MerleFest Adds More Talent to Stacked 30th Anniversary Lineup

In 2017, MerleFest is celebrating 30 years of bringing top-notch, world-class traditional country, bluegrass, roots, string, rock, and Americana music to audiences that flock from all over North America and the World to experience one of roots music’s premier events.

MerleFest has just added Leftover Salmon, Tift Merritt, Jorma Kaukonen, Donna the Buffalo, and John Driskell Hopkins Band to their already stacked lineup, bringing the total number of announced performers to over 90, with more names coming.

“Throughout the years, one of the major factors that has built and sustained MerleFest is the quality of the artists and performances our guests see over the four days of the festival,” says festival director Ted Hagaman. “People truly feel the festival is a great value. That’s probably best expressed by the fact that so many music fans and families return year after year, making MerleFest an annual homecoming every spring. We’re tremendously proud of what we’ve collectively built over the past 30 years and look forward to celebrating this milestone.”

Though some mistakenly think MerleFest is named for Merle Haggard, it’s actually named in memory of guitarist Eddy Merle Watson, who was the son of Doc Watson. Founded in 1988, the fests continues to grow, and now boasts 13 stages hosting music over the four day event. Though traditional country and roots is what MerleFest was founded on, it has expanded over the years to also incorporate Americana, blues, and roots rock.

Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 1-800-343-7857.

2016 MerleFest Lineup

• Alberti Flea Circus • Todd Albright • Darin & Brooke Aldridge • The Avett Brothers • Jim Avett • Banknotes • The BattleAxe Band • Bethel University Renaissance Bluegrass Band • Roy Book Binder • The Bluegrass Experience • Laura Boosinger & The Midnight Plowboys • Mark “Brink” Brinkman • Zac Brown Band • Andy Buckner • Mark Bumgarner • Sam Bush Band • Chatham County Line • T. Michael Coleman • The Contenders • Counterclockwise String Band • Dear Brother • Donna the Buffalo • Pat Donohue • Jerry Douglas • John Doyle • Eric Ellis • Flando Calrissian • Scott Freeman •

Front Country • The Gravy Boys • The Green Grass Cloggers and Strictly Strings • Mitch Greenhill • Virgil Harden & the Appalachian Countdown • Nate Harris and Spice Creek Ramblers • Wayne Henderson • Bob Hill • David Holt • The Hook & Bullet • John Driskell Hopkins Band • Sierra Hull • I Draw Slow • The InterACTive Theatre of Jef • Steve James • Sarah Jarosz • Chris Jones & The Night Drivers • Jorma Kaukonen • The Kruger Brothers • Jim Lauderdale • Jack Lawrence • Leftover Salmon • Jeff Little Trio • The Local Boys • Locust Honey String Band • Lydia Luce • Claire Lynch • Natalie Macmaster & Donnell Leahy •

Mandolin Orange • Bill Mathis • Andy May • Del McCoury Band • Pat McInerney • Tift Merritt • Mipso • Mountain Heart • Megan Nash • Carol Rifkin and Jeanette Queen • Roanoke • Peter Rowan • Scythian • ShadowGrass • Steve and Ruth Smith • Joe Smothers • Ed Snodderly • The Steel Wheels • Steep Canyon Rangers • The Stray Birds • String Madness with Mitch Greenhill • Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives • Surry Line • Bryan Sutton Band • Swift Creek • 10 String Symphony • Ken Tizzard • The Trailblazers • Happy Traum • Uncle Joe and the Shady Rest • The Waybacks • The WBT Briarhoppers • Charles Welch • Pete & Joan Wernick • Uncle Ted White • Tony Williamson