Warren Blair with Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road – photo courtesy of Headin’ Home
Saturday at Headin’ Home Fest 2024 was one for the books! Another slow jam class led by Patrick Russell opened up the day, followed by a set from Georgia band Line Creek.
The Edgar Loudermilk Band then took the stage for two sets of outstanding bluegrass. Edgar’s seasoned songwriting and bass skills are supported by a band of top-shelf young instrumentalists: Anthony Howell (2023 National Banjo Champion), Zack Autry on mandolin, and 18-year-old guitar slinger Jake Goforth.
Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road followed next. Known as the Lady of Tradition, Lorraine delighted the Headin’ Home Fest audience with her polished traditional sound and meaningful music. She made sure to invite everyone to her own Christmas in the Smokies bluegrass festival coming up November 14-16 in Gatlinburg, where Headin’ Home will also be performing.
The Kody Norris Show then lit up the stage with their solid groove, sparkling suits, and sensational entertainment ability. After the first set, everyone wearing an official festival T-shirt (which was themed after The Kody Norris Show’s purple stage outfits), posed for a group photo.
Headin’ Home, the host band, played their third and final set of the festival in the evening. Special prizes and raffles were announced from the stage between each of the Saturday evening bands. First was the Saturday 50/50 drawing, which Lorraine Jordan won. Holding up her string of tickets and the cash she had just been presented with, Lorraine announced to the roaring applause of the audience, “This is going to the flood victims of western North Carolina.”
Two ladies in the audience won the instrument raffles. Doreen W. took home the Kentucky KM-150 mandolin donated by Banjo Ben Clark, and Shannon W. won the Gold Tone OB-150 banjo donated by Gold Tone. Pat G. won the giant jar of jellybeans after guessing the closest number; she guessed 4301, and the exact number of jellybeans was 4388!
To close out the festival, The Kody Norris Show invited the entire Headin’ Home band up on stage with them at the end of their final set. Ten-year-old Leo on mandolin, the youngest member of the Lindblom family, joined in as well.
“I just think the world of this entire family,” Kody told the audience. “They treat us like family always, and I’m very proud of them for everything that they’re doing—especially for taking it upon themselves to promote and preserve bluegrass music. Our festivals just keep getting fewer and fewer every single year, and it’s a big undertaking for anybody to take on bluegrass music—to try to preserve it and keep it and make it special.”
After a fiery group jam of Clinch Mountain Backstep, The Kody Norris Show and Headin’ Home closed out by inviting the audience to sing along with them on Will the Circle Be Unbroken.
Sunday morning, festival attendees enjoyed a final jam with their host band to wrap up the 3rd annual Headin’ Home Fest.
Dates for the 4th annual Headin’ Home Fest in Georgia are October 22-26, 2025. Be sure to come support this family-run festival next year, which is quickly becoming one of the most exciting and talked-about festivals in the southeast!