The 53rd annual RockyGrass Festival 2025 is set for July 25-27. Very limited tickets and camping are still available! Located in Lyons, Colorado, RockyGrass is traditional bluegrass at its finest. Red rock cliffs and ottonwoods peer down over the property as the North St. Vrain River flows through the festival grounds just feet from the main stage.
Volunteers are still needed! Join the awesome community of volunteers! Work three shifts in exchange for your Festival pass.
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This year’s spring festival includes headliners and hosts Donna the Buffalo, The California Honeydrops, Los Lobos, and many more! Tickets, which are $159 for four days during the early bird special, are on sale now at https://shakorihillsgrassrootsfestival.thundertix.com/orders/new?performance_id=3116033
The Shakori Hills Community Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Make a donation to the SHCAC!
The Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival Organization is also a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. Find out more about the GrassRoots Family.
The Stokes County Arts Council, 500 N. Main Street, Danbury, North Carolina, is hosting Come Hear Stokes Thursday Songwriter Series hosted by Laurelyn Dossett. Tickets are $10 at the door.
The Arts Place of Stokes
502 Main St
Danbury, NC 27016
Thursday March 13 – 7-9 PM- Caleb Caudle & Laurelyn Dossett
Thursday April 10 7-9 PM- Anna Mertson & Josh Shelton
Thursday May 8 7-9 PM- Alicia Bullard (Full Band Show)
Thursday June 13 7-9 PM- Sarah Sophia & Jacob Harbour
Learn more at https://www.facebook.com/StokesArtsNC.
Get the lowest price tickets to Front Porch Fest 16, Aug. 28-Aug. 31, at SpiritHaven Farm before the first lineup drops! Save money on VIP, General Admission, RV and Car Camping by purchasing early.
Front Porch Fest is a four-day family-friendly music festival held in Patrick County, Virginia, featuring local, regional and national touring acts. Produced by One Family Productions.
For tickets and more information, visit this link.
From CultMTL: After a six-year absence, the Folk Alliance International conference returns to Montreal this week.
The conference, whose 37th annual edition begins tonight at the Sheraton and runs until Saturday Feb. 23, is geared toward the folk music industry to showcase artists, host panels and workshops in the daytime, and offer networking opportunities. It is the biggest folk music gathering of its kind worldwide.
Nearly half (around 45% to 50%) of all attendees are artists, while agents, managers, presenters, venues and radio DJs, among other industry-facing roles, are also in tow. In other words, basically the entire folk music ecosystem is represented in some form or another during this five-day conference.
This year, visitors will be greeted to official and private showcases within various corners of the hotel from both domestic and international folk and folk-adjacent artists (this year’s country of focus is Portugal), with the International Folk Music Awards happening tonight to kick off the proceedings. Montreal’s own Allison Russell serves as the keynote speaker, and will be interviewed by NPR’s Ann Powers.
Learn more at this link.
WILKESBORO, NORTH CAROLINA — From the good folks over at MerleFest:
MerleFest, presented by Window World, will return to Wilkes Community College the weekend of April 24-27 for its 2025 event. Known for blending incredible live music with strong community ties, MerleFest continues to hold its title as a can’t miss annual tradition for both area natives and visitors from all over the world.
This year’s festival will highlight the 10th Annual Band Competition, where eight talented finalists will compete for the opportunity to perform on MerleFest’s iconic Hillside Stage. The competition performances will take place on Saturday, April 26, from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the winner announced at 4:30 p.m. The victorious band will then perform at 11 a.m. on Sunday, April 27, on the Hillside Stage in front of thousands of attendees.
This year’s band competition will include:
A Different Thread (Chapel Hill)
Admiral Radio (Columbia, South Carolina)
Charlie Maples (Johnson City, Tennessee)
Corrie Lynn Green (Port Republic, Virginia)
Mama & The Ruckus (Asheville)
Ranford Almond (Greensboro)
Upstream Rebellion (Waynesville)
The Well Drinkers (Charlotte)
In addition to these band competition finalists, MerleFest 2025 is proud to welcome several exciting new acts to its already-stacked lineup. Final additions include Sweet Megg, Carolina Detour, Creekwater Collective, Dear MariBella & The Pig Kickers, Ella Hennessee, Myles Gee, Pickin’ Thistles, and Wilder Flower. These performers join an outstanding roster of talent, ensuring MerleFest 2025 will be a celebration of diverse musical styles and fresh voices.
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On Saturday, Feb. 15, the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, North Carolina, will once again host a special performance by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tift Merritt and North Carolina Artist Thomas Sayre.
“Four Walls, Four Songs,” a sound response to Thomas Sayre’s “Four Walls,” returns to Cameron Art Museum for a reprise at 7 p.m. The performance explores the burned, brushed, rusted and razed layers of Sayre’s visual work. Merritt’s multi-movement piece uses voice, piano, and guitar while drawing us deeper into the elemental artworks on display in Sayre’s “Four Walls.” Drawing from a deep friendship and creative dialogue between the two artists, Merritt crafts a sound exploration that resonates with the materials, visuals, and questions posed by Sayre’s monumental piece.
The first showing of this performance in September 2024 sold out completely, with one attendee describing it as “a remarkable multi-sensory exhibit that pushed the bounds of the typical gallery/museum experience.”
Tickets for CAM Members are $75; not-yet members $100.
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🎩 Punxsutawney Phil says more winter!
It’s time! Passes are on sale now! Purchase your passes during our limited merch drop and receive this exclusive Hopscotch x Hurricanes beanie!
🧢 Huge thanks to Custom Patch Hats, located right in the heart of Raleigh, N.C., for teaming up with us to create this exclusive drop!
| Joining the Lineup: Lettuce, Keller Williams, Ghost-Note, Dangermuffin, Ashes & Arrows, a stellar cast of Artists at Large, plus 15 more bands! Discounted tickets available until Feb. 1! |
From the good folks at Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival:
The countdown to the 15th annual Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival is on, and organizers are thrilled to announce the final lineup, featuring funk legends Lettuce, festival icon Keller Williams, and 26 more incredible acts, officially completing the band lineup! The festival will take place May 22-25, 2025, at the scenic Pop’s Farm in Martinsville, Virginia.
Lettuce will return for their third all-time performance at Rooster Walk, following standout shows at RW12 and their headline set at RW8. Meanwhile, Keller Williams, a long-time fan favorite, will bring his unique energy to the festival for the very first time, performing a special 90-minute funk set backed by the all-star Rooster Walk House Band.
“We couldn’t be more excited about the stellar lineup we’ve put together for Rooster Walk 15,” said Johnny Buck, executive director of Rooster Walk Inc. “Lettuce has always been a crowd favorite, and to finally have Keller Williams joining us, an artist that’s been on the wish list since our very first festival. This festival is truly going to be something special.”
Along with Lettuce and Keller Williams, the festival will showcase Ghost-Note (Dallas, TX), a band that features many of Snarky Puppy’s members; they are sure to bring their jazz-funk wizardry to Rooster Walk’s late-night stages. Dangermuffin (Folly Beach, SC) will return for their fifth appearance at the festival, while Ashes & Arrows, the breakout Asheville, NC band recently featured on America’s Got Talent, will make its Rooster Walk debut.
The Artists at Large for this year’s festival are a dream team of musical talent, joining forces to create unforgettable moments throughout the weekend. The all-star cast that will bring an unprecedented level of musicianship to the Rooster Walk House Band performances includes: Ron Holloway (sax, Baltimore, MD), Jeff Sipe (drums, Black Mountain, NC), Josh Shilling (keys & vocals, Nashville, TN), Isaac Hadden (guitar / Asheville, NC) / Keyser George (guitar / Nashville, TN); Wallace Mullinax (guitar/ Charleston, SC); Florencia Rusinol (vocals & guitar / Johnson City, TN); and Jake Dempsey (bass / Roanoke, VA).
Other additions to the lineup include: Dale and the ZDubs (reggae / Maryland); Erin & The Wildfire (R&B / Charlottesville VA); Arts Fishing Club (Americana / Appleton, Wisc.); Underground Springhouse (jamband / Athens, GA); Mighty Joshua (reggae / Richmond, VA); Hustle Souls (soul / Asheville, N.C.); Deau Eyes (indy / Richmond, VA); Future Joy (future-funk / CO & FL); Striking Copper (roots / Wilmington, N.C.); Winyah (rock / Charleston, S.C.); Bella Moulden (indy / Buffalo, N.Y.); Woody Woodworth & The Piners (country / Richmond, VA); Rebecca Porter (country / Harrisonburg, VA); Jules & The Agreeables (rock / Loudon County, VA); and magician Hunter Rhodes (magic / Richmond, VA).
From the good folks at MerleFest:
MerleFest, presented by Window World, will make its return to Wilkes Community College the weekend of April 24-27, 2025, continuing its tradition of blending incredible music with a deep commitment to its community.
This year’s festival will once again showcase four days of unforgettable performances, while honoring the rich legacy of Doc and Merle Watson. Fans from all over will gather once more in the scenic foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains for this iconic event.
MerleFest is proud to once again welcome our Acoustic Kids Showcases with Andy May. Since 2001, the Acoustic Kids program has given young musicians of any skill level the opportunity to perform on festival stages in a supportive environment. Beginner through pro, all musicians 18 or younger are welcome to participate and share their music with the MerleFest audience. Each year, we host three 1.5-hour showcases and a half-hour Acoustic Kids Ambassadors set. Pre-registration is required to participate in Acoustic Kids and is open from February 1 through March 15 (or until all showcases are full, whichever comes first). Register early to hold your spot! Online registration, showcase schedules, and FAQs are available at https://andymay.com/acoustic-kids/acoustic-kids-merlefest/, and detailed registration instructions are at https://andymay.com/acoustic-kids/registration-instructions/.
School Day and Outreach – MerleFest School Day hosts students and their teachers from area middle and high schools on Friday to enjoy the festival free of charge. Over 2,300 school children from Wilkes and surrounding counties attend MerleFest annually through the MerleFest School Day program. In addition to welcoming students to MerleFest, the MerleFest Outreach program brings MerleFest to the students. The MerleFest Outreach program enhances regional education by showcasing performances from festival artists in 17 public elementary and middle schools, giving many students who may otherwise not be able to attend a face-to-face encounter with the artists and their craft. This program reaches 5,900 students annually.
The WCC Foundation is pleased to announce that we’ve added a new twist to our Silent Auction! This year’s Silent Auction offers mobile bidding so that festival guests and supporters can view items and place bids even before the festival begins. During the festival, you will be able to place bids from the comfort of your seats. Stay tuned for more details at merlefest.org/silent-auction.
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 15 deadline.
The 2025 MerleFest Mobile App, is available now for Apple and Android devices. Start planning your weekend with performance schedules, reminders, and artist discovery through the official MerleFest 2025 Spotify playlist.
About MerleFest
MerleFest, presented by Window World, was founded in 1988 as a fundraiser for the Garden of the Senses at Wilkes Community College to memorialize world-renowned flatpicker Doc Watson’s late son, Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including old-time, classic country, bluegrass, folk and gospel, and blues, and expanded to include Americana, classic rock, and many other styles. The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 12 stages during the course of the multi-day event. MerleFest is the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects, and other educational needs.
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