Carolina Music Festivals is a comprehensive calendar and guide to multi-act, daylong or multiple-day music shows in North Carolina.
June 1 - July 30 An Appalachian Summer Festival - Boone
An Appalachian Summer Festival is a multi- and inter-disciplinary arts festival presenting and producing programs in music, theater, dance, film and visual arts.
Artists
Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, Cherryholmes, Blood, Sweat & Tears with Chuck Negron, Janis Ian and Karla Bonoff, John Pizzarelli, Patti LuPone, Todd Wright Jazz Orchestra, Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra with Barry Douglas (piano) and Tianwa Yang (violin), Broyhill Chamber Ensemble.
Also Amy Sedaris, Lar Lubovitch Dance, Golden Dragon Acrobats, and more.
Festival site: Appalachian State University and nearby venues
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Performance times and admission fees vary. Get the schedule here. |
June 4 - 6 GroverFest - Davidson
The local music festival presents bands representing music genres from across the board for an all-ages event. Only 400 tickets are available, and must be bought in advance online.
Artists
The Mantras, The New Familiars, Yesterday's Gravy, Chasing Edison, Walrus & the Carpenter, Actual Proof, Incognito Mosquito, From A Seed, Matter Of Fact, Duk Tan, Sticky Rhythm, Jackson Crossing, Near Gravity, Travis Weddington Tron Solo, Case Federal & The Agents, Set in Stone.
Festival site: The Millstone Farm
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Noon to 1 a.m. Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. Saturday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
The 400 festival tickets available are pre-sold online for $45 each. No ticket sales at the gate. Tent camping is included with a ticket. |
June 10 - 12 PreddyFest Bluegrass Festival - Franklinton
What was originally a weekend get-together of friends and pickers has evolved into a three-day family event on the Tar River.
Artists
Thursday: Marty Raybon & Full Circle, Sourwood Mountain Band, GrassStreet.
Friday: The Grascals, The Josh Williams Band, Al Batten & Bluegrass Reunion, Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road.
Saturday: Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, The James King Band, Williams & Clark Expedition, Constant Change, Bluegrass Experience.
Festival site: Green Hill Road
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5 to 11 p.m. Thursday, 2 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday. Bands play two sets each day.
Three-day pass: $50 before May 29, $60 at gate; Thursday $20; Friday $25; Saturday $25. Camping is included with a ticket. Hot showers are available, but no hookups. |
June 11 - 12 Big Lick Bluegrass Festival - Oakboro
Artists
Friday: Rye Holler Boys, Southern Junction, Bluegrass Brothers.
Saturday: Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, The Grascals, Deeper Shade of Blue, Goldwing Express, Bill Yates and Friends, Bluegrass Brothers.
Festival site: Big Lick Festival Park
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6 to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday.
Two-day pass: $25 before June 1, $30 at gate. Camping on-site with limited hookups. |
June 11 - 12 Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival - Tryon
In addition to a barbecue cook-off sanctioned by the Kansas City Barbeque Society that awards $20,000 in prize money, the festival presets two stages with a variety of music, a crafts fair, a benefit rubber duckie race, carnival rides and more.
Artists
Friday: Belleville Outfit, Geoff Achison, Woody & The Stragglers, Lone Derangers.
Saturday: Scoot Pittman, Seth Walker, April Verch, The Nouveaux Honkies, South 85, Gary Ray and Heartwells, Rock and Roll Reunion, The Honeycutters, Hello Trouble.
Festival site: Harmon Field
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Festival 3 to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; music 4 to 11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.
$7, younger than 13 free. No onsite accommodations.
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June 11 - 13 Charlie Poole Music Festival - Eden
The festival honoring the legacy of North Carolina string bands and roots music includes a dozen musicians' competitions in addition to stage shows. It is a project of Piedmont Folk Legacies, Inc., a non-profit organization that promotes and preserves the musical and cultural legacy of the Piedmont, and celebrates its influence on American vernacular music as exemplified by banjoist Charlie Poole who, with his North Carolina Ramblers in the 1920s, had a great influence on the development of bluegrass.
Artists
Friday evening concert: Dusty Ridge, Mac & Jenny Traynham with Shay Garriock, Old Sledge, Big Country Bluegrass.
Also, presentation of the annual Lifetime Achievement Award to Bill C. Malone, noted country music historian and author.
Festival site: Eden Fairgrounds
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Stage shows 6 to 10:30 p.m. Friday; competitions 9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday followed by concert and awards ceremony.
Three-day pass: $25; online special: six three-day passes for $100. Daily: $15. Younger than 13 free with paying adult. Saturday morning: the Charlie Poole River Ramble, a scenic float on the Smith River from the Spray Cotton Mills, where Charlie Poole once worked. Campers and RVs can stay June 6 through June 13; $10 per night, $20 maximum. |
June 12 Bernaroo Music & Arts Festival - New Bern
Proceeds from the 2010 festival that unapologetically rips its name from the more-famous Tennessee fest are to go to relief efforts in Haiti.
Artists
All Get Out, Lonnie Walker, O'Brother, What's Good, Caleb Caudle & the Bayonettes, Ocean is Theory, Eagle Scout, Hammer No More the Fingers, Junior Astronomers, Arielle Bryant.
Festival site: Union Point Park
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6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, 8:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday; musical acts 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
Gates open noon, music starts 1 p.m. $10. |
June 18 - 19 Edenton Music and Water Festival - Edenton
Regional musical acts play on Edenton's pictuesque waterfront all day Saturday, but the festival is mostly about the water, with demonstrations and organized kayak and canoe paddles, USCA-sanctioned canoe and kayak races, and sunfish sailboat racing. There's also a talent show Friday evening, exhibitors and vendors with an eco-tourism theme, food vendors, a rock climbing wall and a children's area.
Artists
Martin Bullock (of the original Platters), Chris Elliott, Peter Boehling, Bobby Plough, Riddle, Micah Simonsen, Matt Hall, Clay Willis & Wilson Green and the Tri County Jazz Quartet.
Festival site: Historic Edenton waterfront
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6:30 to 8 p.m. Friday, 8:30 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday; musical acts 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Sunset paddle 6:45 to 7:45 p.m. Friday meets at Colonial Park Dock. |
June 25 - 27 State Annual Singing Convention - Benson
| The 90-year-old gospel singing competition presents nationally recognized recording acts in addition to competition Saturday and Sunday, and performances by the winners Sunday evening. The music is good and the competition is serious, as the grand prize winner is awarded a recording contract. Click on the photo for more information. |  |
Artists
Friday: Called Out (Male Quartet) Grand Champion 2009; Fortress (Male Trio) Consolation winners 2009; The Crusaders (Mixed Quartet) Erwin, N.C.; Black Creek (Mixed Trio) Angier, N.C.; The Copas Group (Mixed Youth Trio) Raleigh, N.C.; Great Day Gospel Ministries (Mixed Trio) Tavares, Fla.
Saturday: The Hoppers (in addition to competition).
Sunday: The Dennis Family Singers, The StillWater Quartet, Fortress, Called Out, and the Sing Board of Directors (in addition to competition).
Festival site: Benson Singing Grove
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Friday: 7 p.m. Saturday: singing begins 10 a.m., competition starts 2 p.m., concert 7 p.m. Sunday: worship service 9 a.m., round-robin sing 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., competition 2 to 5 p.m.; concerts, award presentations 5 to 7 p.m. Free admission. Competition categories: Choir, Duet, Trio, Male Quartet, Female Quartet, Mixed Quartet, Family, Junior Division and Live Accompaniment. |
June 25 - August 8 Brevard Summer Institute & Festival - Brevard
The Brevard Music Center, a summer institute for classical music students aged 14 and older, presents some 80 concerts throughout its seven-week festival, showcasing nationally recognized artists and the center's three orchestras. Keith Lockhart is musical director.
Artists
Mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade performs the opening night's show with conductor Keith Lockhart. Others concerts include Norman Krieger, piano, with Lockhart for "Lockhart conducts Gershwin and Copland"; guest conductor JoAnn Falletta and William Preucil, violin; William Preucil, violin, and Bruce Murray, piano, together for "The Complete Beethoven Violin Sonatas" in two shows; and Joseph Kalichstein, piano, with Lockhart for "Lockhart conducts R. Strauss." Additional guest artists include The Harlem Quartet; Andrés Cárdenes, conductor/violin; Bruce Murray, piano; Barry Douglas, piano; Jan Fiser, violin; Steve Cohen, clarinet; Jean-Louis Steuerman, piano; Marianne Gedigian, flute; Yumi Kendall, cello; and several others.
Festival site: Brevard Music Center and nearby venues
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Performance times and admission fees vary; the festival Web site presents the schedule of performances here.
The Independence Day concert, featuring live cannons during the 1812 Overture, is 2 p.m. Sunday, July 4. Seats in the open-air Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium are $35, $30 and $25, and $15 for children; lawn tickets are $20, $10 for children. |
June 26 - July 31 Eastern Music Festival - Greensboro and points west
The Eastern Music Festival and School trains aspiring musicians between the ages of 14 and 22, and presents five weeks worth of shows for music enthusiasts of all ages and tastes. In addition to nationally recognized artists in classical and chamber music performances, there's EMF Jazz and Blues, and the EMF Fringe series, which present contemporary acts, and EMF Kids. Gerard Schwarz is the music director.
Artists
Visiting artists will include Lynn Harrell, cello; Barry Douglas, piano; Tianwa Yang, violin; William Wolfram, piano; Gil Shaham, violin; Ko-ichiro Yamamoto, trombone; Joseph Kalichstein, piano; Yoshikazu Nagai, piano; Jeffrey Multer, violin; Mina Miller, piano, and others. The full schedule is posted here.
Festival site: Guilford College and 12 other venues.
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The Eastern Music Festival site has full and clear information about the many performances, dates, times, prices and venues.
Tickets went on sale February 1. |
June 27 Singing on the Mountain - Linville
The daylong sing at the base of Grandfather Mountain is the oldest ongoing old-time gospel convention left in the Southern Appalachians.
Artists
The Greenes, The Primitive Quartet, Naomi and the Segos, The Carolina Quartet, Michael Combs, The Cockman Family, and Carlton and David Moody will perform with Tim & Roddy Smith and George Hamilton IV & V.
Dr. Greg Mathis of Mud Creek Baptist Church in Hendersonville, N.C., will bring the message.
Festival site: MacRae Meadows, Grandfather Mountain
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Southern gospel music starts at 8:30 a.m. and goes all day, with a midday break for the sermon.
The festival is free. Primitive camping on MacRae Meadows is free on a first-come, first-served basis. |
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Go to July Music Festivals or to May Music Festivals