Headin’ Home on stage at their 2026 Headin’ Home Fest – photo courtesy of Headin’ Home Fest
This past weekend, April 8-12, the 5th Headin’ Home Fest and first-ever spring event was held beneath blue skies and bright sunshine at Stagger Lee Music Park in Hazlehurst, Georgia.
The family band Headin’ Home from Bloomingdale, GA has been hosting this festival each fall since 2022, and they were thrilled with the substantial growth and success they received for their first spring festival. Bluegrass lovers came from all over the country to camp out at the beautiful Stagger Lee Music Park and enjoy five days of refreshing, uplifting, family-centered bluegrass music. The crowd started out strong in number and continued growing each day of the festival, culminating in a record-breaking attendance on Saturday afternoon.
The first spring Headin’ Home Fest kicked off on Wednesday, April 8, with an inviting potluck dinner and open stage. Plenty of jamming kicked off that evening too, and remained one of the top highlights of the festival’s atmosphere throughout the weekend.
Thursday, April 9, a brand new Georgia band named Bryan County Bluegrass opened the show with a high-energy set of traditional bluegrass music. Bandmates Tim Gaylor on guitar, Josh Lock on mandolin, and Kevin Williamson on banjo were joined by their friends David Brown on fiddle and Mike Lynch on bass. This local band set the crowd’s energy high, which remained at a very enthusiastic level throughout the weekend.
Boonie Bevins & Carolina Drive, a fast-rising group from Moncks Corner, South Carolina, endeared the audience to their lovely harmonies, polished arrangements, and impressive instrumental skills. Led by gifted vocalist Boonie Bevins, the band also features Boonie’s husband John Henry Braun on banjo, brother-in-law Bryan Jackson on guitar, dad Kevin Bevins on bass, and good friend Alex Meredith on mandolin. This band is one of South Carolina’s best, and should definitely be added to your must-see list.
Appalachian Smoke took the stage next. This band of seasoned pickers from north Georgia and North Carolina delivered two sets of hard-driving, solid bluegrass music with an exciting dose of creative twists thrown into each tune. Troy Boone was filling in on bass, joining Cooper Marona on guitar, BJ Taylor on mandolin, Alec McCallister on fiddle, and Mikel Laws on banjo.
Host band Headin’ Home played a set Thursday night, as they did each night of the festival. Jon, Marina, Luke, Libby, Lucy, and Timothy Lindblom are the reigning 2nd place SPBGMA band champions, and they set the stage on fire with their strong picking and smooth harmonies, showing their festival crowd why they’re currently established as one of the most professional family groups on the scene.
The Amanda Cook Band closed out Thursday with some top-level music showcasing Amanda’s soaring vocals and her band of incredible musicians: George Mason on fiddle, Josh Faul on bass, Carolyne Van Lierop-Boone on banjo, and new members Ethan Church on mandolin and Chevy Watson on guitar. Amanda commented on some of the other Georgia festivals she used to play which have closed down in recent years, and remarked that as she was driving down to Headin’ Home Fest from Virginia, she felt like she was coming home. Her fans in the audience heartily reassured her that Georgia’s bluegrass fanbase is still as strong as ever. And now with a brand new spring festival successfully launched, that scene is only poised to grow by leaps and bounds in the years ahead.
Justin Mason served as MC for the spring 2026 Headin’ Home Fest, and Luke and Lucy Lindblom ran sound. Besides the stacked lineup of talent onstage and the abundant jamming, the festival also offered vendors, food trucks, workshops, raffles, and an Eastman mandolin raffle sponsored by The Mandolin Store in Lebanon, Ohio.
Friday and Saturday featured Authentic Unlimited, Kenny & Amanda Smith, Backline, The Little Roy & Lizzy Show, Daryl Mosley, Last Hour Bluegrass, The Brothers Five, and Headin’ Home. Part 2 of this report coming tomorrow!
