It’s that time of the year again for me over here at Gary Hayes Country, it’s time for me to compile all of my year end stuff and get a lot of things ready for the end of 2025. I have a huge list of honorable mentions for 2025 and some other articles coming this week….and hell it’s only half over! Sometimes I just so not get enough time to be at my keyboard as I used to, but I assure you that I DO keep up with ALL KINDS of new music and music news.
I began this website thirteen years ago and to be honest, a large portion of my past history has been influenced by music festivals. Ones like Muddy Roots and ROMP I have been attending for ten plus years now. I found a large list of the bands I listen to on a frequent basis by attending all of the many bands doing sets at these festivals.
I have to do a lot of research for all of these different festivals, and I have to know all of the information ready to be able to type up a nice article about all of these festivals. In today’s day and time, many of us cannot afford to attend more than one or two a year and many of us make it into a huge vacation ordeal. You can darn sure bet that the weekend of Labor Day, I will for sure be at Muddy Roots.
THIS IS AN ONGOING YEARLY ARTICLE:
I will be weekly updating this article with 2026 information of the top portion of the list. Those festivals have transpired for this year and already announced 2026 dates. In the beginning of 2026, what I will be doing is arranging them by dates of the year. If YOU see one, I missed PLEASE reach out to me and let me know and I will indeed add it.
Musicfest At Steamboat Springs January 5th – 10th 2026
30A Songwriters Festival January 19th – 22nd 2026
Mile 0 Fest January 27th – 31st 2026
Luck Reunion Festival March 12th, 2026
Heart Of Texas Music Festival March 13th – 22nd
Suwaunee Spring Reunion March 20th – 23rd
3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival October 3rd – 4th
South By Southwest March 12th – 18th 2026
Chilifest Music Festival April 3rd – 4rth 2026
Winter Wonder Grass February 27th – March 1st, 2026
Winter Wonder Grass Colorado April 23rd – 25th 2026
Baltimore Old Time Music Festival April 17th – 18th, 2026
Two Step Inn April 5th – 6th
Old Settlers Music Festival April 17th – 19th, 2026
Wiggy-Thump-Festival April 20th – 23rd
Larry Joe Taylor Music Festival April 21st – 26th
National Cornbread Festival April 25th – 26th, 2026
High Water Festival April 26th – 27th
Merlefest April 23rd – 26th, 2026
Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend April 9th – 12th, 2026
Big Barn Dance Texas March 27th – 29th 2026
Calf Fry May 1st – 3rd
Sun Sand And Soul May 1st – 3rd
Red Dirt Barbecue Fest May 10th
Lone Star Smoke out May 2nd – 4th
Rendezvous Music Festival April 4th – 5th
Big As Texas Music Festival May 9th – 11th
Lower Town Arts And Music May 8th – May 9th, 2026
Luck Reunion May 13th and 14th 2026
Motorcycles And Music Festival May 15th – 18th
Sleeping In the Woods May 16th – 18th
Tico Time Bluergass Festival May 15th – 17th 2026
Freshgrass Bentonville May 16th – 17th
Kerrville Folk Festival May 22nd – June 8th
Sleeping In The Woods Songwriter May 16th – 18th
Roosterwalk May 21st – 24th, 2026
DelFest May 21st – 24th, 2026
Strings On The Kings
Dark Star Jubilee May 23rd – 25th
Western Swing Out May 22nd – 25th, 2026
Texas Music Revolution June 5th – 6th, 2026
Railbird Music Festival May 30th – 31st, 2026
Pondstock At Lake Hedtke October 17th – 18th
Ogden Music Festival May 30th – June 2nd
Palisade Music Festival June 6th – 8th
Chinook Fest June 19th -24th 2026
Tailgate N Tallboys June 12th – 15th
Hog Farm Holiday June 20th – 22nd 2026
Sawtooth Valley Gathering June 19th – 22nd
Telluride Bluegrass Festival June 18th – 21st, 2026
Flatrock Bluegrass Jamboree June 22nd – 25th
Jackalope Jamboree June 26th – 28th
Cottonfest June 26th – 28th, 2026
Ten Mile Creek Revival June 27th – 29th
ROMP June 25th – 28th
Whiimydiddle September 5th – 6th 2025
Blue Ox Music Festival June 22nd – 24th
Red wing Roots Music Festival June 20th – 22nd 2026
Summer Solstice indie June 23rd- 25th
The Jenny Brooks Bluegrass Festival June 25th – 29th
Pickin’ On Picknic July 10th -19th
Winnipeg Folk Festival July 26th – 29th
Pickin’ On The Picnic July 10th – 13th
Ruckus In Tacoma Summer Smoke Out July 8th
4848 Music Festival July 17th – 19th
The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival July 16th – 20th
The Bill Monroe Memorial Bluegrass Festival July 12th – 15th
The Windy City Smokeout July 10th – 13th
Under The Big Sky Music Festival July 18th – 20th
Master Musicians Festival July 19th – 20th
Faster Horses Music Festival July 19th – 21st
The Summer Music Festival July 13th – 15th
RockyGrass July 25th – 27th
Nelsonville Music Festival July 20th – 27th
Headwaters Country Jam July 24th – 26th
Floydfest July 23rd – 27th
Red Ants Pants July 24th – 27th
Peacemaker Festival October 11th – 12th
Pickathon July 31st – August 3rd
Rock The Rind July 31st – Aug 2nd
Boots And Hearts August 7th – 10th
The Neon Nights August 8th – 9th
Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival August 8th – 10th
The Symco Hot Rod Weekender August 11th – 13t
Hinterland August 1st – 3rd
HollerGirl Music Festival August 1st – 3rd
Podunk Bluegrass Festival August 7th – 10th
Pickin’ In The Backwoods August 7th – 9th
Hoxeyville Music Festival August 18th – 20th
Fayetteville Roots Music Festival August 25th – 27th
Crowe Fest August 17th – 19th
Hot Rod Rock And Rumble March 21st – 22nd
Kaw River Roots August 21st – 23rd
Manchester Music Festival August 28th – 30th
Earl Scruggs Memorial Music Festival Sept 1st – 3rd
Cavemen Music Festival Aug 28th – 31st
Alley Fest Kentucky August 29th – 31st
Bristol Rhythm And Roots September 19th – 21st
Big Barn Dance March 27th – 29th
Park City Song Summit September 7th – 9th
Old Tone Music Festival September 4th – 7th
Festival Of The Horse September 6th – 8th
Unbroken Cicrle Music Festival September 4th – 6th
Walnut Valley September 17th – 21st
Bourbon And Beyond September 11th – 14th
Pickin’ In The Pines September 12th – ,14th
Americanafest September 9th – 13th
Baygrass Music Festival September 20th – 21st
Freshgrass North Adams September 19th – 21st
Beachlife Ranch May 2nd – 4th
Whispering Beard September 25th – 27th
Mempho Music Festival October 3rd – 5th
Field And Stream Music Festival October 2nd – 4th
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass October 2nd – 4th
Hillberry Harvest Moon Festival October 8th – 12th
Jackpine Jamboree August 28th – 31st
3 Sisters Bluegrass October 6th and 7th
River To Grow Music Festival October 3rd – 4th
ACL Festival October 3rd – 4th
River Stomp Bluegrass Festival
Austin String Band Festival October 14th – 16th
The Moonshiners Ball October 9th – 11th
Country Calling Music Festival October 3rd – 5th
The Redwood Ramble July 7th – 20th
Bluegrass Island October 16th – 18th
Cave Fest May 24th – 25th
Troubadour Festival November 7th – 8th
Moon Crush At Avett Moon November 7th – 9th
Appalachia On The Rocks IV November 28th
The Orange Blossom Revue December 1st – 3rd
Black Mountain Jamboree October 3rd and 4th
Bender Jamboree September 10th – 13th
Albino Skunk Music Festival October 1st – 4th
Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival September 20th – 21st
Iron Hills Country August 28th – 30th
Big Barn Dance New Mexico September 4th – 6th Boogie Down Festival September 11th – 13th
