MerleFest- North Carolina’s Premier Music Festival
Top Reasons To Not Miss This Year’s Festival
It’s almost the most wonderful time of the year! No, I’m not talking about Christmas, although that is pretty wonderful too. But, it’s almost April so I’m definitely referring to MerleFest, one of North Carolina’s biggest, best, and most unique music festivals taking place April 27th-April 30th. MerleFest is more than a music festival, it’s a tradition. And this year the tradition is celebrating its 35th year. What’s so great about MerleFest? Well, the short answer is everything, but let’s take a look at some of the things that make MerleFest a stand-out and a not to be missed event.
History
MerleFest is named after Merle Watson, the son of legendary guitarist and musical legend Doc Watson. Doc was a master of flatpicking and fingerstyle guitar and was a fixture in the North Carolina folk and bluegrass world. Watson won a total of 7 Grammy Awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. He is truly one of the legends and this year not only marks the 35th anniversary of MerleFest but also marks what would have been Doc Watson’s 100 Birthday. If you’ve never made it out to MerleFest, this is definitely the year to go.
Fundraiser
MerleFest was founded back in 1998 as a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College. Each year the festival takes place on the beautiful campus of the college and serves as the college’s largest fundraising event, providing full scholarships to a large number of students. It also provides one of the biggest economic impacts to the small town of Wilkesboro, to the tune of 12 million dollars. Not only, is MerleFest a great music festival, but you can feel good about the impact your hard-earned money is having on the college and the community.
Family Friendly
Yes, MerleFest is a family-friendly event which is a rarity when it comes to music festivals. There is absolutely no alcohol, smoking, vaping, or drug use permitted at the festival. But that’s not all, MerleFest offers a whole slew of kid-friendly activities and things to do. The Little Pickers Family Area offers stage performances geared towards kids as well as painting, bubbles, and a ton of other activities to keep the little ones happy. In fact, MerleFest has its own mascot, the raccoon named FlatTop who is happy to meet and greet all the families. The festival also gives youngsters and aspiring musicians a chance at performing at one of the Acoustic Kids Showcases. So, if the lack of a babysitter is holding you back, don’t let it. Grab the kids and go!
Budget-Friendly
We all know that music festivals and concerts can put a huge hit on your budget. MerleFest boasts amenities that truly help make it an affordable experience for everyone including free parking and free shuttle service to the front gates of the festival plus you can bring your own cooler which can definitely help budget your weekend. Please no glass containers or alcohol though as both are prohibited.
The Music
Well, it wouldn’t be a music festival without an amazing lineup of artists and MerleFest definitely provides top-notch entertainment across a variety of genres. Nowhere else will you see such a variety of talent. This year’s festival features The Avett Brothers, Brothers of a Feather with Chris and Rich Robinson of The Black Crowes, Maren Morris, Little Feat, Nickel Creek, Tanya Tucker, Marcus King, and so many more. With four days of music and multiple stages, there is something for everyone. Don’t miss Doc Watson’s 100th Birthday Jam on Saturday. It’s sure to be something special.
Shutter 16 Magazine had the opportunity to chat with Merlefest Director Wes Whitson to dig into a little more history of the festival as well as all the details of this year’s event. You can listen to our interview in full below.
