One of the best parts of the bluegrass music scene are the bluegrass festivals. People from all around the world come to listen to great music, camp, and best of all, jam! Some festivals are more geared towards the star lineups that perform on the main stage and others really shine in the middle of the night when the jamming takes off! Either way they are all fun to go to for all ages!
Below are some great bluegrass festivals that I highly recommend trying to get to. This is just a snapshot of some of the great festivals, but definitely not all. There are too many to list here. They are listed by the date they occur. Before making plans to go to a festival, be sure to check their websites as dates and other information can change.
Wintergrass isn't stricktly a bluegrass festival as they also feature some great old time musicians, songwriters, and more. It takes place in the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Westin Hotel. This is one of the finest winter time festivals and features a lot of jamming spaces even though it is an indoor festival.
A newer festival that has two locations, one in Steamboat, CO and the other in Lake Tahoe, CA. Both in incredible locations where you can combine a ski vacation and a bluegrass festival getaway! Features some killer bands, but isn't restricted to just bluegrass.
As we get into spring the festival season really starts to get going. MerleFest was founded by legendary musician Doc Watson and in 2023 is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Merlefest is as well not strickly a bluegrass festival, but it does still book some of the best bluegrass musicians performing today. It also features a fantastic instrument tent where makers of bluegrass instruments come to show and sell their wares. Deering Banjos will be there as well so come say hi!
DelFest is held at the beautiful Allegany County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, MD (2.5 hrs from Baltimore and DC). The festival originated from the desire to create a family-friendly music festival celebrating the rich legacy of McCoury Music while creating a forum for world-class musical collaborations and to showcase fresh new talent with a down-home feeling. Produced in association with High Sierra Music, DelFest always offers a quality festival experience stamped with the unique McCoury touch.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2023, Telluride Bluegrass Festival is one of the premier bluegrass festivals running. Located in the stunningly beautiful location of Telluride, Colorado, you couldn't ask for much more. The lineup consistently is filled with a who's who of the top bluegrass stars performing today. You should definitely try to make a pilgrimage to Telluride Bluegrass at least once.
Celebrating its 20th year, ROMP Festival will return to Owensboro’s Yellow Creek Park June 21-24, 2023! Daviess County’s Yellow Creek Park, a 150-acre facility famous for its nature trails, winding creek and fishing lake, and sweeping tree-lines, plays host to ROMP each year. A full line-up of artist-led instrument workshops takes place throughout the day, as ROMP artists interact with fans and players of all ages and skill levels. Other workshops and forums include songwriting, clogging and flat-foot dancing, yoga (all levels), and bluegrass jamming 101. Additional offerings at ROMP Festival include organic and farm-to-table food vendors, craft vendors featuring Kentucky Proud products, art installations and professionally-led children's activities.
Located in upstate New York, Grey Fox is one of the northeast's strongest and longest running bluegrass festivals. This is a fantastic camping festival that features some great jamming and the lineup is always very strong. One of the highlights of the festival are the small stages where multiple performers might jam or do a small tribute set.
Put on by Planet Bluegrass, the same people who put on the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, RockyGrass has the perfect balance of great lineups, beautiful location (it even has a river running through it that you can tube down during the festival!), great camping, and fantastic jamming. RockyGrass also features a camp for the week before the festival where you can learn from some of the greats who will be performing at the festival later that week!
The Walnut Valley festival is known mostly for two things, the national championships for individual bluegrass instruments and the huge amounts of great jams that take place all day and night during the festival. If you are a player and are looking for a great jamming festival, this is one of the best!
FreshGrass has two festivals, one in Arkansas and the other in Massachusetts. They describe their festival as "A Wonderland Of Traditional and Cutting Edge Roots Music", so it features a heavy dose of bluegrass, but also features a lot more. The North Adams festival is located in and around an old print manufacturing factory which is home to MASS MoCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art). It is a fantastic place to listen to some great music with the fall foliage in full swing. If you have a chance, come visit this festival at either location.
Below is a more complete list of bluegrass festivals happening in 2023. There are festivals all around the world, so wherever you are you should be able to find a bluegrass festival!
3-5 ABA Bluegrass Roundup, Florence, AZ
4 Winter Bluegrass Concert, Stroudsburg, PA
16-18 Palatka Bluegrass Festival, Palatka, FL
17-18 KBA Winterfest Bluegrass Festival, Wichita, KS
17-19 Mid-Winter Bluegrass Festival, Northglenn, CO
17-19 Bluegrass First Class, Asheville, NC
23-25 Florida Bluegrass Classic, Brooksville, FL
23-25 Tommy Jarrell Festival, Mount Airy, NC
23-26 Wintergrass Music Festival, Bellevue, WA
24-25 Bluegrass in the Bluegrass, Lexington, KY
25 Fiddle Fest, the Southeastern Fiddle Championship Tuscaloosa, AL
2-4 Cabin Fever Pickin’ Party, Virginia Beach, VA
2-5 Southwest Old-Time String Band Gathering, Tucson, AZ
2-5 Shorty’s Strickly Bluegrass Festival, East Peoria, IL
3-5 Bluegrass on the Beach, Lake Havasu City, AZ
3-5 Winter WonderGrass Colorado, Steamboat Springs, CO
3-5 Minnesota Bluegrass Winter Weekend, Plymouth, MN
9-11 Mountain View Bluegrass Festival, Mountain View, AR
10-11 Baltimore Old Time Music Festival, Baltimore, MD
10-12 Marana Bluegrass Festival, Marana, AZ
10-12 Clarion River Jam Bluegrass Festival, Clarion, PA Facebook
16-18 Withlacoochee River Bluegrass Festival, Dunnellon, FL
16-18 Industrial Strength Bluegrass Festival, Wilmington, OH
16-18 Van Zandt County Bluegrass Festival, Canton, TX
17-19 The Great American Bluegrass Jam, Owensboro, KY
18 Kentucky State Fiddle Championship, Owensboro, KY
23-25 EMS Spring Bluegrass Festival, Brooksville, FL
23-26 Arkansas Fiddlers Convention, Harrison, AR
23-26 Suwannee Spring Reunion, Live Oak, FL
24-25 Naperville Bluegrass Festival, Naperville, IL
24-25 Melodies of Bluegrass Festival, Morton, MS Facebook
24-25 Charleston Bluegrass Festival, Charleston, SC
24-26 Brookdale Bluegrass Festival, Brookdale, CA
24-26 Wilmington Winter Bluegrass Festival, Claymont, DE
25 Blue, Brew & ‘Cue Festival, Kenansville, NC
31-4/2 WinterWonderGrass Tahoe, Palisades Tahoe, CA
31-4/1 James Wimmer Bristol Bluegrass Spring Fest, Bristol, VA
3/31-4/1 Florida State Bluegrass Festival Perry, FL
3/31-4/1 James Wimmer Bristol Bluegrass Spring Fest, Bristol, VA
3/31-4/2 WinterWonderGrass Tahoe, Palisades Tahoe, CA
1 Toccoa Ritz Bluegrass Festival Toccoa, GA
14-15 Bluegrass in the Blue Ridge, Kingsport, TN
14-16 Bluegrass Heritage Festival, Dallas, TX
15 BBQ & Bluegrass Hoot ‘n Annie, Venice, FL
15 Las Vegas Bluegrass Festival, Las Vegas, NV
15 NC ‘Cuegrass Festival, Raleigh, NC
15-16 Bear on the Square Mountain Festival, Dahlonega, GA
20-22 Big Lick Bluegrass Festival, Oakboro, NC
20-23 Old Settlers Music Festival, Tilmon, TX
21-23 Berkeley Bluegrass Festival, Berkeley, CA
21-23 Durango Bluegrass Meltdown, Durango, CO
21-23 Bluegrass Bourbon & Brews Festival, River Falls, WI
22 Bluebirds and Bluegrass Festival, Jackson, GA
22 RockyFest, Hiddenite, NC
22 Richmond Bluegrass Jam, Richmond, VA
22 Ladies of Bluegrass Music Festival, Green Bay, WI
27-30 MerleFest, Wilkesboro, NC
28-29 Upper East Tennessee Fiddler’s Convention, Flag Pond, TN
4-6 Boxcar Pinion Forever Bluegrass Festival, Chickamauga, GA
4-6 Twin Oaks Spring Bluegrass Festival, Hoboken, GA
4-6 Little Roy & Lizzy Music Festival, Lincolnton, GA
4-6 Bluegrass & Old Time Country Music Festival, Drakesville, IA
4-7 Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance, Pittsboro, NC
4-7 Mr. B’s Spring Music Spectacular, Woodford, VA
4-30 Silver Dollar City Bluegrass and BBQ Festival, Branson, MO
5-6 Charm City Bluegrass Festival, Baltimore, MD
6 Wind Vineyards Bluegrass Festival, Tappahannock, VA Facebook
11-13 Malpass Brothers Country & Bluegrass Music Festival, Denton, NC
11-13 Grottoes Bluegrass Festival, Grottoes, VA
11-14 Parkfield Bluegrass Festival, Parkfield, CA
11-14 Tico Time Bluegrass Festival, Aztec, NM
12-13 North Carolina Brewers & Music Festival, Huntersville, NC
13 May on the Mountain, Henagar, AL
13 Bluegrass and Brews, Richmond, VA
16-19 Kentucky Fried Pickin’ Bluegrass Jam Festival, Owensboro, KY Facebook
19-20 FreshGrass Music Festival, Bentonville, AR
19-20 Bloomin’ Barbecue & Bluegrass Festival, Sevierville, TN
19-20 Kilgore Station Bluegrass Festival, Cross Plains, TN
19-20 Greenbelt Music Festival, Clive, IA
20 Pickin’ in the Park, Pleasant Garden, NC
21 Topanga Banjo-Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival, Agoura Hills, CA
25-27 Dr. Ralph Stanley’s Hills of Home Festival, McClure, VA
25-28 Armuchee Bluegrass Festival, Armuchee, GA Facebook
25-28 Memorial Tri-State Bluegrass Festival, Kendallville, IN
25-28 DelFest, Cumberland, MD
25-28 Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival, Martinsville, VA
25-29 Strawberry Music Festival, Grass Valley, CA
26-27 Tony Rice Memorial Day MusicFest, Elon, NC
26-28 Mitch & Cindy’s Bluegrass Jamboree, Cortland, OH
27 Gathering in the Gap, Big Stone Gap, VA
27-28 Bluegrass on the Arkansas, Salida, CO
1-3 Americana Bean Jamboree, Bean Blossom, IN
1-3 Mine Made Adventure Park Bluegrass Festival, Leburn, KY Facebook
1-3 HOBA Spring Bluegrass Festival, West Plains, MO
1-3 Bluegrass in the Burg, Fredericksburg, VA
1-4 Back 40 Bluegrass Festival, Curryville, MO
1-4 NEPA Bluegrass Festival, Tunkhannock, PA
1-4 Graves Mountain Music Festival, Syria, VA
2-3 Old Time Music Ozark Heritage Festival, West Plains, MO
2-3 Mount Airy Bluegrass & Old-Time Fiddlers Convention, Mount Airy, NC
2-4 Pickin’ on the Plains, Colby, KS
2-4 Adirondack Bluegrass League Annual Roundup, Galway, NY
2-4 Ogden Music Festival, Ogden, UT
3 Coke Ovens Bluegrass Festival, Dunlap, TN
8-10 Thousand Islands Bluegrass Festival, Clayton, NY
8-10 Cherokee Bluegrass Festival, Cherokee, NC Facebook
8-11 Wind Gap Bluegrass Festival, Wind Gap, PA
9-10 Abington Old-Time and Bluegrass Fiddlers Convention, Abingdon, VA
9-11 Pagosa Folk ‘n Bluegrass Festival, Pagosa Springs, CO
9-11 Palisade Bluegrass & Roots Festival, Palisade, CO
9-11 Nor-East’r Music & Art Festival, Mio, MI
9-11 Southwest Pickers Bluegrass and Traditional Music Festival, Edgewood, NM
14-17 Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Festival, Bean Blossom, IN
15-17 Stringbean Memorial Bluegrass Festival, Tyner, KY
15-17 Willow Oak Park Bluegrass Festival, Roxboro, NC
15-17 Smoked Country Jam Bluegrass Festival, Cross Fork, PA
15-18 Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival, Grass Valley, CA
15-18 Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride, CO
15-18 Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Festival, Litchfield, ME
15-18 West Virginia State Folk Festival, Glenville, WV
16-17 Boonerang Music & Arts Festival, Boone, NC
16-17 Missouri River Bluegrass and Ole Time Music Festival, Center, ND
16-17 Sól Grass Music Festival, Washington Island, WI
16-18 Wenatchee River Bluegrass Festival, Cashmere, WA
17 Wayne Henderson Music Festival and Guitar Competition, Mouth of Wilson, VA third Saturday
17-24 Rudy Fest Bluegrass Festival, Morehead, KY
19-24 National Oldtime Fiddler’s Contest and Festival, Weiser, ID
21-24 ROMP Festival, Owensboro, KY
22-24 Charlotte Bluegrass Festival, Charlotte, MI
23-24 Doc McCabe Bluegrass Festival, Big Island, VA
22-24 Blue Ox Music Festival, Eau Claire, WI
22-25 Moccasin Creek Festival, Effingham, IL
22-25 Jenny Brook Bluegrass Festival, Tunbridge, VT
23-25 Black Hills Bluegrass Festival, Sturgis, SD
23-25 Back Home Festival, New Martinsville, WV
23-25 Red Wing Roots Music Festival, Mt. Solon, VA
24 South Branch Valley Bluegrass Festival, Romney, WV
24-25 Prescott Bluegrass Festival, Prescott, AZ
28-7/2 Remington Ryde Bluegrass Festival, Centre Hall, PA
6/28-7/2 Remington Ryde Bluegrass Festival, Centre Hall, PA
6/29-7/2 High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, CA
29-7/2 High Sierra Music Festival, Quincy, CA
6/30-7/1 Savannah Bluegrass Festival, Savannah, TN
6/30-7/1 Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree, Smithville, TN
6/30-7/2 Great Blue Heron Music Festival, Sherman, NY
6/30-7/2 Fossil Camp & Jam, Fossil, OR
30-7/1 Savannah Bluegrass Festival, Savannah, TN
30-7/1 Smithville Fiddler’s Jamboree, Smithville, TN
30-7/2 Great Blue Heron Music Festival, Sherman, NY
30-7/2 Fossil Camp & Jam, Fossil, OR
CANADA
9-11 – Kluane Mountain Bluegrass Festival, Haines Junction, YT
16-18 Cowichan Valley Bluegrass Festival, Lake Cowichan, BC
1-2 Big Mouth Bluegrass Festival, Pelham, TN
6-9 High Mountain Hay Fever, Westcliffe, CO
6-9 Pickin’ on Picknic, St. Clair, MO
6-9 Basin Bluegrass Festival, Brandon, VT
7-9 Lost River Bluegrass Festival, Merrill, OR
7-9 Bluegrass from the Forest Festival, Shelton, WA
8 Hammons Family Fiddle & Banjo Contests & World Class Jam, Marlinton, WV Facebook
8 Bluegrass on the Grass, Carlisle, PA
12-16 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, Oak Hill, NY
13-15 Shriners Bluegrass Festival, Olive Hill, KY
13-15 4848 Festival, Snowshoe, WV
14-15 Tazewell County Fiddlers Convention, Tazewell, VA
14-16 Snowygrass Music Festival, Estes Park, CO
14-16 TedFest (formerly Wasatch Mountain Music Festival), Wallsburg, UT
15 Doc & Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest, Sugar Grove, NC
20-22 Danby Country & Bluegrass Festival, Danby, VT
21-22 Alleghany County Fiddlers Convention, Sparta, NC
21-22 Grits ‘n Grass Music Festival, Pickens, SC
21-22 Bluegrass Along the Harpeth, Franklin, TN
21-22 Oyster Ridge Music Festival, Kemmerer, WY
21-23 Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival, Marquette, MI
21-23 Hardtimes Bluegrass Festival, Hamilton, MT
21-23 Darrington Bluegrass Festival, Darrington, WA
21-29 Marshall Bluegrass Festival, Marshall, MI
26-30 FloydFest, Floyd, VA
26-30 Columbia Gorge Bluegrass Festival, Stevenson, WA
27-30 Ossipee Valley Music Festival, South Hiram, ME
27-30 Brantling Bluegrass Festival, Sodus, NY
27-30 Midsummer Bluegrass Festival, Manitowish Waters, WI
28-30 RockyGrass, Lyons, CO
28-30 Backbone Bluegrass Festival, Strawberry Point, IA
CANADA
7-9 PEI Bluegrass & Old Time Music Festival, Dundas, PEI
15 Chemainus Bluegrass Extravaganza, Chemainus, BC
1-5 Pickin’ in Parsons, Parsons, WV
2-6 Appalachian String Band Music Festival, Clifftop, WV
3-6 Appalachian Fiddle & Bluegrass Association Festival, Wind Gap, PA
4-5 Sugar Maple Music Festival, Madison, WI
4-6 Winlock Pickersfest, Winlock, WA
5-6 Keystone Bluegrass & Beer Festival, Keystone, CO
7-10 Targhee Music Camp, Alta, WY
7-12 Old Fiddlers’ Convention, Galax, VA
10-13 Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, Tres Pinos, CA
10-13 Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival, Goshen CT
11-13 Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, Lyons, CO
11-13 Osceola Music Festival, Osceola, IN
11-13 Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival, Medical Lake, WA
10-13 Minnesota Bluegrass August Festival, Richmond, MN
11-13 Targhee Bluegrass Festival, Alta, WY Facebook
16-21 Augusta Heritage Center Bluegrass Week, Elkins, WV
17-19 Larryfest, LaFarge, WI
17-20 Winding Creek Bluegrass Festival, Russiaville, IN
17-20 Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, Gettysburg, PA website not updated
18-19 Wyoming State BBQ Championship & Bluegrass Festival, Worland, WY
18-20 Hoxeyville Music Festival, Wellston, MI
18-20 Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots, Manchester, VT
19-20 Laurel Hill Bluegrass Festival, Somerset, PA
24-26 Brown County Bluegrass Festival, Georgetown, OH
24-26 Bluegrass in the Pines, Rosholt, WI
25-26 Ocean Lakes Bluegrass Weekend, Myrtle Beach, SC (Ocean Lakes patrons only)
23-27 Lakes Bluegrass Festival, Pine River, MN
24-27 Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Festival – August, Litchfield, ME
24-27 Pickin’ in the Pasture, Lodi, NY
24-27 Crook Farm Old-Time Music Festival, Bradford, PA
25-27 Bowers Mansion Music Festival, Reno, NV
25-27 Santa Fe TradFest, Santa Fe, NM
25-27 Oak Grove Folk Music Festival, Staunton, VA
26 Evanston Bluegrass Festival, Evanston, WY
31-9/3 Tri-State Labor Day Weekend Bluegrass Festival, Kendallville, IN
31-9/3 Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival, Brunswick, ME
CANADA
4-6 Blueberry Bluegrass Festival, Stony Plain, AB
4-6 Coombs Bluegrass Festival, Coombs, BC
10-13 Clare Bluegrass Association Festival, Meteghan Centre, NS
14-20 Northern Lights Bluegrass & Old Time Music Camp and Festival, Ness Creek, SK
20-9/1 NimbleFingers Bluegrass & Old-Time Music Workshops and Festival, Sorrento, BC
25-27 Rogersville Bluegrass Festival, Rogersville, NB
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND 2023
Feb 10-12 – Yarra Junction Fiddlers Convention, Yarra Junction, Victoria
Feb 24-26 – The Great Alpine Pick, Beechworth, Victoria
Oct 27-29- Dorrigo Folk & Bluegrass Festival, Dorrigo, NSW
Oct 27-29 – Fleurieu Folk Festival, Willunga, SA
Nov 3-5 – Imbil Acoustic Music Festival, Imbil, QLD
Nov 17-19 – Mountaingrass Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival, Beechworth, Victoria
CZECH REPUBLIC 2023
Jun 16-17 – Banjo Jamboree, Cáslav
ENGLAND 2023
Feb 10-12 – FOAOTMAD Old Time Music and Dance Festival, Gainsborough, Lincolnshire
May 6 – Spring into Bluegrass Day, Naseby, Northamptonshire
May 19-22 – FOAOTMAD Spring Camp, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
Jun 8-12 – East Anglian Bluegrass Festival, Steeple Morden, Hertfordshire
Jun 16-18 – Black Deer Festival of Americana, Kent
July 14-16 – Crossover Bluegrass and Old-time Music Festival, Newport, Shropshire
Jul 23 – Battlefield Bluegrass Festival, Naseby, Northamptonshire
Aug 4-14 – FOAOTMAD Summer Camp, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire
Sep 8-10– Sweet Sunny South American Oldtime Music Festival, Ashington, West Sussex
FRANCE 2023
Aug 2-6 – Bluegrass in La Roche Festival, La Roche-sur-Foron website not updated dates verified
GERMANY 2023
May 5-6 – Bühler Bluegrass Festival, Bühl, Baden
May 27-28 – GrevenGrass Bluegrass Festival, Greven, North Rhine-Westphalia
HUNGARY 2022
Aug 12-14 – International Bluegrass and Acoustic Music Festival, Abaliget
IRELAND 2023
Jun 9-11 – Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival, Westport, County Mayo Facebook
2022
Jul 15-17 – Ardara Bluegrass Festival, Ardara, County Donegal
Aug 26-28 – Dunmore East Bluegrass Festival, Dunmore East, County Waterford
JAPAN 2023
May 13-14 – Spring Takarazuka Bluegrass Camp, Takarazuka
Aug 3-6 – Takarazuka Bluegrass Festival, Takarazuka
Oct 28-29 – Fall Takarazuka Bluegrass Camp, Takarazuka
NETHERLANDS 2023
May 18-20 – European World of Bluegrass, Voorthuizen
Jun 23-25 – Rotterdam Bluegrass Festival, Rotterdam
NORTHERN IRELAND 2022
May 27-29 – Bluegrass Omagh, Omagh no 2023 dates on website
NORWAY 2023
Jul 10-16 – Strenger i Gress Bluegrassfestival, Vikersund
PORTUGAL 2022
Sep 9-11 – Trafaria Bluegrass Festival, Trafaria
SCOTLAND 2023
Sep 22-24 – Moniaive Michaelmas Bluegrass Festival, Moniaive, Dumfries & Galloway
Nov 17-19 – Scots Fiddle Festival, Edinburgh
2022
May 13-15 – SpringGrass Bluegrass Festival, Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire
Jun 3-5 – Arisaig Americana Music Festival, Arisaig
SPAIN 2023
Mar 3-4 – Barcelona Bluegrass Camp, Barcelona
2022
Nov 3-6 – Al Ras Bluegrass and Old Time Music Festival, Barcelona
SWEDEN 2023
Jun 30 – Jul 1 – Torsåker Bluegrass Festival, Torsåker
2022
Aug 20 – Grenna Bluegrass Festival, Gränna
SWITZERLAND 2022
Jun 17-19 – Green Valley Festival of Bluegrass Music, Westerndorf
Aug 20 – Dorneck Bluegrass Festival, Gempen, Solothurn
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