The free bluegrass festival will bring thousands to downtown Raleigh. Here’s the lineup.
The Wide Open Bluegrass street-festival lineup is out — the last major piece of this month’s World of Bluegrass festivities.
The schedule consists of more than 100 acts on seven stages across downtown Raleigh, playing free shows Sept. 28 and 29.
The free festival highlights include Wilkesboro’s classically influenced Kruger Brothers, featuring 2013 Steve Martin Banjo Prize winner Jens Kruger; the Cherryville duo of Darin & Brooke Aldridge; UNC-Chapel Hill’s Carolina Bluegrass student band; and Momentum Award nominees Cane Mill Road, a young group from Deep Gap that will be working hard that weekend with performances on four separate stages.
The complete schedule is below. No need to worry about tickets, as this part of the program is all free. The only issue will be parking.
Wide Open Bluegrass, which also includes ticketed shows at Red Hat Amphitheater, will be the finale of World of Bluegrass.
Bluegrass week is Sept. 25-29 and includes the IBMA business conference, Jamie Daily’s keynote speech, the “Bluegrass Ramble” nightclub shows and the IBMA Awards, hosted by Hot Rize.
This is the sixth year that World of Bluegrass has been in Raleigh, during which time it has drawn record crowds. Last year’s edition drew an estimated total of more than 221,000 people.
Earlier this year came the announcement that IBMA has extended its contract with the city of Raleigh to keep the festival here through 2021.
Plaza Stage
Friday, Sept. 28
Noon-12:45 p.m. — Cane Mill Road
1:15-2 p.m. — Fireside Collective
2:30-3:15 p.m. — Jeff Scroggins & Colorado
3:45-4:30 p.m. — Mile Twelve
5-5:45 p.m. — Joe Mullins & Radio Ramblers
6:15-7:15 p.m. — Sister Sadie
7:45-9 p.m. — Special Consensus
9:30-11 p.m. — Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Plaza Stage
Saturday, Sept. 29
Noon-12:45 p.m. — Danny Paisley & Southern Grass
1:15-2 p.m. — Davidson Brothers
2:30-3:15 p.m. — Kids on Bluegrass
3:45-4:30 p.m. — Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive
5-5:45 p.m. — Kenny & Amanda Smith
6:15-7:15 p.m. — Darin & Brooke Aldridge
7:45-9 p.m. — Lonely Heartstring Band
9:30-11 p.m. — Alison Brown Band
Davie Street Stage
Friday, Sept. 28
12:15-1 p.m. — Piney Woods Boys
1:30-2:15 p.m. — Kinney Rorrer & the New North Carolina Ramblers
2:45-3:30 p.m. — Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road
4-4:45 p.m. — Hank, Pattie & the Current
5:15-6 p.m. — Riley Baugus
5:30-7:30 p.m. — ShadowGrass
8-9:15 p.m. — Tony Williamson & Friends
9:45-11 p.m. — Kruger Brothers
Davie Street Stage
Saturday, Sept. 29
12:15-1 p.m. — Zoe & Cloyd
1:30-2:15 p.m. — Burnett Sisters
2:45-3:30 p.m. — Dewey & Leslie Brown and the Carolina Gentlemen
4-4:45 p.m. — Mark Kuykendall, Bobby Hicks & Asheville Bluegrass
5:15-6 p.m. — Jeff Little Trio
6:30-7:30 p.m. — Strictly Clean and Decent
8-9:15 p.m. — Carolina Blue Band
9:45-11 p.m. — Harris Brothers
Hargett Street Stage
Friday, Sept. 28
12:30-1:15 p.m. — Kristy Cox
1:45-2:30 p.m. — Bill and the Belles
3-3:45 p.m. — Ben Hunter & Joe Seamons
4 :15-5 p.m. — FY5
5:30-6:15 p.m. — Jim Lauderdale
6:45-7:45 p.m. — Donna Ulisse
8:15-9:15 p.m. — Chris Jones & Night Drivers
9:45-11 p.m. — Town Mountain
Hargett Street Stage
Saturday, Sept. 29
12:30-1:15 p.m. — Carolina PineCones
1:45-2:30 p.m. — Diamond Creek
3-3:45 p.m. — Loose Strings Band
4:15-5 p.m. — Tommy Edwards & Bluegrass Experience
5:30-6:15 p.m. — ClayBank
6:45-7:45 p.m. — Sideline
8:15-9:15 p.m. — Wood & Wire
9:45-11 p.m. — Alan Bibey & Grasstowne
Capitol Stage
Friday, Sept. 28
12:15-1 p.m. — Amanda Cook
1:30-2:15 p.m. — Johnny & Jeanette Williams
2:45-3:30 p.m. — Compton & Newberry
4-4:45 p.m. — Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius
5:15-6 p.m. — Nick Forster
6:30-7:30 p.m. — Amythyst Kiah
8-9:15 p.m. — Lonesome River Band
9:45-11 p.m. — Balsam Range
Capitol Stage
Saturday, Sept. 29
12:15-1 p.m. — McLain Family Band (50th anniversary)
1:30-2:15 p.m. — Nu-Blu
2:45-3:30 p.m. — David Davis & Warrior River Boys
4-4:45 p.m. — Tatiana Hargreaves with Hoot and Holler
5:15-6 p.m. — Nefesh Mountain
6:30-7:30 p.m. — Hubby Jenkins
8-9:15 p.m. — Front Country
9:45-11 p.m. — Unspoken Tradition
Dance Tent
Friday, Sept. 28
Noon-1:30 p.m. — Square dance with Rodney Sutton (calling) and Hoot and Holler
2-2:45 p.m. — Dwight Hawkins & Piedmont Highballers
3:15-4:30 p.m. — Contra dance with Beth Molaro (calling) and Steamshovel
5-5:45 p.m. — Clogging workshop with Rodney Sutton (calling) and Hoot and Holler
6:15-7 p.m. — Clogging performance with Apple Chill Cloggers, Patrick Walsh & Friends
7:30-9 p.m. — Open dance with Che Apalache
9:30-11 p.m. — Open dance with Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
Dance Tent
Saturday, Sept. 29
Noon-2 p.m. — Family square dance with Ruth Pershing (calling) and Hogs & Dawgs
2:30-3:45 p.m. — Clogging performance/workshop with Green Grass Cloggers, Little Stony Nighthawks
4:15-5:45 p.m. — Contra dance with Beth Molaro (calling) and Steamshovel
6:15-7 p.m. — Clogging performance with Cane Creek Cloggers, Deep Valley Drifters
7:30-9 p.m. — Contra dance with Jack Mitchell (calling) and Rip the Calico
9:30-11 p.m. — Open dance with Love Canon
Youth Stage (Raleigh Convention Center plaza)
Friday, Sept. 28
Noon-12:45 p.m. — Baker Family
1-1:45 p.m. — Southern Strings
2-3:45 p.m. — Kids on Bluegrass
4-4:45 p.m. — Arcadian Wild
5-5:45 p.m. — Blue Js
6-6:45 p.m. — Salt and Light
7-7:35 p.m. — University of Louisiana at Lafayette “Vermilion Express”
7:45-8:15 p.m. — EKU Bluegrass Ensemble
8:25-9 p.m. — Clemson Bluegrass Ensemble
9:10-9:45 p.m. — Morehead State University
9:55-10:30 p.m. — Glenville State College
Youth Stage (Raleigh Convention Center plaza)
Saturday, Sept. 29
Noon-12:45 p.m. — That Dalton Gang
1-1:45 p.m. — Crying Uncle
2-2:45 p.m. — Cane Mill Road
3-3:45 p.m. — Dixie Jubilee
4-4:45 p.m. — ShadowGrass
5-5:35 p.m. — Carolina Bluegrass (UNC-Chapel Hill)
5:45-6:20 p.m. — Pellissippi State Community College
6:30-7:05 p.m. — Colorado College
7:15-7:45 p.m. — Warren Wilson College Bluegrass Band
7:55-8:25 p.m. — Walters State Community College, High Lonesome Senate
8:35-9:10 p.m. — East Tennessee State University Bluegrass Pride Band
9:20-9:55 p.m. — Kentucky School of Bluegrass & Traditional Music
J.A.M. (Junior Appalachian Musicians Stage) on Martin Street
Friday, Sept. 28
Noon-12:45 p.m. — Eliza Meyer
1-1:45 p.m. — Blackberry Jam
2-2:45 p.m. — Sweet Potato Pie Kids
3-3:45 p.m. — Henderson JAM Kids
4-4:45 p.m. — ShadowGrass
5-5:45 p.m. — Ella & Mary
6-6:45 p.m. — Burnett Sisters
7-7:45 p.m. — Cane Mill Road
Youth Stage (Raleigh Convention Center plaza)
Saturday, Sept. 29
11-11:45 a.m. — Ashe JAM Band
Noon-12:45 p.m. — One Fret Over
1-1:45 p.m. — Junior Appalachian Musicians Band
2-2:45 p.m. — Possum on a Whale
3-3:45 p.m. — Karlie Keepfer & Smokey Holler
4-4:45 p.m. — Carl Johnson & JAM Allstars featuring Jonah Graves
5-5:45 p.m. — Carolina PineCones
6-6:45 p.m. — Cane Mill Road
7-7:45 p.m. — ShadowGrass
This story was originally published September 6, 2018 at 10:15 AM.