Guitar Festivals
Festival season is approaching and for guitar-lovers there are a few stand-out events that you may want to get on your calendar. Of course, there are so many more beyond these!
April 28,29, 30 and May 1: MerleFest
MerleFest was founded in 1988 in Memory of Eddy Merle Watson as a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College and to celebrate “traditional plus” music. MerleFest, which began in 1988, is about the Music, Moments, and Memories.
The Music of MerleFest is “traditional-plus” and Doc Watson himself describes it best: “When Merle and I started out we called our music ‘traditional-plus,’ meaning the traditional music of the Appalachian region plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play. Since the beginning, the people of the college and I have agreed that the music of MerleFest is ‘traditional-plus’.”
May 12 – 15: Lake Eden Arts Festival
The Lake Eden Arts Festival is a May and October tradition in Black Mountain, NC that goes back 16 years and features a diverse mix of music that includes Americana, traditional, roots and world music.
June 9 – 12th: Bonnaroo
The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is a four-day, multi-stage camping festival held on a beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee every June. Bonnaroo brings together some of the best performers in rock and roll, along with dozens of artists in complementary styles such as jazz, Americana, hip-hop, electronica, and just about any contemporary music you can think of.
June 18th: Wayne C Henderson Music Festival & Guitar Competition
Registration will open in April for guitarists who want to perform at the seventeenth annual Wayne C. Henderson Music Festival and Guitar Competition at Grayson Highlands State Park. The finalist will win a handmade Henderson guitar.
Applications should be postmarked no earlier than April 1 and received by May 1.
The family-friendly festival will be Saturday, June 18, rain or shine, at Grayson Highlands State Park in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia. Performing will be the Boxcars, George Hamilton IV, the April Verch Band, the Harris Brothers, Bobby Ingano and Wayne Henderson and Friends.
June 26th: Crossroads Guitar Festival / Eric Clapton
Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2011 is a day-long musical celebration featuring legendary guitarists and artistic collaborations by Eric and his friends