bluegrass bands and musicians and featured performances on Sunday, plus children’s activities, food vendors and more. In addition to competitors, artists include William Ritter and Sarah Ogletree, Burnett Sisters Band, Michael Reno Harrell, Strictly Clean and Decent, Rob McHale and Rodney Sutton. The 2023 festival is the 18th and final edition of the event, organizers say. Learn more at happyvalleyfiddlers.org/.
The 12th annual John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival
The 12th annual John Coltrane International Jazz and Blues Festival set for Sept. 2-3 in High Point’s Oak Hollow Festival Park is sponsored by The Friends of John Coltrane, which works to preserve and celebrate the life and music of Coltrane and to enrich the lives of others through the introduction of jazz and other musical genres. Artists include Keb’ Mo’, Dave Koz, Maysa, Mr. Sipp, Candy Dulfer, Eric Darius, Norman Brown, Samara Joy, Chucho Valdes, Yellowjackets, Terri Lyne Carrington, Matthew Whitaker, and more. Learn more at coltranejazzfest.com
The 14th annual African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County
The 14th annual African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County is set for Sept. 2-3 and celebrates African American culture through art, music, dance, food and community. Local and national musical acts are presented Saturday and Sunday on the main stage in addition to a juried art gallery, craft and food vendors, educational and hands-on activities in the Family Village, and more. The festivities kickoff Friday with Gladys Knight and Eric Benet performing at the North Carolina Museum of Art. For tickets and more information visit www.aacfestival.org/
ProgDay
ProgDay, the world’s longest-running Progressive Rock Festival, is celebrating its 28th year and is set for Sept. 2-3 at Chapel Hill’s Storybrook Farm. The event will feature artists from all over the world including Karmic Juggernaut, A Light Sleeper, Moon Letters, Perfect, Red Fiction, tu:NER, We Used to Cut the Grass and You Bred Raptors? For tickets visit https://progday.net/.
The 14th annual Front Porch Fest
The 14th annual Front Porch Fest is a family friendly festival set for Aug. 31-Sept. 3 at Spirithaven Farm in Stuart, Virginia. This year’s musical lineup includes Butcher Brown, Jimkata, Dangermuffin, DJ Williams, Sun-Dried Vibes, Cailtin Krisko & The Broadcast, Big Daddy Love, The Plate Scrapers, The Judy Chops, Urban Soil, The Wilson Springs Hotel and many more, according to organizers. In addition to 30-plus bands, Front Porch Fest features an array of children’s activities, yoga, campsite jams, on-site camping, craft brews and foods, and more. For tickets, volunteering, vending and sponsorship opportunities visit frontporchfest.com/
Appaloosa Roots Music Festival
MerleFest’s favorite house band Celtic rockers Scythian hosts Appaloosa Roots Music Festival in Front Royal, Virginia, on Sept. 2-3. The lineup features an exciting mix of artists from various genres including the Triangle’s own Chatham Rabbits, Blue Highway, Screaming Orphans, Carbon Leaf, Christian Lopez and many more. For tickets and more information, visit appaloosafestival.com/
I had the pleasure of being invited to this festival several years ago by the incomparable Kruger Brothers, who are MerleFest fan favorites for the uninitiated, and I fell in love with this festival. It’s mostly free, it’s intimate (I sat on the stage steps as Ricky Skaggs performed just a few feet away), it always has a great lineup (and this year is no exception) and it’s in a fantastic location (downtown Wilkesboro has a very Mayberry vibe). Trust me, you are going to want to add this festival to your fall music calendar!
From the good folks at Carolina in the Fall: Carolina in the Fall returns for our seventh festival in the Carolina West Community Commons in Downtown Wilkesboro, North Carolina, with our host band, The Kruger Brothers, for two days of great music, food, drink and community.
This year’s festival will be Sept. 22 and 23. Our lineup is headlined by Balsam Range, The Kruger Brothers, Woody Platt and Shannon Whitworth and John Cowan’s NewGrass Allstars. The lineup also includes Hank, Pattie & the Current, Alex Key, His & Hers, Presley Barker, Shay Martin Lovette, and returning international guests, Thurler-Mosimann Project.
We have made some significant changes to last years festival in an effort to simplify the festival experience and want to highlight those again. Here are the biggest changes to be aware of:
Carolina in the Fall is a mostly free festival. VIP tickets will be sold for reserved seating at the main stage. All seating behind the reserved and sponsor seating areas will be open and free to the public.
There will only be one stage this year. Managing four stages spread out across the downtown had become an overwhelming task and we wanted to bring the focus back to those artists who perform on our main stage each year. The Carolina Stage in the community commons is our one featured stage.
Music begins at 5 p.m. on Friday. After five years of watching our attendance, we’ve realized that most festival goers arrive after work on Friday. So, we’ve condensed our Friday lineup to begin when most folks can attend.
2023 Stage Schedule
Friday
5:00 – 5:45 – Presley Barker
6:00 – 6:45 – Alex Key
7:00 – 8:15 – Balsam Range
8:45 – 10:00 – The Kruger Brothers
Saturday
12:00 – 12:45 – Shay Martin Lovette
1:00 – 1:45 – His & Hers
2:00- 3:00 – Thurler-Mosimann Project
3:15 – 4:15 – Hank, Pattie & the Current
4:30 – 5:30 – John Cowan’s NewGrass AllStars
6:00 – 7:15 – Woody Platt & Shannon Whitworth
7:45 – 9:15 – The Kruger Brothers
Registration is also open for the 8th Annual Chad Lovette Memorial Trail Run at Cub Creek Park in Wilkesboro on Saturday, Sept. 23! Link to register below. Of course we will have our virtual option available for our friends and family who aren’t able to make it in person! We can’t wait to gather again with everyone to celebrate Chad and then head to Carolina In The Fall (Chad played at the inaugural festival). As always, all proceeds go to the American Cancer Society to contribute to the fight against cancer!
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