Heather Berry Mabe at Steve Sutton Fest ’26 – photo © Jeff Lahr
This report from the 2026 Steve Sutton Fest in Lake Junaluska, NC is a contribution from Jeff Lahr, as are the accompanying photographs.
The Steve Sutton Fest may be one of the best‑kept secrets on the bluegrass festival scene. Big‑name bands, an intimate venue, and a beautiful location make this one of the most quietly impressive festivals in the region, all at a very affordable advance admission ($30 per night). Located in Western North Carolina, the festival honors the region’s own Steve Sutton, who died in 2016 but left behind a deep legacy of musicianship, mentorship, and community loyalty.
Held at Lake Junaluska, the festival sits in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains. The lake, named after a local Native American chief, was created at the turn of the century as part of a Methodist conference center. Today, the community of Lake Junaluska is a popular conference center and vacation getaway.
Supporters of Sutton’s legacy come together for the annual event, in part, because of Sutton’s commitment to his community. Sutton did more than play the banjo. He invested in people. “Steve was a community guy,” said local musician Darren Nicholson, who serves on the board of the Steve Sutton Memorial Trust. “He played community music for years. He was a mentor to the bluegrass community. He was always supportive of younger musicians. There’s a long list of young musicians he helped along.”
Sutton began his bluegrass career at an early age. Fresh out of high school in 1974, he hit the road with Jimmy Martin & the Sunny Mountain Boys, one of the most influential bands in bluegrass history. Steve Sutton wasn’t just a banjo player; he was a bridge between the legends of the past and the stars of the future. After years on the road with icons like Jimmy Martin and Rhonda Vincent, Sutton always returned to his Haywood County roots, where he continued to encourage and mentor local musicians.
The festival operates as a nonprofit, with proceeds supporting youth music education. Money from the event flows back into the community through the Steve Sutton Memorial Trust, funding music scholarships for Haywood County students and supporting traditional music programs. Performances by local JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) groups underscored the mission.
The festival held on Mothers’ Day weekend honored both Sutton’s memory and the rich tapestry of Appalachian musical heritage. The event featured two evening headliner concerts along with a variety of traditional Appalachian activities. Including clogging demonstrations by the Mountain Tradition Cloggers to square dance lessons. And, in true North Carolina fashion, Ben’s Backdraft Barbeque kept the crowd well fed.
Friday night opened with two bands from different ends of the region’s bluegrass timeline. One of the newest bands, Upstream Rebellion, represents the rising generation of performers. Though the group members are all now Western Carolina University graduates, they began performing together while still in school before officially forming in 2024. Their debut album, Headwaters, was released last year, and their set showcased the tight musicianship of key members who grew up picking together. On the opposite end of the spectrum stands Whitewater Bluegrass Company, a Western North Carolina institution for more than forty years. Known for their dance‑friendly repertoire—circle dances, square dances, clogging tunes—they carry a special connection to Sutton, who performed with them for over a decade. Although generations apart, both bands embrace the Appalachian Mountains’ musical traditions.
Friday night’s most poignant moment was an appearance by Alecia Nugent. Nugent is best known for her heartfelt delivery and her blend of traditional bluegrass with classic country influences. In 2009, Nugent was nominated as IBMA’s Female Vocalist of the Year.
Near the start of her set, she asked the audience, “How many of you have heard of me?” Noting how few hands went up, she quipped, “Maybe y’all need to get out more.” She added quickly, “Maybe I need to get out more.” An honest statement—this was Nugent’s first performance in four years.
In 2022, while appearing at the Station Inn in Nashville, she lost her voice mid-concert. She walked off stage, unable to finish the performance. She hadn’t performed since then, but prompted by her good friend and former bandmate Darren Nicholson, the Sutton Fest was her first stage appearance since that fateful day. Backed by guitarists Dustin Benson and Lancy Dary, she delivered a stripped‑down set that let her recently untested voice carry the room. She told the audience she had been prayed over by The Isaacs and Alison Krauss during her recovery. Those prayers must have been answered because she was back, reclaiming the title “Hillbilly Goddess” that an early critic had given her. (She later used that moniker as the title of her Rounder Records 2009 release.)
Red Camel Collective closed the night with an extended set. The band earned the 2025 IBMA New Artist of the Year award, and members Heather Berry Mabe and Tony Mabe have collected individual honors from both IBMA and SPBGMA. Though labeled a “new band,” the quartet spent years backing Junior Sisk, and that long‑built chemistry shows — onstage and off — since the Mabes have been married for more than twenty years. Johnathan Dillon provides both vocals and crisp mandolin work. The group’s 2025 debut album hit No. 1 on the Bluegrass Unlimited Album Chart and held the top spot for three consecutive months. With Zac McLamb sitting in on bass (RCC’s bass player, Curt Love was fishing in Alaska), the set highlighted three strong solo voices that sound even better in their distinctive harmonic blend.
The next day started early when a scheduled square dance clinic quickly turned into a jam session featuring members of the Darren Nicholson Band, the Whitewater Bluegrass Company, and local pickers. By afternoon, musicians and festivalgoers were walking the 2.5‑mile path around the lake, enjoying the spring weather and mountain backdrop.
Saturday night’s performances began with a set by Jackson County JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians) students. The support of the Steve Sutton Fest Foundation helped these young musicians get their start in music.
Molly Johnson, banjo player and vocalist of the band Wilder Flower, followed the JAM musicians, taking the stage with four young musicians: mandolinist Lydia Hamby, fiddler Mary Roper, guitarist Will Hart, and bassist Lindsay Emmons. Their set brought a blend of bluegrass, old‑time, folk, and Americana music to the stage. Many of the musicians had met only hours earlier. “There’s an abundance of talented musicians in the area,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t hard to put together a band that created the sound I love.”
A much‑anticipated trio followed: Dennis Parker (formerly of Ricky Skaggs’ Kentucky Thunder), Shawn Lane (formerly of Blue Highway), and Darren Nicholson (formerly of Balsam Range and now leading the Darren Nicholson Band). Though they’ve crossed paths for decades, this was their first time sharing a stage as a trio. Together, they brought decades of experience from Nashville and Western North Carolina, and their set moved easily between originals, traditional favorites, and even a James Taylor cover. Their casual, almost jam‑session chemistry gave room for improvisation and storytelling—road tales, backstage memories, and a few good‑natured jabs at one another. They closed with Fox on the Run, earning a standing ovation, and returned for an encore of Taylor’s Carolina in My Mind.
Authentic Unlimited closed the festival with the precision and drive that have made them one of the most talked-about bands on the circuit. While the trio of Parker, Lane, and Nicholson provided a casual, almost jam‑session performance, Authentic Unlimited delivered a tightly constructed set of bluegrass and gospel, barely pausing between songs. One of the memorable moments occurred when the band laid aside their instruments and gave an a cappella rendition of the gospel song, A Little Faith in Jesus. When the crowd demanded an encore, the band returned to the stage and played their popular song, Little Eyes.
With Authentic Unlimited’s final chord, the two‑day festival came to an end. But the money raised will ensure that the music continues on. Just as the festival’s namesake Steve Sutton devoted a large part of his life to helping upcoming musicians, the Steve Sutton Fest shares the same vision of supporting young musicians and the musical heritage of Southern Appalachia. Concertgoers could leave the auditorium feeling good that their admission fees help keep mountain music alive.
