by Jedd Ferris

At the end of April, 80,000 people will flock to the North Carolina High Country foothills town of North Wilkesboro for MerleFest. The annual festival commemorates the life of guitarist Merle Watson, the son of bluegrass legend Doc Watson who was killed in a tractor accident in 1985.

Three years later the now famous gala was born with 4,000 people congregating in front of two flatbed trucks at the consistent site of N. Wilkesboro Community College. Nearly 20 years later the festival has grown to four full days and over 100 artists of some of the best Americana roots music through the generation gap from young folkies to old bluegrass stalwarts.

It also highlights the present state of Appalachia-a unified summit of the modern mountain, where the old school RV rambling pinto beans and cornbread crowd harmoniously cohabitate with the crunchy dudes in overpriced outdoor garb and hippie chicks in free-flowing skirts. Usually festivals evolve into an environment that caters to one or the other, but at MerleFest both crowds interact and no one stands out like an outcast. Booze is prohibited so all (most) of the jovial spirit and the foot-stomp hollering are coming as a result of the music, which radiates from 13 stages big and small, rowdy dance tents, and front-porch style workshops.

With towering oak trees hovering over the grounds, attendees can camp down for the day in front of the rustic Watson Stage, grab Earl Scruggs’ autograph, or mingle through booths of rare bluegrass albums, local mountain crafts, and gems in music poster art. Everyone is welcome to bring an instrument, as casual picking circles frequently pop up at the fest or the off-site campgrounds nearby. It’s something everyone that lives in this region should experience at least once-a peaceful oasis of our evolution in music and culture.

Artists at this year’s event, which takes place from April 27-30, include Doc Watson, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Nickel Creek, Emmylou Harris, Sam Bush, John Prine, Hot Tuna, Gillian Welch, The Grascals, and Steep Canyon Rangers.