Wide Open Bluegrass is a two-day festival that takes over downtown Raleigh with 8 stages of music.
New this year: the Main Stage at Red Hat Amphitheater, which used to feature ticketed performances, is now also free.
Wide Open Bluegrass takes place September 27th and 28th, 2019.
The festival also features a dance tent, workshops, an exhibition hall in the Raleigh Convention Center with instruments and gear, food vendors, a juried art market area and more.
Although the Main Stage performances are free, Red Hat Amphitheater is subject to venue capacity, so there are a limited number of reserved seats for sale at the Main Stage.
- General admission (sections 4-7, lawn): free
- Reserved: (section 1, rows R-JJ of section 2, and section 3): $50-$60
- Premium Reserved: (Rows A-Q of section 2): $60-$70
Stages:
- Main Stage at Red Hat Amphitheater
- Capitol Stage
- Hargett St. Stage
- Martin St. Stage
- Davie St. Stage
- City Plaza Stage
- J.A.M. Stage
- Dance Tent
Here’s the schedule for the all the stages, but check on the festival’s website (link above) for any changes, as well as even more going on a the festival.
Main Stage
Friday, September 27
- 5:00 Sister Sadie
- 6:05 Balsam Range
- 7:15 Molly Tuttle
- 8:25 I’m With Her – Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarsoz, Aoife O’Donovan
- 9:45 The Ringers featuring Jerry Douglas, Ronnie McCoury, Todd Phillips, Christian Sedelmyer, and Dan Tyminski
Saturday, September 28
- 5:00 “You Gave Me a Song”: Celebrating the Music of Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard 6:10 Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
- 7:15 Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
- 8:30 Del McCoury Band, with Sam Bush, and Special Guests (more to be announced)
City Plaza Stage
Friday, September 27
- 12:00-12:45 The Price Sisters
- 1:15-2:00 David Davis & The Warrior River Boys
- 2:30-3:15 Bowman, Bowman & Dre
- 3:45-4:30 Sierra Hull & Justin Moses
- 5:00-5:45 Fireside Collective
- 6:15-7:15 The Gibson Brothers
- 7:45-9:00 The Grascals
- 9:30-11:00 Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen
Saturday, September 28
- 12:00-12:45 Amanda Cook Band
- 1:15-2:00 Nefesh Mountain
- 2:30-3:15 Kids on Bluegrass
- 3:45-4:30 Missy Raines Band
- 5:00-5:45 Red Wine
- 6:15-7:15 Darin & Brooke Aldridge
- 7:45-9:00 Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley
- 9:30-11:00 Volume Five
Davie Street Stage
Friday, September 27
- 12:15-1:00 Nixon, Blevins & Gage
- 1:30-2:15 Brandon Lee Adams
- 2:45-3:30 Larry Stephenson Band
- 4:00-4:45 ClayBank
- 5:15-6:00 The Trailblazers
- 6:30-7:30 Kenny & Amanda Smith
- 8:00-9:15 Carolina Blue
- 9:45-11:00 Unspoken Tradition
Saturday, September 28
- 12:15-1:00 Cane Mill Road
- 1:30-2:15 Tommy Edwards & The Bluegrass Experience
- 2:45-3:30 Diamond Creek
- 4:00-4:45 Kristy Cox
- 5:15 – 6:00 Lorraine Jordan & Carolina Road
- 6:30 – 7:30 Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive
- 8:00-9:15 Danny Paisley & Southern Grass
- 9:45-11:00 Sideline
Hargett Street Stage
Friday, September 27
- 12:30-1:15 Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike
- 1:45-2:30 Chatham Rabbits
- 3:00-3:45 Dave Adkins Band
- 4:15-5:00 Irene Kelley
- 5:30-6:15 Hubby Jenkins
- 6:45-7:45 Hank Pattie & The Current
- 8:15-9:15 The Burnett Sisters Band
- 9:45-11:00 Alan Bibey & Grasstowne
Saturday, September 28
- 12:30-1:15 Zoe & Cloyd
- 1:45-2:30 Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band
- 3:00-3:45 Hoot and Holler
- 4:15-5:00 Tony Williamson & Friends
- 5:30-6:15 Bill & the Belles
- 6:45-7:45 ShadowGrass
- 8:15-9:15 Chris Jones & the Night Drivers
- 9:55-11:00 Violet Bell
Capitol Stage
Friday, September 27
- 12:15-1:00 Tellico
- 1:30-2:15 Steve Gulley & New Pinnacle
- 2:45-3:30 Blue Canyon Boys
- 4:00-4:45 Appalachian Road Show
- 5:15-6:00 Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves
- 6:30-7:30 Darin & Brooke Aldridge
- 8:00-9:15 Kate Lee & Forrest O’Connor
- 9:45-11:00 The Steel Wheels
Saturday, September 28
- 12:15-1:00 Circus No. 9
- 1:30-2:15 Henhouse Prowlers
- 2:45-3:30 The Gingersnaps
- 4:00-4:45 The Lonesome Days
- 5:15-6:00 Rapidgrass
- 6:30-7:30 Trout Steak Revival
- 8:00-9:15 Songs From the Road Band
- 9:45-11:00 Joe Newberry with Tommy Edwards
Dance Tent
Friday, September 27: Shout & Shine Dance Tent Takeover
- 12:00-12:45 Open Dance with Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band
- 1:15 -2:15 Nic Gareiss & Allison de Groot
- 2:45-3:30 Open Dance with Hubby Jenkins
- 4:00-4:45 Open Dance with Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer & the Grassabilly Rockets, including Jon Weisberger
& George Jackson - 5:15-6:15 Cane Mill Road & Williette Hinton
- 6:45-7:30 Open Dance with Lakota John Trio
- 8:00-9:00 Laurie Lewis & the Right Hands – Tribute to Eileen Carson Schatz
- 9:30-11:00 Inclusive Square Dance with caller Boo Radley; Music: Jake Blount & Friends
Saturday, September 28
- 12:00-2:00 Family Square Dance with caller Boo Radley; Music: Jake Blount & Friends
- 2:30-3:45 Clogging (performance and workshop) with Green Grass Cloggers, Music: Willow Dillon & Friends
- 4:15-5:45 Contra Dance with caller Eileen Thorsos; Music: Swang!
- 6:15-7:00 Clogging with Apple Chill Cloggers; Music: Patrick Walsh & Friends
- 7:30-9:00 Open Dance with Charm City Junction
- 9:30-11:00 Square Dance with caller Nancy Mamlin; Music: The Smoky Mountaineers
IBMA Youth Stage (RCC Plaza)
Friday, September 27
- 12:00-12:45 Cane Mill Road
- 1:00-1:40 Michelle Canning Band
- 2:00 3:45 Kids on Bluegrass
- 3:55-4:40 BJUGrass
- 4:50-5:35 Jubile
- 5:45-6:30 Burnett Sisters Band
- 7:00-7:30 Mountain Music Ambassadors – Morehead State University
- 7:40-8:10 High Lonesome Senate – Walters State Community College
- 8:20-8:50 Tigertown Roots – Clemson University
- 9:00-9:30 ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band – East Tennessee State University
- 9:40-10:10 Warren Wilson College Bluegrass Band – Warren Wilson
College - 10:20-10:50 Colorado College Bluegrass Band – Colorado College
Saturday, September 28
- 12:00-12:45 Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band
- 12:55-1:40 Mountain Highway
- 1:50- 2:35 Shiloh Creek Girls
- 2:45-3:30 The Family Sowell
- 3:40-4:35 ShadowGrass
- 6:00-6:30 Glenville State College Bluegrass Band – Glenville State
College - 6:40-7:10 Carolina Bluegrass Band – University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill - 7:20-7:50 Pellissippi State Bluegrass Band – Pellissippi State
Community College - 8:00-8:30 The Ruta Beggars – Berklee College of Music
- 8:40-9:10 Eastern Kentucky University Bluegrass Band – Eastern
Kentucky University - 9:20-9:50 Denison University Bluegrass Band – Denison University
- 10:00-10:30 BJUgrass – Bob Jones University
J.A.M. Stage @ Martin Street
Friday, September 27
- 11:00 – 11:45 Pickin’ Thistles
- 12:00 – 12:45 Jonah Graves
- 1:00 – 1:45 One Fret Over
- 2:00 – 2:45 Liam Purcell & Mallory Blackwood
- 3:00 – 3:45 Eliza Meyer
- 4:00 – 4:45 Gate Ten
- 5:00 – 5:45 Ella & Mary
- 6:00 – 6:45 ShadowGrass
- 7:00 – 7:45 Cane Mill Road
Saturday, September 28
- 11:00 – 11:45 Cheyenne & Wyatt Grantham
- 12:00 – 12:45 Carson Moore
- 1:00 – 1:45 Unbranded
- 2:00 – 2:45 Blackberry Jam
- 3:00 – 3:45 Fiddlin’ Red and the Bluegrass Harvesters
- 4:00 – 4:45 Wyld Fern
- 5:00 – 5:45 New River JAM Band
- 6:00 – 6:45 Ella & Mary
- 7:00 – 7:45 Cane Mill Road
Masters Workshop Stage (Raleigh Convention Center)
Friday, September 27
- 12:00 Songwriting Workshop with Donna Hughes & Brink Brinkman
- 1:00 Banjo – Jason Davis, Kristin Scott Benson, Joe Dean,
Matthew Davis - 2:00 Fiddle – Jim Van Cleve, Laura Orshaw, Stephen Burwell
- 3:00 Mandolin – Alan Bibey, Zack Arnold, Danny Roberts, Jesse Brock
- 4:00 Bass – Zak McLamb, Edgar Loudermilk, Beth Lawrence
- 5:00 Bluegrass Karaoke with Alan Bibey & Grasstowne – Want to sing a song with Grasstowne as your backup band? Sign up, pick a song, name the key, and be ready!
Saturday, September 28
- 12:00 Performing as a family band – The Family Sowell
- 1:00 Guitar – Jacob Greer, Jeff Autry, John Lowell, Kenny Smith
- 2:00 Clawhammer Banjo – Joe Newberry, Liam Purcell,
Laura Boosinger - 3:00 Vocal Workshop – Johnny and Jeanette Williams
- 4:00 Love Canon – Transforming Music: One Genre to Another
Wide Open Workshops (Raleigh Convention Center)
Friday, September 27
- 10:00 – 12:00 Bluegrass Jam Class – Bring Your Instrument. With Pete Wernick, Gilbert Nelson & Leigh Nelson (takes place in Main Lobby)
- 10:30 – 11:30 Bluegrass College Info Session – Fred Bartenstein
(takes place in Room 304) - 11:00 – 12:30 The Life of a Professional Songwriter: A Career Path. David Morris, Donna Ulisse, Jerry Salley, Irene Kelley (takes place in Room 306A)
- 12:30 – 1:45 A Bluegrass Ambassadors Workshop – Kyrgyzstan. Jon Goldfine, Chris Dollar, Kyle O’Brien, with artists Henhouse Prowlers (takes place in Main Lobby)
- 2:00 – 3:30 Vintage Instrument Tasting. Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive, Tom Gray, Will Jones, Tony Williamson (takes place in Main Lobby)
- 2:00 – 3:30 Evolution of Bourbon – Jason Bradley (takes place in Room 305AB)
Saturday, September 28
- 10:00 – 12:00 Bluegrass Jam Class – Bring Your Instrument. With Pete Wernick, Gilbert Nelson & Leigh Nelson. (takes place in Main Lobby)
- 11:00 – 12:30 “Stealing Fire” from 1st Generation Songwriters. Mark Simos, Laurie Lewis, Joe Newberry (takes place in Room 306A)
12:30 – 1:45 Dynamics of Banjo Sound – Tom Nechville, Gilbert Nelson (takes place in Main Lobby) - 2:00 – 3:30 Fiddle & Banjo: The Roots and Branches of American Music. Tom Nechville, Gilbert Nelson (takes place in Main Lobby)
- 2:00 – 3:30 Evolution of Bourbon – Jason Bradley (takes place in Room 305AB)
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