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Wilkes

MerleFest Announces Additions of Trampled By Turtles, Colin Hay, The Steel Wheels And Late Night Jam Hosts and Hogslop String Band to This Year’s Lineup

January 24, 2022 MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce the next round of artist additions for MerleFest 2022, which will be held April 28-May 1, 2022. Trampled By Turtles, Colin Hay, and The Steel Wheels will join an already outstanding lineup which includes performances by Emmylou Harris, Greensky Bluegrass, Rissi Palmer, Old Crow Medicine Show, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, Allison Russell, We Banjo 3, and more. MerleFest is the annual homecoming of musicians and music fans held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Hogslop String Band will be hosting this year’s late night jam. Jam guest artists will be announced in the coming weeks. Additional fan favorites announced today include Barbaro, Big Daddy Love, The Contenders, Damn Tall Buildings, David Childers and The Serpents, Desure, Eli Yacinthe, Jake Blount, Kaia Kater, Nat Myers, Shannon McNally, Shay Martin Lovette, Sister Sadie, Tenille Townes, Time Sawyer, and Tray Wellington.

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MerleFest Announces Additions of Old Crow Medicine Show, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, Allison Russell, and We Banjo 3 to Music Lineup

January 10, 2022 MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce the second round of artist additions for MerleFest 2022, which will be held April 28-May 1, 2022. Old Crow Medicine Show, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, Allison Russell, and We Banjo 3 will join an already impressive lineup which includes performances by Emmylou Harris, Greensky Bluegrass, Rissi Palmer, and more. MerleFest is the annual late April homecoming of musicians and music fans on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. “We are so excited to welcome music fans back to the campus of Wilkes Community College in the spring,” says MerleFest’s new Festival Director, Wes Whitson. Additional fan favorites announced today include Darrell Scott, Alison Brown, 49 Winchester, Arlo McKinley, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, The Arcadian Wild, Caleb Caudle, and Dr. Bacon.

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MerleFest Shares Initial Lineup For 2022 Festival; Emmylou Harris, Greensky Bluegrass, Rissi Palmer, and More to Perform April 28 – May 1, 2022

December 8, 2021. MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce the first round of artists for MerleFest 2022, which will be held April 28-May 1, 2022. Emmylou Harris, Greensky Bluegrass, Rissi Palmer, and more will be joining the annual homecoming of musicians and music fans on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. 2022 marks MerleFest’s return to its traditional Spring weekend after being postponed to September in 2021. Check out Rolling Stone’s recap of the 2021 festival here. “We are very excited to welcome music fans back to the campus of Wilkes Community College in the Spring,” says MerleFest’s new Festival Director, Wes Whitson. “Endless gratitude to all artists, staff, volunteers, vendors, and fans for their patience and support for the 2021 festival. Our team has put together another great lineup for 2022 and we’re looking forward to sharing 4 days of the very best in traditional+ music with fans.” MerleFest 2022 will be Greensky Bluegrass’s first time on the bill and Emmylou Harris’s 12th appearance—highlighting the importance MerleFest places on both discovery and community within its lineups.

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MerleFest Details COVID-19 Safety Protocol for the Upcoming 2021 Festival

August 19, 2021. Festival organizers for MerleFest have announced updated safety protocol for this year’s event which takes place Sept. 16-19 in Wilkesboro, NC. MerleFest prides itself on being a safe environment for music fans to experience the joy of collectively celebrating the very best in Americana, bluegrass, folk, and roots music in a family-friendly environment. In the interest of safety for all participants—and at the recommendation of high-ranking public health officials and performing artists—all attendees to this year’s event must provide either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of entering the event. the driving factor in MerleFest’s decision to require proof of vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours of attending. “Safety first,” said festival director, Ted Hagaman. “After many conversations with public health officials, it’s clear that the smartest and safest change we can make is to require vaccinations or proof of a negative test.”

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FaithFest Outdoor Music Festival Set for August 28 in Wilkesboro

August 10, 2021. Craig Church Ministries is proud to bring FaithFest to Wilkesboro for its fifth year on Saturday, August 28. FaithFest is a one-day worship experience like no other! Through life-changing testimonies, powerful worship, and times of prayer and experiencing God’s Word, FaithFest seeks to unite the community, save the lost, and spark a revival that will transform lives far beyond Wilkesboro. FaithFest is an outdoor, family-friendly festival that includes the FaithFest mall, food vendors, ministry vendors, children’s activities, artist merchandise and autograph tents, and air-conditioned restrooms. FaithFest 2021 will take place on the campus of Wilkes Community College on August 28 from 2:00 p.m.-10:30 p.m. (gates open at 12:00 p.m.).

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MerleFest Announces Full Lineup Including JOHNNYSWIM, The Milk Carton Kids and We Banjo 3

June 7, 2021 MerleFest, presented by Window World, is proud to announce the full lineup for MerleFest 2021, which will take place September 16-19. About JOHNNYSWIM: Much like families, bands go through it all together. As a unit, they face life’s ups, downs, highs, lows, trials, tribulations, tragedies, triumphs, and everything in between. They change, learn, and grow as one. However, Los Angeles band JOHNNYSWIM doesn’t just seem like a family; it is a family. At the core, husband-and-wife Abner Ramirez and Amanda Sudano translate the memories, moments, and milestones on their journey into spirited, slick, and soulful anthems steeped in singer-songwriter tradition, yet amplified by alternative experimentation, rock energy, and pop ambition. JOHNNYSWIM will perform on Friday evening. About The Milk Carton Kids: Listening to The Milk Carton Kids —Joey Ryan and Kenneth Pattengale—talk about their creative process, it’s easy to imagine them running in opposite directions even while yoked together. They dig at each other in interviews and on stage, where Ryan plays his own straight man, while Pattengale tunes his guitar.

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Wilkes County COVID-19 Positive Cases Surges to Over 240 Individuals; Tyson Foods Fresh Plant Closed for Deep Cleaning

May 11, 2020 The COVID-19 outbreak associated with the Tyson Chicken Foods plant in Wilkesboro has led to a total of 242 laboratory-confirmed cases of the COVID-19 coronavirus, according to data provided by the Wilkes County Health Department. Of those 242 cases, currently, nine of those are being hospitalized. While the exact total of positive tests from Tyson Foods Inc. employees has not been released, the company chose to close the Tyson Fresh Plant on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for deep cleaning and sanitizing. The Tyson Food Plant has remained open and working during this time. According to the Wilkes Journal-Patriot, the first round of employee testing at Tyson had 39 positive tests out of 200 total tests (19.5 percent). After that, the decision was made to test each Tyson employee. The Wilkesboro complex employs roughly 3,000 people, including 2,200 at the fresh plant and roughly 275 at the food service plant.  Nathan Ham

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Apples, Apples and More Apples: Brushy Mountain Apple Festival Happening this Saturday


October 3, 2019. The long-running Brushy Mountain Apple Festival in downtown North Wilkesboro is sure to bring a big crowd out on the street this Saturday for the 42nd straight year. The first Saturday in October always marks the special occasion each year. While the weather can be unpredictable this time of year, this weekend’s edition of the festival looks like a warm, clear day in the foothills. Events get underway on Friday evening with the “Apple Jam” music show that takes place at the corner of 10th and Main in downtown North Wilkesboro. Music starts at 6 p.m. and will continue until 9 p.m. Be sure to bring your favorite lawn chair and prepare to relax and enjoy some great music as the sun goes down. The main event fires up at 8 a.m. Saturday morning with what is considered one of the largest one-day arts and crafts festivals in the southern United States with an average of over 160,000 people coming to the festival. The event also sets up as a major fundraiser for a lot of social organizations, church groups and non-profit organizations.  By Nathan Ham

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Today’s Email Announcements

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

  • “Writing for Change” Workshop at Florence Thomas Art School, 2/24
  • Wilkes Community College Engages in a Comprehensive Strategic Planning Process

Compiled by Kate Herman

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Today’s Email Announcements

What’s going on in your community? Here’s a brief update on the emails we received today. Check back each day for an updated list of events going on in the area. As always, please feel free to email us about your event or update.

  • The Addams Family Performance, 10/20-10/22; 10/27-10/28
  • Amateur Radio License Test Session, 11/10
  • Western Youth Network Receives North Carolina Lock Your Meds Campaign:A Direct Response to The Current Opioid Epidemic

Compiled by Kate Herman

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Growing Number of Visitors from Saskatchewan Travel to NC for MerleFest

https://www.hcpress.com/?p=39556
April 15, 2016. In recent years, MerleFest, presented by Window World and slated for April 28-May 1, has drawn an increasingly international audience to the campus of Wilkes Community College. While the iconic festival’s mix of “Traditional Plus” programming has gained worldwide attention, an enormous increase in attendance from the rugged Canadian province of Saskatchewan has surprised some in Wilkesboro.

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MerleFest Adds John Oates to 2016 Lineup, Donna the Buffalo to Host Midnight Jam

https://www.hcpress.com/?p=39556
March 24, 2016. MerleFest, presented by Window World and slated for April 28-May 1, 2016, is pleased to announce that John Oates, a legend of American music, will be joining the official 2016 festival lineup as the final addition. With over 100 artists featured, MerleFest 2016 is living up to its reputation as the nation’s annual homecoming of music lovers! Also announced, Donna the Buffalo will host the much-anticipated Midnight Jam at the Walker Center, and the Jam will be sponsored by The Bluegrass Situation.

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