Carolina Music Festivals is a comprehensive calendar and guide to multi-act, daylong or multiple-day music shows in North Carolina.
Through July 31 Eastern Music Festival - Greensboro and points west
(See the June calendar)
Through August 8 Brevard Summer Institute & Festival - Brevard
(See the June calendar)
June 30 - July 4 Red White & Bluegrass Festival - Morganton
The City of Morganton's Independence Day festival has grown since 2004, when it first became a one-day bluegrass festival, to become a three-day event then a four-day festival since 2006. Now, there's also a preview night before the four-day festival. And, as it has for nearly 30 years, the festival includes fireworks on the 4th of July.
Artists
Wednesday (free preview): The Boxcars, Newfound Road, Bankester Family.
Thursday: Mountain Heart with Tony Rice, Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers, Dale Ann Bradley, Balsam Range, Jeanette Williams, Sweet Potato Pie.
Friday: Seldom Scene, The Grascals, Lonesome River Band, Special Consensus, Loraine Jordan & Carolina Road, Big Country Bluegrass, Town Mountain, Appalachian Sky.
Saturday: The Del McCoury Band, Dailey & Vincent, Marty Raybon, Bobby Osborne, Kenny & Amanda Smith, Chris Jones & the Night Drivers, Snyder Family Band, Heather Berry & Tony Mabe.
Sunday: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Junior Sisk & Rambler's Choice, Cherryholmes, IIIrd Tyme Out, Paul Williams, Darin & Brooke Aldridge Quintet, Lonesome Meadow.
Here's the full schedule.
Festival site: Catawba Meadows Park
View Larger Map |
Four-day pass: $40 until June 1, $60 after. Single-day pass: $15 until June 1, $20 after. Younger than 13 free with paying adult. Music starts 6 p.m. Wednesday, noon other days. Camping (no hookups): $5 before June 1, $10 after. No alcohol, no coolers in festival area. |
July 2 - 4 Freedom Bike Fest - Fayetteville
Freedom Fest combines a motorcycle rally with Southern rock, the 4th of July and the height of summer in Fayetteville.
Artists
Friday: Reflections II, Jive Mother Mary, On Tap, Southern Run.
Saturday: Blackfoot, Aftershock, Crush N Run, Jason Kinlaw, The Fifth, Still Rock'n, The Several Devils.
Sunday: Acoustic sets.
Festival site: Doghouse Bar & Grill
View Larger Map |
Show times TBA. Early shows are in an amphitheater outdoors; the festival moves inside late night.
Four-day pass: $25 Acoustic sets all day Sunday. Bike rally includes daily shows, more than 100 vendors, N.C. biker olympics, celebrity bike builders, benefit rides, wall of death, stunt wars and hog wild girls. |
July 3 Bluegrass Festival - Salemburg
Bluegrass is a staple at Laurel Lakes, with open jams every Friday and multiple festivals during the year. The Independence Day festival is meant to be a tribute to the men and women who have served and are serving our country.
Artists
The festival has scaled back to a single day for 2010 with The Blue Js and nightly jams all week announced so far. (2009 lineup included Goldwing Express, Travers Chandler, Avery County, High Cotton, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Ted Jones & the Tar Heel Boys, The Bluegrass Brothers, Lawson Creek Grass, Grass Street, The Bluegrass Sweethearts, Drifting River, The Blu Js).
Festival site: Laurel Lakes Family Campground & Music Park
View Larger Map |
Three-day pass: $50 in advance, $60 at gate. Friday: $15 until June 15, $20 at gate; Saturday: $20 until June 15, $25 at gate; Sunday $25. Younger than 17 free with paying adult. Military (active and retired) free with ID on July 4. 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. |
July 3 - 5 Festival for the Eno - Durham
| The Festival for the Eno, the region's premier Independence Day celebration, presents more than 80 acts on four stages plus about 100 art and craft vendors, food and a variety of other entertainment and hands-on activities. Musical performers typically include a couple of nationally known Americana or rock acts and regional favorites. Proceeds benefit the Eno River Association and its efforts to preserve land along the river, and the festival has an overall theme of conservation and fostering intelligent use of natural resources. Click on the photo for more info. |  |
Artists
Saturday: Charlie Louvin, Spirit Family Reunion, Mark Weems and the Cave Dwellers, Peter Siegel Trio, Brian Peters, Bruce Piephoff and Scott Sawyer, Lizzy Ross, Little Windows, Stillhouse Bottom Band, Mandolin Orange, Moorish Gypsy & Happy Hips, and more.
Sunday: Albannach, Kicking Grass, Jon Shain Trio, Lost In the Trees, Peter Siegel Trio, George Higgs, John Dee Holeman, Lightnin' Wells, Birds and Arrows, Craicdown, TROSA Musical Ensemble, Mighty Gospel Inspirations, and more.
Monday: Nerissa and Katryna Nields, Orquesta GarDel, Thistledown Tinkers, Children of the Horn, Milagro Saints, Miss Connie B., Sonos, Straight 8s, Bethesda Bluegrass Boys, Craicdown, Louise Omoto Kessel & Jef, and more.
Festival site: West Point on the Eno City Park
View Larger Map |
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. Monday
Three-day pass: $25 May 15-31, $30 June 1 - July 1, $35 at gate. This is a day-time festival - there is no camping on-site. Free parking and shuttle buses are available at Durham County Stadium, and are highly recommended. |
July 9 - 10 MusicFest 'n Sugar Grove - Sugar Grove
In addition to traditional and bluegrass music in the main stage shows, the MusicFest presents additional acts on a solar-powered stage plus more players indoors, including a songwriters' showcase and instrument workshops led by festival performers.
Artists
Doc Watson, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Kruger Brothers, Hay Sugar, Upright and Breathin’, Andy Owens, Lost Ridge Band, Southern Exposure, Maura Shawn, Scanlin, He Said She Said, Sweetbriar Jam, Forget Me Nots, Amantha Mill, Cochman Family, Dry Run Bluegrass, Sure Fire, Elkville String Band, Southern Exposure, Trevor Mackenzie and Friends, Lost Faculties, Southern Accent, Mountain Home.
Festival site: Historic Cove Creek School
View Larger Map |
2 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. Saturday.
Two-day pass: $25 until May 15, $55 after; reserved seats $55 until July 7. No camping on-site. |
July 16 - 17 High Country Bluegrass Festival - Boone
The weekend includes top bluegrass acts and musicians' workshops.
Artists
Balsam Range, Diana and Sarvis Ridge, The Harris Brothers, Southern Accent, All Star Jam with Terry Baucom/"Big Al" Johnson and Friends, The Fab Beat.
Festival site: High Country Fairgrounds
View Larger Map |
11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Two-day pass: $30 in advance, $35 at gate. Limited camping, reservations required: $10, $20 with hookups. |
July 22 - 25 Nunn Brothers Bluegrass Festival - Mount Airy
Alden and Arnold Nunn of the Nunn Brothers bluegrass band present three days of "good clean family entertainment" each year "to preserve and pass on the heritage of mountain music that was taught to us primarily by our dad and many others through the years." This year's will be the 12th annual festival.
Artists
Thursday: Marshall Brothers & High Road, Carolina Travelers and a jam session.
Friday: Travis Frye & Blue Mountain, Hubert Lawson & The Bluegrass Country Boys, Kopper Kanyon, Passin' Thru, The Nunn Brothers & Friends.
Saturday: Blues Creek, None Of The Above, Passin' Thru, Southern Junction, Unshackled Bluegrass Gospel, The Nunn Brothers & Friends.
Sunday gospel sing: Emmitt Crotts, Brian Fain.
Festival Site: Nunn Brothers Music Park
View Larger Map |
7 to 9 p.m. Thursday; music starts 5 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday, and runs 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday, a gospel show with a sermon.
$4 Thursday, $9 Friday and Saturday, free Sunday; age 9 and younger free. Primitive camping available. |
July 22 - August 1 Folkmoot USA - Western North Carolina
Folkmoot USA presents hundreds of folk musicians representing about 10 countries from around the world at several venues in the North Carolina mountains. Performers demonstrate their cultural heritage through music and dance in colorful costumes. The festival, which is in its 27th year, also includes International Festival Day and the Parade of Nations, street fairs held in Waynesville.
Artists
Perfomers represent the countries of Russia, India, Latvia, UK (Irish step dancers), France, Switzerland, Jordan, Turkey, Portugal and Poland.
Festival site: Waynesville and other mountain towns
View Larger Map |
Performances are to be held in Waynesville, Lake Junaluska, Maggie Valley, Canton, Clyde, Highlands, Bryson City, Cullowhee, Asheville, Columbus, Burnsville, Marion, Mars Hill, Flat Rock and Franklin.
The Parade of Nations is July 23, 2010; International Festival Day is July 31. |
July 23 - 25 Cape Fear Blues Festival - Wilmington
The annual festival presented by the Cape Fear Blues Society feature local, regional and national acts on the main stage, plus an all-day open blues jam,a blues cruise onboard a riverboat, a kick-off party and musician workshops.
Artists
Mac Arnold & Plate Full 'O Blues, Jen & Tonic, Blind Lemon Pledge, Tampa Blue, Theresa Blue, The Dynamic Therm-O-Tones, Ten Dollar Thrill, Spider Mike Bochey, Bill "Sauce Boss" Wharton & Band, Dusty Long & Friends, Rick Tobey and the Cape Fear Blues Jam Band.
Festival site: Various Wilmington-area venues
View Larger Map |
July 23 - 25 Bele Chere Festival - Asheville
Bele Chere, which anually draws about 350,000 people, is one of the largest free street festivals in the Southeast, and the caliber of the musical acts it presents on multiple stages makes it one of the area's top music festivals as well. As it has grown in recent years, many varied activities have been added to the weekend.
Artists
Friday: The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Southern Culture on the Skids, Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band, The Trainwrecks, Brushfire Stankgrass, Freakbass, Inner Visions, Nathan Moore, Vipers Dream, The Speedbumps, Mark McGuinn.
Saturday: Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Bomshel, Toubab Krewe, The Dirty Guv'nahs, Town Mountain, Tropic Culture, The Defibulators, Laura Reed, The Legendary JCs, Simplified, Kellin Watson, Dirtfoot, Plain Jane Automobile, Hip Abduction, The Mad Tea OParty, Johnathan Scales Fourchestra, Garry Segal, Hot Politics, The Cheeksters.
Sunday: Randall Bramlett Band, Brother Josephus & the Love Revival Orchestra, Reggaeinfinity, Balsam Range, Jamie McLean, Lil' Brian & the Travelers, Now You See Them, Caravan of Thieves, The Hot Seats, Bayou Diesel, Voodoo Court, Adam Rafferty.
Festival site: Downtown Asheville
View Larger Map |
Bele Chere is also known as a drinkers' festival. A $2 wristband is required to buy and carry alcohol on the streets during Bele Chere, and a picture ID - not simply the wristband - is required at each purchase. (The children's area inside the Civic Center is an alcohol-free zone.) |
Return to Carolina Music Festivals' home page
Go to August Music Festivals or to June Music Festivals