Carolina Music Festivals is a comprehensive calendar and guide to multi-act, daylong or multiple-day music shows in North Carolina.
April 9 - 10 The Darin & Brooke Aldridge Bluegrass Festival - Cherryville
The event is one of several shows sponsored by Catawba Valley Music Revival, which is dedicated to preserving and promoting live music in the Unifour and surrounding areas of North and South Carolina.
Artists
Darin & Brooke Aldridge, J.D. Crowe & The New South, Balsam Range, Harris Brothers, Unspoken Tradition, New Plowed Ground, Catawba Valley Music Youth Band.
Festival site: Coot Williams Road
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6 p.m. Friday, noon Saturday.
Two-day pass: $30 in advance. Thursday night jam and supper. Free camping. No hookups but a bathhouse is available. |
April 16 - 17 Annual Spring Festival and Tribute to the Troops - Salemburg
The spring festival is held the first weekend after April 15th each year to celebrate the end of tax season and the start of bluegrass season. The weekend starts Thursday with a free pig pickin' and jam session (bring a covered dish).
Artists
Friday: The Hagar's Mountain Boys, Little Roy & Lizzie Long, Carolina Sonshine, Ken Scoggins & Miller's Creek.
Saturday: Randy Waller & The Country Gentlemen, The Bluegrass Brothers, Travers Chandler & Avery County, The Blue J's.
Festival site: Laurel Lakes Family Campground & Music Park
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Two-day pass: $35 before March 15, $45 in advance, $50 at gate; veterans $25. Daily: $25 in advance, $30 at gate; veterans $10. Camping: sites with hookups for fewer than three nights available on first come, first serve basis at the gate at $25 for 30-amp sites, $30 for 50-amps and $45 for full hookup (water and electricity); tents with no utilities $5 per night, RVs with no utilities $10 per night up to three nights, $5 per night for more than three nights. |
April 17 North Carolina 'Cuegrass Festival - Raleigh
| The daylong show put on by The Pit restaurant in downtown Raleigh's Warehouse District presents bluegrass and roots music, barbecue and locally brewed beer. Proceeds from food and drink sales benefit the W.C. Breeze Family Farm and N.C. Future Farmers of America. Click on the photo for more information. |  |
Artists
Southern Culture on the Skids, Old Habits, Jackass Flats and Sons of Ralph Duo.
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11 a.m. to 4 p.m. |
April 22 - 24 Family Style Bluegrass Festival - Roxboro
Mike and Debbie Wilson, longtime partners with John Maness at the Bass Mountain Bluegrass Festival, carry on the tradition of family bluegrass shows at their own venue. The 2010 festival is the inaugural event.
Artists
Thursday: Marty Rabon & Full Circle, The James King Band, New Found Road, Melvin Goins, Grasstowne.
Friday: Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Lou Reid & Carolina, Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, The Hagar's Mountain Boys, Constant Change.
Saturday: Deeper Shade of Blue, Big Country Bluegrass, Mashville Brigade, Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass.
Festival site: Willow Oak Park
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Three-day pass: $50 before April 1, $75 afterward. Thursday: $25. Friday: $30. Saturday: $30. Ages 13 to 16 $15 per day with parent; younger than 13 free with parent. Camping: $5 per vehicle per day; parking free without camping. |
April 22 - 25 Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival - Silk Hope
| The semiannual Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance (see October schedule) is a growing festival with four stages presenting an eclectic mix of music - from rock to jazz and Americana, Cajun and klezmer. There are also musicians' competitions, art and craft vendors, food vendors, games, a drum circle, children's activities and more. Click on the photo for more information. |  |
Artists
Donna the Buffalo is the festival host. Others include Bela Fleck, Rusted Root, Crooked Still, Scythian, Chiwoniso, Eilen Jewell, Preston Frank, The Smart Brothers, Vince Herman & The Great American Taxi, Asylum Street Spankers, Bassekou Kouyate, Holy Ghost Tent Revival, Kelley & The Cowboys, Rosie Ledet, Sim Redmond Band, The Beast, Big Fat Gap, Midtown Dickens, Saludos Compay, stephaniesid, Hobex, Greg Humphries, Music Maker Revue (with Cool John Ferguson, Lightnin' Wells, Ron Hunter, Captain Luke and Pat "Mother Blues" Cohen) and more.
Get the bands listed by the day they play here.
Festival site: Shakori Hills
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Four-day pass: adults $80 until 2/21, $90 until 4/19, $100 at gate; ages 13-15 $50. Thursday $22, Friday $30, Saturday $37, Sunday $26. Camping: Tents $10; RVs $50 through 4/19, $60 at gate. RV more that 25 feet long or a vehicle and trailer pays double. |
April 24 Triangle Beach Music Festival - Garner
The Triangle Beach Music Festival keeps growing, welcoming a record crowd in 2009.
Artists
Chairmen of the Board, Band of Oz, Jim Quick & Coastline, Spare Change and Hip Pocket.
Festival site: Bryan Farms
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Gates open 9 a.m. for a 9:30 start.
$23 in advance online, $30 at gate. |
April 24 Thaw Out Boone - Boone
The inaugural spring festival promises 13 bands on two stages but, since it's Boone, they're not promising anything about the weather. The show is on - warmth, cold, rain or shine.
Artists
ZoSo (Led Zeppelin tribute), Throwdown Jones, Bafoodus, Albannach, The Forget Me Nots, Upright n Breathin’, Sweet Revenge, Melissa Reaves, The King Bees, Future, Small Town Heroes, Major Magick, BPL.
Festival site: High Country Fairgrounds
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10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
$17 in advance, $25 at gate; parking $2. Camping $20, $35 with hookups. |
April 29 - May 2 Merlefest - Wilkesboro
| Merlefest, one of the country's best music festivals, features bluegrass and Americana music by top acts, and old and new favorites. Some bands play a single show but many artists play several shows throughout the weekend and sit in with other bands and performers. The festival honors the late Merle Watson and the Doc Watson family, and is a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College. Click on the photo for more information. |  |
Artists
Thursday: Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, Taj Mahal, Zac Brown Band.
Friday: Little Feat, Sam Bush, Dailey and Vincent, Dierks Bentley featuring the Travelin’ McCourys, Joey + Rory.
Saturday: Elvis Costello and the Sugarcanes, Steve Martin with The Steep Canyon Rangers.
Sunday: Avett Brothers.
Throughout the festival: Doc Watson, Richard Watson, Sam Bush, Bearfoot, The Belleville Outfit, Jim Lauderdale, The Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, Tony Rice Unit, Larkin Poe (formerly the Lovell Sisters), Missy Raines and the New Hip, Brave Combo, Donna The Buffalo, The Waybacks, Cadillac Sky, The Duhks, Scythian, The Lee Boys and The Travelin' McCourys, The Kruger Brothers and many more.
Get the performer list here.
Festival site: Wilkes Community College
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Gates open 2:30 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. Friday-Sunday
14 stages; some in tents, three indoors.
Four-Day Watson Stage reserved seat: row 1-35 $225 through 4/6, $250 after; row 36-48 $200 through 4/6, $225 after. |
Several campgrounds are located nearby and are served by continuous bus shuttles. Limited camping is available on campus.
April 30 - May 2 French Broad River Festival - Hot Springs
The festival focuses on the French Broad River, with raft races and the French Broad River Festival Bike Race, in addition to the weekend of live music.
Artists
James McMurtry & the Heartless Bastards, The Blue Rags, Michelle Malone, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Mad Tea Party, Lil Malcom & the House Rockers, Zach Deputy, Sol Driven Train, Snake Oil Medicine Show, WSNB, Agent 23 Skidoo, Firecracker Jazz Band, Dangermuffin, Shane Pruitt Band, Town Mountain, Sugar & Spice, The Trainwrecks, Turbo Pro Project, Big Daddy Love, American Aquarium, Turnup Truck, Aaron Burdett, The Whisperjets and more.
Festival site: Hot Springs Resort & Spa
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Three-Day pass: $65 online until April 20, $70 online afterward, $75 at gate; $85 with parking, $99 with a spot in the raft race. Younger than 13 free. Gates open 8 a.m. Friday. Primitive camping free with admission. Limited "deluxe campsites" and RV sites available by reservation through Web site. |
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