Wide Open Bluegrass: the IBMA festival
The International Bluegrass Music Association invites you to their annual festival, Wide Open Bluegrass, which is held in Raleigh NC on September 27-28. Entrance to the main stage (the Red Hat Amphitheater) and other downtown stages is free.
Performers include Sam Bush as special guest of the Del McCoury Band; the debut of bluegrass supergroup The Ringers featuring Jerry Douglas, Ronnie McCoury, Todd Phillips, Christian Sedelmyer, and Dan Tyminski; and a special performance ”You Gave Me a Song”: Celebrating the Music of Hazel Dickens & Alice Gerrard, featuring Alice Gerrard, Laurie Lewis, Allison de Groot & Tatiana Hargreaves, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Justin Hiltner, Jon Weisberger, and Eliza Meyer. They join previously announced I’m With Her (Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, & Aoife O’Donovan,) Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Balsam Range, Sister Sadie, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, and Molly Tuttle for Main Stage performances at Red Hat Amphitheater for this year’s festival. Performances at Red Hat Amphitheater will begin at 5 p.m. each evening and will feature premier bluegrass acts for six hours. These same two days, the Exhibit Hall will be open to the public, with over 130 vendors, and there will be lots of spontaneous music being played in the hall.
On September 24-26, tickets are available for the Bluegrass Ramble Showcase Series in selected venues in Raleigh. There are over 30 Showcase artists and 100 sponsored musicians highlighting new and upcoming talent. For more information, visit their website. And finally, if you’re interested in attending the IBMA Awards Show, it takes place the night of September 26, and tickets are available.
