- North Carolina is home to several bluegrass festivals each year in June.banjo image by michael langley from Fotolia.com
With its heavy influence on string instruments and deep vocals, bluegrass music has a style all its own. A bluegrass group typically consists of a fiddle, acoustic bass, five-string banjo, mandolin, guitar and Dobro guitar. The music features fast tempos and three or four-part harmonies. Bluegrass fans in North Carolina have access to a variety of annual bluegrass festivals every summer. From May to August, North Carolina is home to several bluegrass festivals, many of which occur in June. - In 2010, the seventh annual Big Lick Bluegrass Festival will take place on June 11 and 12. Every year, the festival occurs at Big Lick Festival Park in Oakboro, North Carolina. The festival kicks off at 6:00 p.m. on Friday (June 11th) with a performance by the Rye Hollar Boys, a bluegrass and gospel group consisting of four young musicians. The young musicians are followed by a performance by The Bluegrass Brothers and the festival ends with the music of Southern Junction Band. On Saturday at noon, the festival re-opens to a full schedule of bluegrass performers. Saturday performances include Deeper Shade of Blue, Goldwing Express and the Grascals, along with a variety of other musicians. For the 2010 festival, adults pay $25 for tickets, while children between the ages of 12 and 16 pay only $12. Children under the age of 12 receive free admission. Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets; camping is also available. Food, refreshments and souvenirs will be sold on the festival grounds during both days.
Big Lick Festival Park
640 South Oak Ridge Blvd.
Oakboro, NC 28129
704-485-4906
biglickbluegrass.com - Located on the Tar River in Franklin County, North Carolina, the PreddyFest Bluegrass Park features an annual bluegrass festival every June. After its modest beginning in 1997, the festival has quickly turned into a popular family-oriented festival for bluegrass fans. The 2010 festival occurs on June 10, 11 and 12 and features performances by the Josh Williams Band, the James King Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and the Grascals, among several others. For the 2010 festival, ticket prices are $20 for Thursday entry, $25 for Friday or Saturday entry or $60 for a three-day pass. Children age 13 and under receive free admission. As an added benefit, all ticket prices include rough camping. Although no hook-ups are available, hot showers are offered. Pets are also allowed on the grounds if they stay on a leash or at your campsite.
PreddyFest Bluegrass Park
2284 Green Hill Rd.
Franklinton, NC
919-494-7471
rpreddy59.50megs.com - Madison County's Bluff Mountain Festival is scheduled for June 12, 2010 in Hot Springs, North Carolina. Held at the Hot Springs Spa and Resort, the festival "features some of the region's best traditional old-time and bluegrass music, ballad singing and clogging followed by an evening square dance." Serving as a fundraiser for the Madison County Arts Council (MCAC), the festival will also showcase arts and crafts for local and regional artists. Each piece of art will be up for auction and all proceeds benefit the MCAC. The festival is free to the public and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets. However, vendors, alcohol and pets will not be allowed on festival grounds.
Hot Springs Resort and Spa
315 Bridge St.
Hot Springs, NC 28743
828-622-7676
main.nc.us/bluff
Big Lick Bluegrass Festival
PreddyFest Bluegrass Festival
Bluff Mountain Festival
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