Wide Open Bluegrass StreetFest schedule announced

For those who can’t get tickets to the IBMA’s giant outdoor urban festival in Raleigh at the end of September, don’t fret. The city and many regional businesses have put together a party for you as well, likewise featuring the best in bluegrass music.

The ticketed Wide Open Bluegrass festival, held in downtown Raleigh’s beautiful Red Hat Amphitheater, will include performances by top stars like Ricky Skaggs, Leftover Salmon, The First Ladies of Bluegrass, The Earls Of Leicester, The Gibson Brothers, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Flatt Lonesome, and Volume Five. Tickets start at $50, with full details available online

And about two blocks away, on downtown’s main drag, Fayetteville Street, and in and around the convention center, a total of eight additional stages and tents will be set up with live music all day and into the night on September 28 and 29 – and it’s all free! Visitors will be invited to check out the large exhibit hall inside the convention center as well, where more than 100 vendors will have bluegrass-related items on display.

Food, drink, and crafts vendors will also be available along Fayetteville Street, and alcohol will be served in certain, closed-off areas. There will be attractions for young children, and more music than you could hear in one trip. Oh… and don’t forget the sun screen!

You could pick a stage and stick around all day, or simply wander around for hours seeing what you discover. Your favorite downtown restaurants will also be open should you want to have a quieter meal with family or friends. Locals know that Raleigh offers tons of parking options downtown, plus bus service into the area.

On September 29, the North Carolina Pork Council will host its Whole Hog Barbecue Championship in the parking lot of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, and after the judging, visitors can sample the wares of the 28 best BBQ chefs in the state. 

It’s the best party in bluegrass, and everyone’s invited!

Below you’ll find the weekend schedule for the Wide Open Bluegrass StreetFest, along with a graphic showing the location of the various stages.

IBMA City Plaza Spotlight Stage
Friday, September 28

  • 12:00-12:45 – Cane Mill Road
  • 1:15-2:00 – Fireside Collective
  • 2:30-3:15 – Jeff Scroggins & Colorado
  • 3:45-4:30 – Mile Twelve
  • 5:00-5:45 – Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers
  • 6:15-7:15 – Sister Sadie
  • 7:45-9:00 – Special Consensus
  • 9:30-11:00 – Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen

Saturday, September 29

  • 12:00-12:45 – Danny Paisley & Southern Grass
  • 1:15-2:00 – The Davidson Brothers
  • 2:30-3:15 – Kids on Bluegrass
  • 3:45-4:30 – Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive
  • 5:00-5:45 – Kenny & Amanda Smith
  • 6:15-7:15 – Darin & Brooke Aldridge 
  • 7:45-9:00 – The Lonely Heartstring Band
  • 9:30-11:00 – Alison Brown Band

Davie Street Stage
Friday, September 28

  • 12:15-1:00 – Piney Woods Boys
  • 1:30-2:15 – Kinney Rorrer & The New North Carolina Ramblers
  • 2:45-3:30 – Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road
  • 4:00-4:45 – Hank, Pattie & The Current
  • 5:15-6:00 – Riley Baugus
  • 6:30-7:30 – ShadowGrass
  • 8:00-9:15 – Tony Williamson & Friends
  • 9:45-11:00pm – The Kruger Brothers

Saturday, September 29

  • 12:15-1:00 – Zoe & Cloyd
  • 1:30-2:15 – The Burnett Sisters
  • 2:45-3:30 – Dewey & Leslie Brown & The Carolina Gentlemen
  • 4:00-4:45 – Mark Kuykendall, Bobby Hicks & Asheville Bluegrass
  • 5:15 – 6:00 – Jeff Little Trio
  • 6:30 – 7:30 – Strictly Clean & Decent
  • 8:00-9:15 – Carolina Blue Band
  • 9:45-11:00pm – The Harris Brothers

Hargett Street Stage
Friday, September 28

  • 12:30-1:15 – Kristy Cox
  • 1:45-2:30 – Bill and The Belles
  • 3:00-3:45 – Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons
  • 4:15-5:00 – FY5
  • 5:30-6:15 – Jim Lauderdale
  • 6:45-7:45 – Donna Ulisse
  • 8:15-9:15 – Chris Jones & The Night Drivers
  • 9:45-11:00 – Town Mountain 

Saturday, September 29

  • 12:30-1:15 – The Carolina PineCones
  • 1:45-2:30 – Diamond Creek
  • 3:00-3:45 – Loose Strings Band
  • 4:15-5:00 – Tommy Edwards & The Bluegrass Experience
  • 5:30-6:15 – ClayBank
  • 6:45-7:45 – Sideline
  • 8:15-9:15 – Wood & Wire
  • 9:45-11:00 – Alan Bibey & Grasstowne

Capitol Stage
Friday, September 28

  • 12:15-1:00 – Amanda Cook
  • 1:30-2:15 – Johnny & Jeanette Williams
  • 2:45-3:30 – Compton & Newberry
  • 4:00-4:45 – Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius
  • 5:15-6:00 – Nick Forster
  • 6:30-7:30 – Amythyst Kiah
  • 8:00-9:15 – Lonesome River Band
  • 9:45-11:00 – Balsam Range

Saturday, September 29

  • 12:15-1:00 – The McLain Family Band 
  • 1:30-2:15 – Nu-Blu
  • 2:45-3:30 – David Davis & The Warrior River Boys
  • 4:00-4:45 – Tatiana Hargreaves with Hoot & Holler
  • 5:15-6:00 – Nefesh Mountain 
  • 6:30-7:30 – Hubby Jenkins
  • 8:00-9:15 – Front Country
  • 9:45-11:00 – Unspoken Tradition

Dance Tent
Friday, September 28

  • 12:00-1:30 – Square Dance with Hoot & Holler, Rodney Sutton calling
  • 2:00-2:45 – Dwight Hawkins & Piedmont Highballers
  • 3:15-4:30 – Contra Dance with Steamshovel, Beth Molaro calling
  • 5:00-5:45 – Clogging Workshop with Hoot & Holler, Rodney Sutton calling
  • 6:15 – 7:00 – Clogging with The Apple Chill Cloggers, Music by Patrick Walsh & Friends
  • 7:30-9:00 – Open Dance with Che Apalache
  • 9:30-11:00 – Open Dance with The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys

Saturday, September 29

  • 12:00-2:00 – Family Square Dance with Hogs & Dawgs, Ruth Pershing calling
  • 2:30-3:45 – Clogging (performance and workshop) with Green Grass Cloggers, Music by Little Stony Nighthawks
  • 4:15-5:45 – Contra Dance with Steamshovel, Beth Molaro calling
  • 6:15-7:00 – Clogging with the Cane Creek Cloggers, Music by Deep Valley Drifters
  • 7:30-9:00 – Contra Dance with Rip the Calico, Kyle Johnston calling
  • 9:30-11:00 – Open Dance with Love Canon

Youth Stage (RCC plaza)
Friday, September 28

  • 12:00 – 12:45 – The Baker Family
  • 1:00 – 1:45 – Southern Strings
  • 2:00 – 3:45 – Kids on Bluegrass
  • 4:00 – 4:45 – The Arcadian Wild
  • 5:00 – 5:45 – Blue Js
  • 6:00 – 6:45 – Salt and Light
  • 7:00 — 7:35 – Univ. of Louisiana at Lafayette “Vermilion Express”
  • 7:45 — 8:15 – EKU Bluegrass Ensemble
  • 8:25 — 9:00 – Clemson Bluegrass Ensemble
  • 9:10 — 9:45 – Mountain Music Ambassadors (The Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State University)
  • 9:55 — 10:30 – Glenville College

Saturday, September 29

  • 12:00 – 12:45 – That Dalton Gang
  • 1:00 – 1:45 – Crying Uncle
  • 2:00 – 2:45 – Cane Mill Road
  • 3:00 – 3:45 – Dixie Jubilee
  • 4:00 – 4:45 – ShadowGrass
  • 5:00 – 5:35 – Carolina Bluegrass – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • 5:45 – 6:20 – Mountain Music Ambassadors (The Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State University)
  • 6:30 – 7:05 – Colorado College
  • 7:15 – 7:45 – Warren Wilson College Bluegrass Band
  • 7:55 – 8:25 – Walters State Community College, The High Lonesome Senate
  • 8:35 – 9:10 – East Tennessee State University “Bluegrass Pride Band”
  • 9:20 – 9:35 – Kentucky School of Bluegrass & Traditional Music 

J.A.M. Stage @ Martin Street
Friday, September 28

  • 12:00 – 12:45 – Eliza Meyer
  • 1:00 – 1:45 – Blackberry Jam
  • 2:00 – 2:45 – Sweet Potato Pie Kids
  • 3:00 – 3:45 – Henderson JAM Kids
  • 4:00 – 4:45 – ShadowGrass
  • 5:00 – 5:45 – Ella & Mary
  • 6:00 – 6:45 – Burnett Sisters
  • 7:00 – 7:45 – Cane Mill Road

Saturday, September 29

  • 11:00 – 11:45 – Ashe JAM Band
  • 12:00 – 12:45 – One Fret Over
  • 1:00 – 1:45 – Junior Appalachian Musicians Band
  • 2:00 – 2:45 – Possum on a Whale
  • 3:00 – 3:45 – Karlie Keepfer & Smokey Holler
  • 4:00 – 4:45 – Carl Johnson & JAM Allstars, featuring Jonah Graves
  • 5:00 – 5:45 – Carolina PineCones
  • 6:00 – 6:45 – Cane Mill Road
  • 7:00 – 7:45 – ShadowGrass

Masters Workshop Stage (RCC)
Friday, September 28

  • 12:00 – Jim Lauderdale & Dori Freeman – Art of Songwriting
  • 1:00 – Clawhammer Banjo – Jens Kruger, Uwe Kruger, Joe Newberry, and Joel Landsberg
  • 2:00 – The Bakers – Practicing as a Family Band (Main Lobby Stage)
  • 2:00 – Loose Strings – Sustaining Traditions
  • 3:00 – Mandolin Workshop – Alan Bibey, Nick Dumas and AaronRamsey
  • 4:0 – Bass Workshop – Dan Eubanks, Edgar Loudermilk and Zac McLamb
  • 5:00 – Vocal Workshop – Johnny & Jeanette Williams
  • 6:00 – Bluegrass Karoake with Flatt Lonesome – Want to sing a song with Flatt Lonesome as your back up band? Sign up, pick a song of your choice, name the key and be ready! 

Saturday, September 29

  • 12:00 – Banjo – Greg Cahill, Alison Brown, Russ Carson
  • 1:00 – Guitar –  Rick Faris, Kenny Smith, Stephen Mougin, Jeff Autrey
  • 2:00 – Dobro – Brad Hudson, Logan Hembree
  • 3:00 – #MASHTAG 2018 –  Featuring Wyatt Harman, Maddie Denton, Zach Top, Zion Napier and Calib Smith
  • 4:00 – Love Cannon: Transforming Music – One Genre to the Next
  • 5:00 – Fiddle – Mike Barnett, Hunter Berry, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.