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 2022 runs from Thursday, April 28 – Sunday, May 1.
2022 Artists Include:
- Greensky Bluegrass
- Old Crow Medicine Show
- Emmylou Harris
- Trampled By Turtles
- Colin Hay
- Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
- We Banjo 3
- Sam Bush
- Jerry Douglas
- Peter Rowan
- Steep Canyon Rangers
- Jim Lauderdale
- Alison Brown
- Allison Russell
- Andy May
- Arlo McKinley
- Banknotes
- Barbaro
- Big Daddy Love
- The Burnett Sisters Band & Colin Ray
- Caleb Caudle
- Carol Rifkin
- Charles Welch
- Damn Tall Buildings
- Darrell Scott
- David Childers and The Serpents
- Desure
- Donna the Buffalo
- Dr. Bacon
- Eli Yacinthe
- Happy Traum
- Hogslop String Band
- Jack Lawrence
- Jake Blount
- Jeff Little Trio
- Joe Smothers
- Kaia Kater
- Kruger Brothers
- Laura Boosinger
- Mark Bumgarner
- Mitch Greenhill
- Nat Myers
- Pete & Joan Wernick
- Presley Barker
- Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band
- Rissi Palmer
- Roy Book Binder
- Scythian
- Shannon McNally
- Shay Martin Lovette
- Sister Sadie
- T. Michael Coleman
- Tenille Townes
- The Arcadian Wild
- The Contenders
- The InterACTive Theatre of Jef
- The Local Boys
- The Steel Wheels
- The Waybacks
- Time Sawyer
- Tony Williamson
- Tray Wellington
- Wayne Henderson
- 49 Winchester
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.
