Photo Credit: Devin Ulery
The Scene
Thirty years ago, the legendary Doc Watson founded MerleFest to honor the memory of his son who died in a tragic accident. Now 80,000 fans gather every spring on the campus of Wilkes Community College for America's largest roots festival. Legends mix with newcomers to perform surprising collaborations of bluegrass, folk, and Americana.
2015 Artist Lineup
Donna the Buffalo
The Del McCoury Band
Trampled By Turtles
- Alberti Flea Circus
- Andy May
- Baillie and The Boys
- Bandit’s Roost
- Banknotes
- Bayou Diesel
- BearWallow
- Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn
- Bethel University Bluegrass Bands
- Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys
- Bill Mathis
- Bill Mize
- Blind Boy Paxton
- Blu-Bop
- Blue Highway
- Blue Ridge Heritage Cloggers
- Bob Hill
- Bobby Miller and The Virginia Dare Devils
- Brandon Whyde and The Devil’s Keep
- Bruce Robison and Kelly Willis
- Cahalen Morrison and Eli West
- Carol Rifkin and Friends
- Charles Welch
- Chatham County Line
- Del Barber
- Donna the Buffalo
- Doug MacLeod
- Earls of Leicester
- Emory Lester
- Farmer Jason
- Front Country
- Glenn Bannerman
- Happy Traum
- Hot Rize
- Jack Lawrence
- Jeff Little
- Jesse and Noah Bellamy
- Jim Avett
- Jim Lauderdale
- Joe Smothers
- Joe West and The Santa Fe Revue
- JohnnySwim
- Laura Boosinger
- Lee Ann Womack
- Lee Bidgood
- Locust Honey String Band
- Logan Brill
- Loose Strings Band
- Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road Band
- Mark Johnson
- Mipso
- Mitch Greenhill
- Moore Brothers Band
- Mountain Park Old Time Band
- Nashville Bluegrass Band
- New Country Rehab
- North Mississippi Allstars
- Paul Thorn
- Pete and Joan Wernick
- Peter Rowan
- Richard Watson
- Robert Earl Keen
- Roy Book Binder
- Sam Bush Band
- Scythian
- Sons Of The South Bluegrass Band
- Steve and Ruth Smith
- Sutton, Holt and Coleman
- Ted White
- The Avett Brothers
- The Black Cadillacs
- The Black Lillies
- The David Mayfield Parade
- The Del McCoury Band
- The Gibson Brothers
- The Grassifieds
- The Gravy Boys
- The Honey Dewdrops
- The Honeycutters
- The InterACTive Theater of Jef
- The Jason Lee McKinney Band
- The Kruger Brothers
- The Larry Stephenson Band
- The Local Boys
- The Marshall Tucker Band
- The Ragbirds
- The Sheets Family Band
- The Spinney Brothers
- The Stray Birds
- The Two Man Gentlemen Band
- The Waybacks
- Time Sawyer
- ToneBlazers
- Tony Williamson
- Trampled By Turtles
- Tut Taylor
- Underhill Rose
- Unspoken Tradition
- Veronika Jackson
- Wayne Henderson
- Whitewater Ramble
- William Ritter and Sarah Ogletree