March 4, 2016. Without a doubt, the camping at MerleFest is just as much fun as the actual festival. Be careful which site you pick, though. While some of the sites are quite, peaceful and for families, other sites are mainly for the owls and those looking for a little rowdiness after the festivities on the MerleFest grounds. Here’s a list to help.
BY JESSE WOOD
April 24, 2013. Preparations are well underway for MerleFest 2013, presented by Lowe’s, which officially begins Thursday, April 25, and runs through Sunday, April 28, on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
April 15, 2013. The Waybacks are coming back to MerleFest for another crowd pleasing Hillside Album Hour. The event has become a fan favorite, where The Waybacks perform a classic album in its entirety. The album in question is always a guarded secret until that first note is played.
BY JESSE WOOD
April 11, 2013.Both the Doc Watson Guitar Championship and the Merle Watson Banjo Contest will be held on Friday, April 26; the first place winners from both contests will be invited to perform on the Cabin Stage Friday evening following a performance by the winners of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest.
March 13, 2013. MerleFest 2013 is seeking volunteers to help prepare the grounds of Wilkes Community College for the festival. Volunteer workdays will be March 22, April 5 and April 19. Volunteers will earn a single day general admission pass to MerleFest for every four-hour shift worked.
March 5, 2013. But for the first time in its 26 years, MerleFest will take place without beloved music icon Doc Watson, who passed away on May 29, 2012.
Feb. 27, 2013. Music City Roots: Live From The Loveless Cafe announces its partnership with MerleFest for a special kickoff event at the multi-platform Nashville concert series prior to the North Carolina festival.
Feb. 25, 2013. MerleFest 2013 is seeking volunteers to help prepare the grounds of Wilkes Community College for the festival. Volunteer workdays will be March 8, March 16 and March 22.
Feb. 18, 2013. MerleFest, presented by Lowe’s and slated for April 25-28, 2013, announces several additional performers for the festival’s lineup: American Legacies – The Del McCoury Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Gov’t Mule and Warren Haynes, Leon Russell, John Cowan, Steep Canyon Rangers, Della Mae and Delta Rae.
Feb. 6, 2013. In anticipation of their performance at MerleFest 2013, The Avett Brothers have created a special video for their fans and the fans of the annual festival. The Avett Brothers first performed at MerleFest in 2004, and have been one of the most requested performers in the festival’s history.
Jan. 24, 2013. Distinguished songwriters Matraca Berg, Lynda Dawson and Chris Smither will be among the judges that determine the winners of MerleFest 2013’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. Now in its 21st year, the contest is an extraordinary opportunity for aspiring writers.
July 31, 2012. MerleFest, presented by Lowe’s, is proud once again to host the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest.