Carrboro Songwriters Festival Oct. 16-18

Carrboro Songwriters Festival brings together outstanding songwriters from across the Southeast and beyond for a weekend devoted to the thing that matters most: the song. The festival takes place from October 16 to 18, 2026.

Across three days and multiple Carrboro venues, you’ll hear Nashville-style songwriter rounds, intimate performances, unexpected collaborations, and a few provocative panels discussions exploring the world behind the music — how songs get written, how artists get heard, what makes a great performance, and where the industry is headed.

All the events are free to attend. Sets are each 45 minutes long and take place:

• Friday, October 16: 4 to 8 p.m.
• Saturday, October 17: 12 to 8 p.m.
• Sunday, October 18: 1 to 8 p.m.

Venues

• Speakeasy Theatre, 100 E Main St, Carrboro, NC
• Lanza’s Cafe, 601 W Main St, Suite C, Carrboro, NC
• Steel String Brewery, 106A S Greensboro St, Carrboro, NC

Schedule

Friday, October 16

Speakeasy:

• 4:00 The King Teen
• 5:00 Maria Quiles
• 6:00 Rick Jerram
• 7:00 Max Greene / MistFire

Lanza’s:

• 4:00 Chris Myers
• 5:00 Matthew Crowe
• 6:00 Chet Nichols
• 7:00 William Woltz

Steel String:

• 4:00 Eli Hound
• 5:00–7:00 panel, “More Than a Muse”
• 7:00 The DustUps

Saturday, October 17

Speakeasy:

• 12:00 Matthew Amy
• 1:00 Josette Seraphine
• 2:00–3:30 Tall Tales & Cheap Ales (songwriter panel, moderated by Bridget Dean)
• 3:30 Rich Scher
• 4:30 Brandon Reid Allen
• 5:30 Michael Brennan (mjosephb)
• 6:30 Franklin Pierce

Lanza’s:

• 2:00 Joe Pye
• 3:00 Peter Anlyan
• 4:00 Peter Laiosa
• 5:00 Clayton Sabine

Steel String:

• 4:00 JT Cobb
• 5:00 Alan Oatley
• 7:00 Joe Woodson

Sunday, October 18

Speakeasy:

• 1:00 Vito Dito
• 2:00 Al Sylverfish
• 3:00 Eric Sommer

Lanza’s:

• 2:00 Matthew Chambers
• 3:00–5:00 Song Circle
• 5:00 Bradford Boone

Steel String:

• 12:00 edsafaris
• 4:00 Kat Farley (trio)
• 5:00 Doriana Spurrell
• 6:00 Janna Badalian
• 7:00 Kate Bopp