Beale Street Music Festival
May 1-3 • Memphis, Tenn.
This legendary festival brings together the finest in rock, blues, R&B, and Americana music in historic downtown Memphis. thebealestreetmusicfestival.com
World Beer Festival
May 2 • Raleigh, N.C.
Beer. Reason enough. Come to Raleigh and partake of the brews from over 150 world class crafters. allaboutbeer.com
Cheat River Festival
May 2 • Albright, W.Va.
This annual celebration designed to promote river awareness for the rugged Cheat. Come out, help raise funds to support the river, and enjoy some great Appalachian music. cheat.org
Blind Willie McTell Blues Festival
May 9 • Thomson, Ga.
Buddy Miller and Chuck Leavell headline this annual festival that commemorates Georgia blues legend Blind Willie McTell. blindwillie.com
Crozet Arts & Crafts Festival
May 9-10; October 10-11 • Crozet, Va.
The Mid-Atlantic’s finest collections of crafters, with well over 100 artists hawking their wares. avenue.org/ccp/artcraft.htm
Riverrock
May 15-16 • Richmond, Va.
Taking place at Brown’s Island, this new event blends high-adrenaline mountain sports and roots music. Run the James River Scramble 10K trail run or pump up your fat tires and ride the Urban Assault MTB race. Rusted Root performs. sportsbackers.org
Xtremefest of the Blue Ridge
May 16 • Waynesboro, Va.
Hang with the Shenandoah Valley’s top local outfitters as they offer their insight on climbing, kayaking, mountain biking, and hiking. waynesboro.va.us
Carolina Bluegrass Festival
May 17 • Cary, N.C.
New one-day bluegrass fest in the Triangle featuring Del McCoury Band, The Tony Rice Unit, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, and more. carolinabluegrassfestival.com
Festival in the Park
May 21-25 • Roanoke, Va.
Roanoke’s big bash blends music and art in Elmwood Park. roanokefestival.org
Gullah Festival
May 22-24 • Beaufort, S.C.
This celebration of African-American culture in the Low County features jazz, blues, gospel, arts & crafts, storytelling, and local cuisine. gullahfestival.org
Rooster Walk
May 23 • Martinsville, Va.
A new event at the idyllic Blue Mountain festival grounds remembers two fallen friends with a big night of regional roots music including Kings of Belmont, Town Mountain, Lazy Man Dun Band, and many more. roosterwalk.com
Vintage Virginia
May 30-31 • Manassas, Va.
Two days of delicious food and wine with tunes provided by Big Sam’s Funky Nation and more at Bull Run Park. atwproductions.com
Spoleto Festival USA
May 22-June 9 • Charleston, S.C.
For over two weeks, Charleston is besieged by the finest in music, dance, jazz, opera, and theater. spoletousa.org
Gathering in the Gap
May 23 • Big Stone Gap, Va.
Singer-songwriter extraordinaire Darrell Scott headlines this Southwest Virginia festie favorite. gatheringinthegapmusicfestival.com
Atlanta Jazz Festival
May 23-24 • Atlanta, Ga.
This annual showcase highlights jazz legends and rising acts in Atlanta’s historic Grant Park. atlantafestivals.com
White Squirrel Festival
May 23-24 • Brevard, N.C.
Brevard’s annual street festival includes great live music, 5 and 10K runs, and the always-exciting soap box derby race.
whitesquirrelfestival.com
Crawfish Fest
May 29-31 • Augusta, N.J.
Cajun food and four stages of zydeco, New Orleans brass, jazz, and gospel music. crawfishfest.com
BamaJam
June 4-6 • Enterprise, Ala.
Country meets hippie at this Redneck Woodstock with Kid Rock, Brooks & Dunn, Drive-By Truckers, The Black Crowes, Umphrey’s McGee, and many more performing. bamajammusicfestival.com
Wanee Music Festival
June 5-6 • Live Oak, Fla.
Allman Brothers Band fans get ready for the motherload of peachy grooves. To celebrate the band’s 40th anniversary they are throwing a blowout at the beautiful Spirit of the Suwanee Music Park with help from Gov’t Mule, The Doobie Brothers, Toots And The Maytals, Little Feat, Umphrey’s McGee, Susan Tedeschi, The Wailers, Drive-By Truckers, and more. waneefestival.com
Blue Plum Festival
June 5-6 • Johnson City, Tenn.
Downtown Johnson City lights up each year for this free roots music event. Acoustic Syndicate performs. blueplum.org
Duke Ellington Jazz Festival
June 5-15 • Washington, D.C.
Venues throughout Washington, D.C., will ring with the best in jazz music to celebrate legend and native son Duke Ellington. dejazzfest.org
Seedtime on the Cumberland
June 10-13 • Whitesburg, Ky.
This annual Eastern Kentucky fest brings together storytellers, musicians, artisans, and writers of the highest order. appalshop.org/seedtime
Virginia Blues & Jazz Festival
June 12-14 • Warm Springs, Va.
Warm Springs Mountain plays host to three days of great music. Take a soothing dip in the hot springs and listen to The Waybacks, Elvin Bishop, and The Subdudes. vabluesfest.org
W.C. Handy Blues & Barbeque Festival
June 13-20 • Henderson, Ky.
Come out and honor this blues legend and folk hero with some great tunes and barbeque. handyblues.org
Mountain Aid 2009
June 19-20 • Silk Hope, N.C.
A concert dedicated to bringing mountaintop removal mining to an end takes places at the site of the Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival, 15 miles south of Chapel Hill. Acts include Kathy Mattea, Donna the Buffalo, and Ben Sollee. mtnaid.com
Richmond Vegetarian Festival
June 20 • Richmond, Va.
Thinking about tossing the meat from your diet? Come to Bryan Park and get great recipes and tips on living the veggie lifestyle. veggiefest.org
Hampton Jazz Festival
June 26-28 • Hampton, Va.
For over 40 years, this has been a musical pilgrimage for jazz fans from across the country. hampton.gov/coliseum/jazzfestival
Festival for the Eno
July 3-5 • Durham, N.C.
This festival features a huge musical lineup with acts from every genre imaginable. All proceeds from the fest go to purchasing and protecting parklands along the Eno River. enoriver.org
Harborfest
July 3-5 • Norfolk, Va.
Three days of the biggest dock party in Norfolk. Fireworks! Live music! Great food! norfolkcvb.com
Floyd Fandango Beer and Wine Festival
July 4-5 • Floyd, Va.
Microbrews, local wine, and live music with mountain views all around—it doesn’t get much better than this Fourth of July overnight camping event at the same site as FloydFest, located at mile 170.5 of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Tunes by JJ Grey and Mofro and Buckwheat Zydeco. atwproductions.com
Grandfather Mountain Highland Games
July 9-12 • Grandfather Mountain (Near Linville), N.C.
This Highlands fest has enough Scottish dance, food, drink, and kilt-clad spectacle to make even William Wallace proud. grandfathergames.com
Hanover Tomato Festival
July 10 • Mechanicsville, Va.
Hanover ‘maters are known the world over! Green or red! Raw or fried! Just plain yummy. hanovertomatofestival.com
South African Food and Wine Festival
July 10-12 • Gum Spring, Va.
Grayhaven Winery hosts this celebration of South African cuisine and culture. Sample fine food, wine, and enjoy South African dance and music. southafricanfoodfest.com
Uncle Dave Macon Days
July 10-12 • Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Honoring Grand Ole Opry star Uncle Dave Macon, this traditional fest has been recognized by Congress as the national championships for old time banjo, clogging, and buck-style dancing. uncledavemacondays.com
All Good Music Festival
July 10-12 • Masontown, W.Va.
Known for its eclectic lineup and get-down vibe, All Good boasts Ben Harper, Bob Weir, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Todd Snider this year. allgoodfestival.com
South Carolina Peach Festival
July 10-19 • Gaffney, S.C.
Things get peachy in Gaffney with a demolition derby, live music, golf tournament, carnival, and barbeque cook-off. scpeachfestival.org
Renaissance Festival
July 18-19 • Gloucester, Va.
Feel the need to joust? Play some human chess? Say “thee” and “thou” a lot? This is the festival for you. gloucesterva.info/tourism
Bele Chere Festival
July 24-26 • Asheville, N.C.
Over 300,000 flock to downtown Asheville for this massive street festival. belecherefestival.com
Virginia Highlands Festival
July 25-August 9 • Abingdon, Va.
This festival offers something for everyone: world class performances at The Barter Theater, juried art and photography competitions, antiques, music, and arts and crafts. vahighlandsfestival.org
Old Fiddler’s Convention
August 3-8 • Galax, Va.
The finest fiddlers from near and far come to the tiny town of Galax for one of the most popular fiddlin’ festivals in the nation. oldfiddlersconvention.com
Camp Barefoot 3 Music & Art Festival
August 13-15 • Gore, Va.
Jam band fest in the woods features Lotus, Perpetual Groove, Toubab Krewe, John Browns Body, Hackensaw Boys, and more. campbarefoot.org
Flying Circus Hot Air Balloon Festival
August 15 • Bealeton, Va.
Come get high in a hot air balloon. Enjoy the Flying Circus Airshow at this family-friendly fest. flyingcircusairshow.com
Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ Festival
August 15 • Cary, N.C.
All you can handle beer and bourbon sampling! Throw in some bbq and fine cigars and you have the makings of a decadent afternoon. beerandbourbon.com/cary/show-info
Lazy Daze Arts & Crafts Festival
August 22 • Cary, N.C.
50K folks can tell you why Lazy Daze is one of the country’s most popular craft fests. townofcary.org
North Carolina Apple Festival
September 4-7 • Hendersonville, N.C.
This annual Labor Day celebration has Hendersonville awash in apple pies, apple fritters, applesauce, apple butter and, best of all, the King Apple Parade! ncapplefestival.org
GrahamFest
September 5-6 • Wytheville, Va.
Bluegrass and country in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. grahamfestusa.com
Organicfest
September 13 • Asheville, N.C.
Come eat, drink, and live green in Downtown Asheville. Vendors will be selling all things organic from locally grown food to enviro-friendly goods and clothing. organicfest.org
Chesapeake Film Festival
September 18-20 • Easton, Md.
Diversity and the universality of the human condition are spotlighted through narrative, documentary, and short films in this Chesapeake Bay festival. chesapeakefilmfestival.org
Watermelon Park Fest
September 24-26 • Berryville, Va.
Peter Rowan, Tim O’Brien, and Larry Keel highlight one of the finest festies in the Shenandoah Valley. watermelonparkfest.com
Buckwheat Festival
September 24-27 • Preston County, W.Va.
This end-of-harvest festival celebrates buckwheat, a crop that saved rural farmers in West Virginia during the Depression, and features live music, a carnival, arts & crafts, and great food. buckwheatfest.com
Baltimore Book Festival
September 25-27 • Baltimore, Md.
Mid-Atlantic book junkies take note—over 200 authors come to Baltimore each year to meet, greet, and chat about their work. baltimorebookfestival.com
National Storytelling Festival
October 2-4 • Jonesborough, Tenn.
For lovers of storytelling, there is no better place to be than Jonesborough in early October. Come hear the best storytellers from around the world thrill crowds with the spoken word. storytellingcenter.com
Richmond Folk Festival
October 9-11 • Richmond, Va.
Diversity is at the heart of the Richmond Folk Festival; come experience the finest in roots music, art, dance, and ethnic food on the Richmond waterfront. richmondfolkfestival.org
Green Festival
October 10-11 • Washington, D.C.
Speakers, vendors, and conscious consumers come together in the nation’s capital to make eco-friendly connections. greenfestivals.org
Birmingham Folk Festival
October 11 • Birmingham, Ala.
This newcomer to the Southeast festival circuit will soon be a favorite among fans of indie folk music. On the bill are The Corduroy Road and Chris Porter & The Back Row Baptists. birminghamfolkfest.com
Poquoson Seafood Festival
October 16-18 • Poquoson, Va.
The fine folks of Poquoson do seafood right. Head down to the Tidewater and get crabs! poquosonseafoodfestival.com
The Barbeque Festival
October 24 • Lexington, N.C.
Each year, over 100,000 folks descend on Lexington – known to most as the Barbeque Capital of the World! barbecuefestival.com
Mountain Moonshine Festival
October 24-25 • Dawsonville, Ga.
Hidden away in the hills and hollers of the Blue Ridge, mountain folks have long been brewin’ up the high octane spirits celebrated in Dawsonville each year. dawson.org •
