MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, serves as an annual homecoming for musicians and music fans. Held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the late Eddy Merle Watson, son of American music legend Doc Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of ‘traditional plus’ music, a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock and many other styles. The festival hosts numerous artists, performing on 13 stages during the course of the four-day event. The annual event has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs. MerleFest 2023 runs from Thursday, April 27- Sunday, April 30.
2023 Artists Include:
- The Avett Brothers
- Maren Morris
- Little Feat
- Marcus King
- Tanya Tucker
- Black Opry Revue
- Sam Bush Band
- Jerry Douglas
- Peter Rowan’s Bluegrass Band
- The Brothers Comatose
- Jim Lauderdale
- Scythian
- Donna the Buffalo
- Miko Marks
- Alison Brown
- Dom Flemons
- AJ Lee & Blue Summit
- Yasmin Williams
- The Waybacks
- Kruger Brothers
- Andy Cohen
- Andy May
- Anna Lynch
- B Townes
- Banknotes
- Bee Taylor
- Carol Rifkin
- Charles Welch
- Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
- Cole Chaney
- Compton & Newberry
- Donna Ray Norton
- Flattop
- I Draw Slow
- The InterACTive Theater of Jef
- Jack Lawrence
- Jeff Little Trio
- Joe Smothers
- Josh Goforth
- Ken Crouse
- Laura Boosinger
- Lightnin’ Wells
- The Local Boys
- The Local Honeys
- Mark Bumgarner
- Mitch Greenhill & Mitch’s Kitchen
- Nigel Wearne
- Pete and Joan Wernick
- Presley Barker
- Roy Book Binder
- Stillhouse Junkies
- T. Michael Coleman
- Taylor Rae
- Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive
- Todd Albright
- Tommy Prine
- Tony Williamson
- Wayne Henderson
- The Youngers
Visit the Down The Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails Podcast Library to hear more about MerleFest and explore many bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina.
