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MusicFest ‘n Sugar Grove Offers Tour de Force Lineup of Established Acts, ‘New Blood’ July 11-12

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By Jesse Wood

July 9, 2014. This year’s lineup for the Doc and Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest ‘n Sugar Grove is once again a tour de force featuring established acts such as Chatham Count Line, a solo Willie Watson (formerly of Old Crow Medicine Show), Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver and Mark Schimick’s Sassagrass Reunion and extremely talented and local “new blood” like Brandon Holder, Trevor McKenzie and Alexa Rose.

The festival takes place at the Historic Cove Creek School on Friday and Saturday, July 11 and 12. Tickets cost $25 on Friday and $30 on Saturday at the gate.

Gates open at 10 a.m. on Friday with an opening ceremony at noon and the first band starts at 12:15 p.m. On Saturday, the gates open at 8 a.m. and the music starts at 10 a.m. Music lasts until “11ish” both nights.

Festival coordinator Williard Watson III said this year’s festival will continue to honor the friends of MusicFest ‘n Sugar Grove that have passed away in recent memory.

Doc and Rosa Lee Watson, of course, passed away two years ago. But founders of the festival Tommy Walsh and Amy Shelton both passed away last year as well as Hugh Hagaman, an active participant of the Cove Creek Preservation & Development nonprofit, which served to refurbish the old school in Cove Creek that in turned revitalized the community.

“We’ve really missed their presence and energy, but moving forward we’ve learned as much from them in the past 16 years to make them proud and try to continue honoring the heritage of the wonderful community of Sugar Grove,” Watson said.

The festival is family friendly with a kids playground on the festival grounds and features vendors, concessions, autograph sessions with the musicians and entry into the Doc Watson Museum. A don’t forget to bring your instrument, so you can jam in the Pickin’ Parlor!

For more info, click here.

Friday, July 11

Friday Pickin’ Parlor
1:00 – 1:35 – Jeb Wooley
1:45 – 2:20 – Andy Ferrell
2:30 – 3:05 – Liam Purcell
3:15 – 3:50 – Mike Preslar
4:00 – 4:35 – Open Jam

Friday Solar Stage
12:15 – 12:45 – Polly Lorien
1:00 – 1:35 – Trevor McKenzie
1:45 – 2:20 – Savannah Smith
2:30 – 3:05 – He Said. . .She Said. . .
3:15 – 3:50 – Songwriter Showcase
4:00 – 4:35 – Alexa Rose
4:45 – 5:20 – Charles Welch
5:30 – 6:05 – Spirit Fiddle
6:15 – 6:50 Carolina Crossing
7:00 – 7:45 – The Lost Ridge Band

Friday Main Stage
12:00 12:15 – Opening Ceremony
1:00 – 1:45 -Strictly Strings
2:00 – 2:45 –  ETSU Pride Band
3:00 – 3:45 – Upright & Breathing
4:00 – 4:45 – The Buck Stops Here
5:00 – 5:45 – Andy Ferrell & Oncoming Train
6:00 – 6:45 – The New River Boys
7:00 – 8:30 – The 23 String Band
9:00 – 10:30 – Chatham County Line
10:30 – Jam

Saturday, July 12

Saturday Pickin’ Parlor
11:00 – 11:35 – Jeb Wooley
11:45 – 12:20 – Mike Preslar
12:20 – 12:50  –  Brandon Holder
1:00 – 1:35 – Andy Ferrell
1:45 – 2:25  – Savannah Smith
2:30 – 3:05 –  Trevor McKenzie
3:15 – 3:50  – Polly Lorien
4:00 – 4:35 – Open Jam

Saturday Museum

1:00 – 2:00 – History of Appalachian Music workshop with Trevor McKenzie
2:00 – 3:00 – Fiddle Workshop with Bob Kogut and members of Amantha Mill

Saturday Solar Stage

11:00 – 11:35 – General Watson & the Demonbow Ramblers
11:45 – 12:15 – ETSU Pride
12:25 – 12:50 Carolina Crossing
1:00 – 1:35 – He Said. . .She Said. . .
1:45 – 2:20  – Sweet Treats
2:30 – 3:05 –  Strictly Strings
3:15 – 3:50  – Songwriter Showcase
4:00 – 4:35 – Andy Ferrell
4:45 – 5:20 – Buck Stops Here
5:30 – 6:05 – The New River Boys
6:15 – 6:50 – Upright & Breathing

Saturday Main Stage
10:00 – 11:00 – Spirit Fiddle
11:15- 12:00 – Whitetop Mountain Band
12:15 – 1:15 – Cockman Family
1:30- 2:30 –  Mark Schimick’s Sassagrass Reunion
2:45 – 3:45 –  Snyder Family Band
4:00 – 5:30 –  Doyle Lawson
5:30 – 5:45 –  Doc Watson Award of Scholarship
6:00 – 6:45 –  Charles Welch Tribute to Doc Watson
7:00 – 8:30 –  Willie Watson
9:00 – 10:30 – Sons of Bluegrass
10:00 – Jam