Hello my dear friends and music lovers of all forms. I write this with immense uncertainty for the upcoming live music situation next year. I personally never made any official withdraw announcement for the website, trust me I HAVE been watching and studying things. If YOUR favorite artist released a new album in 2020, chances are I have been equally enjoying it.
Now, as I prepare to wrap up my year and revel in my many accomplishments I made in 2020 on a personal level, I study all of the festivals that have already locked in new dates for 2021.
I have been making many phone calls and sending many emails to many groups of people all over America in order to do this. the extent of my studies put me on a whole different echelon here. There are so many avenues to explore and transfer to written form, to share with you, additionally I will include the links to the festivals so you can see the information yourself.
I had to step back from things directly before the pandemic even erupted nationally, to take care of a horrible dependency to pain pills. I have many health issues, and some of them require pain management, and I had to accept the fact I cannot manage the pills responsibly. I had to enroll in a rehabilitation program, and learn how to work the twelve steps of AA meetings.
I learned that there was no difference between an addiction full blown and a dependency, and that I was once again..an addict. Therefore, I realized I had a plethora of work to do on myself in order to retain my control of my personal life. I cannot do what I do on here without a clear head, AND NOW I have 9 months sober.
I moved my daughter down to Kentucky in April from Wisconsin, and I am currently reaching her the ways of independent music. She has never been exposed to the likes of Cody Jinks or Greensky Bluegrass. In my opinion, SHE IS the future of our precious music, and exposing her to the many bands that she has never heard on any radio makes me an elated father.
I had to put aside my written duties for several months, in order to help my daughter with her personal life and set her up to succeed in life. With a young adult, you have to set them up with finances and avenues of support. When you play Monopoly you start with money, right? Right. So with all of that being said…let’s move forward with my usual assault on the corporate mainstream crap that prostitutes your FM radio.
This is NOT a final list for 2021, in fact there are more than 150 festivals I have no information for as of yet. I’ll be actively adding new festivals and dates to this article all through the spring of next year, as we see about whether or not these can even transpire.
I HAVE BEEN watching, reading and keeping up with SO MANY new releases in 2020, and my crew has been working diligently with album reviews in my absence. We will ALL be releasing a TOP 50 of the year, so be looking for those to come around the week of Christmas.
I still have my annual birthday celebration, and this year it will be at the Spillway Bar And Grill on November 21st featuring Mr. Ward Davis. You can buy tickets for that right HERE.
This past weekend, I took my daughter to Alabama to see the grave of one of Country Music’s greatest superstars. Hank Williams is a hero to me, as well as many and I needed to visit him and become revitalized and recharged. I needed guidance and prayers in order to move forward and still become the force that I am for local music.
Known Dates For 2021 festivals :
30 A Festival – January 14 – 17th
Mardi Gras Texas – February 16th
Bluegrass 1st Class – February 19th – 21st
Outlaws And Legends – March-19-20th
Best Little Cowboy Gathering – March 12 – 20th
Suwanee Spring Weekend – March 18 – 21st
Heart Of Texas Music Festival – March 19 – 27th
Bluegrass Heritage Festival – April 23 – 25th
Mile 0 festival – April 27th – May 1st
Larry Joe Taylor Festival – April 19 – 24th
Winter Wondergrass – April 9 – 11th
James Wimmer Bristol Spring Bluegrass – April 9th – 10th
The Calf Fry – April 27-29th
Backwoods At Mullberry Mountain – April 29 – May 2nd
Red Dirt And Barbeque Festival – May 1st
DelFest – May 27 – 30th
Roots Under The Texas Sky – May 1st and 2nd
The Western Swing Out – May 28-31st
Rooster Walk – May 27 – 30th
Dr. Ralph Stanley Memorial – May 26 – 29th
Valley Bluegrass Festival – May 1 and 2nd
Moonrunners Music Festival – May 1 and 2nd
Texas Crab Festival – May 7 -9th
Bluegrass Island Festival – May 13 – 15th
Pickathon – June 25 – 27th
Palisade Bluegrass Festival – June 11 -13th
The Blue Ox – June 10 – 12th
Back 40 folk Festival – June 3 – 6th
Mountain Music Festival – June 3rd – 5th
Pondstock At Lake Hedke – June 10 – 12th
Pagosa Folk And Bluegrass – June 4th – 6th
Stringbean Memorial Bluegrass Festival – June 17 – 19th
ROMP – June 23 – 26th
So Cal Hoedown – June 26th
Camp Greensky – June 3 – 5th
Telluride Bluegrass Festival – June 17 – 20th
Tailgates And Tallboys – June 3 – 4th
Moccasin Creek Music festival – June 17th – 21st
Laurel Cove Music Festival – June 11th – 12th
Windy City Music Festival – July 9-11th
The Great Blue Heron – July 2 – 4th
Floyd Fest – July 21 – 25th
Winnipeg Folk Festival – July 8 – 11th
Northwest String Summit – July 22 – 25th
Red Ants Pants – July 21 – 25th
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival – July 16-19th
The Redwood Ramble – July 15-18th
Red Wing Roots Music Festival – July 9 – 11th
Under The Big Sky Festival – July 17 – 18th
Rockygrass Bluegrass Festival – July 22 – 25th
Master Musicians Festival – July 16-17th
Oyster Ridge Music Festival – July 23-25th
Podunk Bluegrass Festival – August 12-15th
Pickin’ In Parsons – August 3 – 7th
Braun Brothers Reunion – August 12 – 14th
Grand Targhee Bluegrass Festival – August 13 – 15th
Fayetteville Roots – August 26 – 29th
Hoxeyville Music Festival – August 13-15th
Symco Hotrod Weekender – August 13th and 14th
Railbird Music Festival – August 20-21st
Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival – August 13 – 16th
Moondance Festival – August 13-16th
Viva Las Vegas – September 9-12th
Merlefest – September 16 – 19th
Americanafest – september 21 – 26th
Doyle Lawson Bluegrass Festival – September 24- 26th
Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival – September 19 – 26th
Earl Scruggs Memorial Festival – September 3 – 4th
Redwood Ramble – September 27-29th
Chet Kingery Memorial Bluegrass – September 4th
Festival of The Horse – September – 10 – 12th
Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival – September 16 – 18th
Oldtone Roots Festival – September 12 – 14th
Bristol Rhythm And Roots – September 10 – 12th
Walnut Valley Bluegrass Festival – September 12-20th
New England Shake Up – September 24 – 26th
Freshgrass Bluegrass Festival – September 24-26th
Pickin’ In The Pines – September 17- 19th
Hoopla At Devil’s Backbone – September 25 – 27th
Vine Grove Bluegrass Festival – September 23 – 25th
Firewater music Festival – Sept 30th – October 2nd
Locki’n Music Festival – October 1-4th
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass – October 1- 3rd
Hangtown Music Festival – October 21 – 24th
ACL Fest – October 1 – 10th
Old Settler’s Music Festival – October 21st – 24th
Old Mill Music Festival – November 6 and 7th
