WILKESBORO — The 36th annual MerleFest, a celebration of “traditional plus” music and founding legend Doc Watson, is set to take place April 25-28 on the campus of Wilkes Community College.
The event promises an unforgettable weekend featuring a treasure trove of A-list talent, including first-time performers as well as familiar MerleFest veterans. Also joining this year’s docket is Grammy award-winning outfit Béla Fleck My Bluegrass Heart, decorated songwriter Brandy Clark (up for a staggering six Grammy nominations this year), fast-rising country fixture Nick Shoulders, and over two dozen others.
Presented by Window World, MerleFest continues to deliver one-of-a-kind programming that pays equal homage to pioneers of the folk movement alongside fresh and burgeoning voices. Last year, the festival commemorated both its 35th year in operation and Doc Watson’s 100th birthday. Drawing over 75,000 patrons to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains each spring, MerleFest’s well-attested “traditional plus” experience maintains its title as one of the most iconic musical pilgrimages of its time.
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MerleFest’s full 2024 lineup includes Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Larkin Poe, Lukas Nelson & POTR, Sierra Hull, Dan Tyminski Band, Old Crow Medicine Show, Turnpike Troubadours, The Teskey Brothers, Nickel Creek, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Larkin Poe, Lukas Nelson & POTR, Steep Canyon Rangers, Dan Tyminski Band, Béla Fleck My Bluegrass Heart, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, The Earls of Leicester, Sierra Hull, Brandy Clark, Shinyribs, Nick Shoulders, Willie Watson, Peter Rowan, Scythian, Donna the Buffalo, Jim Lauderdale, Kruger Brothers, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, S.G. Goodman, New Dangerfield, Chatham County Line, Chatham Rabbits, John McEuen, Willie Carlisle, Adeem the Artist, The Last Revel, Twisted Pine, The Sensational Barnes Brothers, The Waybacks, Nefesh Mountain, Them Coulee Boys, Buffalo Nichols, Evan Honer, Jake Kohn, Wyatt Ellis, Colby T. Helms & the Virginia Creepers, Palmyra, Alexa Rose, Andy May, Arkansauce, Ashes & Arrows, “B” Townes, Banknotes, Bob Margolin, Carol Rifkin, Carolina Detour, Charles Welch, Corey Harris, Ettore Buzzini, Falling Timber Band, Goldpine, Gravity Check Juggling, The Harris Brothers, The InterACTtive Theater of Jef, Into the Fog, Jack Lawrence, Jeff Little Trio, JigJam, Joe Smothers, Josh Goforth, Kyshona, The Langan Band, Laura Boosinger, Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road, The Local Boys, Mark Bumgarner, Missy Raines & Allegheny, Mitch Greenhill & Mitch’s Kitchen, New Found Gap, Pete & Joan Wernick, Pixie & The Partygrass Boys, Presley Barker, Roan Street Ramblers, Roy Book Binder, The Silent Comedy, The Sullivan Sisters, T. Michael Coleman, The Tan & Sober Gentlemen, Tony Williamson, Uwade, and Wayne Henderson.
For artist performance dates, visit merlefest.org/lineup.
MerleFest 2024 tickets are available now. For general admission passes, as well as patio seating, reserved seating, camping, parking and more, visit merlefest.org/purchase.
MerleFest volunteer applications are now open. As a volunteer, participants will receive free entry to the festival for the entire day of their shift, free parking and shuttle, and 10% off camping at River’s Edge Campground. Most importantly, volunteers will be supporting a major fundraiser for Wilkes Community College. Visit merlefest.org/volunteer to sign up before the April 13 deadline.
About MerleFest
MerleFest, presented by Window World, was founded in 1988 as a fundraiser for the Garden of the Senses at Wilkes Community College to memorialize world-renowned flatpicker Doc Watson’s late son, Eddy Merle Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of “traditional plus” music, a unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including old-time, classic country, bluegrass, folk and gospel, and blues, and expanded to include Americana, classic rock, and many other styles. The festival hosts a diverse mix of artists on its 12 stages during the course of the multiday event. MerleFest is the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects, and other educational needs.