MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, serves as an annual homecoming for musicians and music fans. Held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the late Eddy Merle Watson, son of American music legend Doc Watson. MerleFest is a celebration of ‘traditional plus’ music, a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock and many other styles. The festival hosts numerous artists, performing on 13 stages during the course of the four-day event. The annual event has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs. MerleFest 2025 runs from Thursday, April 24- Sunday, April 27.
Headliners:
The Avett Brothers
Bonnie Raitt
The Dead South
Watchhouse
Plus: Wyatt Flores, I’m With Her, Leftover Salmon, The War and Treaty, The Steel Drivers, Sam Bush, Asleep at the Wheel,
And many more! See the full lineup here:
https://merlefest.org/lineup/
Visit the Down The Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails Podcast Library to hear more about MerleFest and explore many bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina.
