Looking for the best folk festivals in 2023 & 2024 in the U.S.A!?  Well, look no further, because I’ve put together a pretty epic list of bluegrass and folk music festivals in this amazing country!

“I didn’t know folk music growing up, no. It’s something I’ve come to study, really, because I think there’s so much to learn from traditional music in the sense of the way music began as a way of communication, the traveling storyteller, the bard, the minstrels.” – P.J Harvey 

The definition of folk music can be defined as “a type of traditional and generally rural music that originally was passed down through families and other small social groups. Typically, folk music, like folk literature, lives in oral tradition; it is learned through hearing rather than reading.” 

But that’s really just a brief summary of a large, complex genre of music.

If you’ve heard the music of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Ben Harper, James Taylor, Joni Mitchell or even Johnny Cash, you’ve had a taste of some of history’s best and most well known folk music.

Folk music lives on all across the United States, with a deep and long held love stretching from Alaska to Florida, the Carolinas to New York, California to Montana. And I’ve compiled a list of the best folk music festivals in the U.S.A to give you a small taste of what’s on offer. 

Start planning your next road trip with these 25 U.S.A folk music festivals… 

Credit: World Folkfest

When: August 2-5, 2023

Where: Springville, Utah

https://www.worldfolkfest.org

https://www.facebook.com/WorldFolkfest/

One of the largest folk festivals in the USA and one of the longest-running folk dance festivals in the West!

When: July 28-30, 2023

Where: Newport, Rhode Island 

http://www.newportfolk.org

https://www.facebook.com/newportfolkfest

“Newport Folk Fest is an American folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in July 1959.

The festival is often considered one of the first modern music festivals in America and remains a focal point in the ever-expanding genre of “folk” music. Music legend Bob Dylan was discovered performing at Newport Folk Festival. 

Photo via Planet Bluegrass

When: June 15-18, 2023

Where: Telluride, Colorado 

https://bluegrass.com/telluride/

https://www.facebook.com/planetbluegrass

“Every Summer Solstice, 11,000+ Festivarians converge on the historic mining town in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern CO (elevation 8,750’) for 4 days of adventurous acoustic music in the stunning Telluride box canyon.

Since its early years, the unique genre of “Telluride Bluegrass” has embraced a diverse family of artists including Sam Bush, Robert Plant, Mumford & Sons, Brandi Carlile, Norah Jones, Jason Mraz, Greensky Bluegrass, Emmylou Harris, and many of the world’s most virtuosic acoustic instrumentalists – many of whom have returned to the festival for 25+ years.

With music on the main stage, intimate workshop performances at Elks Park, late-night indoor NightGrass concerts, and pickin’ in campgrounds and condos ‘til dawn, Telluride Bluegrass is the “granddaddy of the modern festival circuit!”

Photo via Facebook

When: July 1-9, 2023

Where: Kutztown, Pennsylvania 

https://www.kutztownfestival.com

“The Kutztown Folk Festival is the oldest continuously operated folklife festival in America. This nine-day event continues to draw visitors from all over the world, entertaining families while providing valuable insight into the traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch and their fascinating way of life.

Children’s activities abound and admission is free for children 12 and under. The festival also houses the largest quilt sale in America and has an internationally attended Quilt Auction of top prize-winning quilts.”

Credit: Lowell Folk Festival

When: July 28-30, 2023

Where: Lowell, Massachusetts 

http://lowellfolkfestival.org

https://www.facebook.com/LowellFolkFestival/

“The Lowell Folk Festival continues to provide the finest in traditional music, craft, foodways and more in downtown Lowell.

This annual celebration is the best in traditional folk music, artisan crafts and ethnic foods, and will be returning to downtown Lowell with a full lineup beginning with the traditional parade of nations from Lowell’s City Hall Plaza to Boarding House Park. The free festival offers something for people of all ages all within the heart of Lowell National Historical Park.”

Credit: Peggy Brisbane

When: September 8-10, 2023

Where: Remus, Michigan 

https://www.wheatlandmusic.org

https://www.facebook.com/wheatlandmusicorganization/

“Each September, fans flock to the 160-acre park that hosts the Wheatland Music Festival in Remus, Michigan. The three-day festival introduces patrons to talent to the tune of Radney Foster, Feufollet and other rising stars.

The mega-event also offers workshops and demonstrations alongside artisans and children’s activities. Other annual events hosted by the Wheatland Music Organization include a Memorial Day-weekend dance camp, a week in June dedicated to music and dance and a one-day Winter Wheat Festival each February. The area is almost always hopping with music, no matter the season.”

When: September 2022

Where: Wilkesboro, North Carolina 

https://merlefest.org

“MerleFest, considered one of the premier music festivals in the country, serves as an annual homecoming for musicians and music fans. Held on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of the late Eddy Merle Watson, son of American music legend Doc Watson.

MerleFest is a celebration of ‘traditional plus’ music, a unique mix of music based on the traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, blues, rock and many other styles. The festival hosts numerous artists, performing on 13 stages during the course of the four-day event. The annual event has become the primary fundraiser for the WCC Foundation, funding scholarships, capital projects and other educational needs.”

Photo Credit: Carly Valentine

When: May & October 2023

Where: Joshua Tree, California 

https://joshuatreemusicfestival.com

“Founded in 2003, the bi-annual (May & Oct) Joshua Tree Music Festival is held at the gateway to the world-renowned National Park. JTMF is a resource-generating powerhouse of passionate creativity, community empowerment, and arts education for all ages.

A family inclusive global music experience in the magical Mojave. Committed to radical inclusion, these four-day funky desert-style festivals create experiences where passion, purpose, family, and friends come together, and the boundary between performer and patron is blurred.

The music is diverse and eclectic, from dance-world-electro-funk’n groove to soulful global-ethno melodies.”

When: June 29 – July 2, 2023

Where: Quincy, California 

http://www.highsierramusic.com

https://www.facebook.com/highsierramusic/

“Situated in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California, High Sierra Music Festival boasts a family friendly atmosphere packed with artists traversing all musical genres.

The eclectic lineup at the festival is backed by a picturesque venue surrounded by a mountainous landscape and national forests. More than just music is offered at the High Sierra with yoga areas, audience-participation parades, children’s areas and more.”

When: May 25 – June 11, 2023

Where: Kerrville, Texas 

https://www.kerrvillefolkfestival.org

https://www.facebook.com/kerrvillefolkfestival

“The Kerrville Folk Festival Foundation produces many amazing programs, with its Flagship event as the Kerrville Folk Festival. It is 18 days and nights featuring national and international performing songwriters in intimate musical performances.

Weekend evening concerts are at Kennedy Outdoor Theater and weeknight shows are at the Threadgill Theater in the Campground. The Festival is held at Quiet Valley Ranch, nine miles south of Kerrville, Texas.

When: July 29-31, 2023

Where: Hillsdale, New York 

https://www.falconridgefolk.com

“Recognized as one of the most popular, well-attended folk festivals in the USA, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival is a three-day community event featuring folk music and dance at the foot of the Berkshires in east-central New York State.

Showcasing some of the greatest contemporary singer/songwriters, folk artists and bands, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival takes place on several stages. This event also features family oriented events such as puppet shows and clowns.”

When: June 14-17, 2023

Where: Morgantown, Indiana 

https://billmonroemusicpark.com/2023-festivals/

https://www.facebook.com/BeanBlossomBluegrassFestival/

“In June, deep in Brown County, Indiana,—in the town of Bean Blossom, to be exact—patrons converge on the Bill Monroe Music Park. The 55-acre campground is home to a bluegrass festival area (and has been for every year since 1967) for the storied event started by mandolin player Bill Monroe.

Celebrating its 50th year in 2016, the festival was home to dozens of performances, in addition to music workshops and a bluegrass camp. See old men perform in starched, point-tipped shirts on a white porch stage toe-tapping to the folk music flowing off out of their fingers and across their instruments: mandolins, guitars and fiddles to name a few. Monroe’s Bluegrass Hall of Fame & Museum is also on the property, which guests are welcome to tour.”

When: July 28-30, 2023

Where: Lyons, Colorado 

https://bluegrass.com/rockygrass/

“The last weekend of July, 5,000 Festivarians descend on the historic quarry town of Lyons (just 15 minutes north of Boulder in the Rocky Mountain foothills) for one of the world’s premiere traditional bluegrass festivals.

With recent headliners Steve Martin, Ricky Skaggs, Peter Rowan, The Infamous Stringdusters, Del McCoury Band, and Alison Krauss, RockyGrass has consistently sold-out in advance for the past decade. Renowned as a picker’s festival, the week leading up to the event, the RockyGrass Academy offers three hundred musicians of all ages an opportunity to learn bluegrass from many of the festival performers, including instrument building and a Kids Camp.”

When: May 21, 2023

Where: Paramount Ranch, California 

http://www.topangabanjofiddle.org

https://www.facebook.com/TopangaBanjoFiddleFestival

“The Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival started in 1961, making it one of the oldest continuously held traditional music events in the US. It was first held in the Topanga Canyon, which is the reason for its name.

The 1961 event, organized by Margot Slocum and Peg Benepe, attracted 30 contestants, 4 Judges, and 500 fans. Half a century later, it is 10 times bigger. In 1990 the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest moved to its present home at the Paramount Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains, not far from its Topanga Canyon roots.”

When: April 2024

Where: Juneau, Alaska 

http://akfolkfest.org

“Nine 4-hour performances averaging fifteen acts each, fourteen hours of dances plus dance workshops, a Family Concert and 40+ hours of teaching workshops devoted to every imaginable folk music skill, plus jamming all week long should be enough to wear out even the most dedicated enthusiast at the annual Alaska Folk Festival.

Yet long after the final chorus of Good Night Irene, the traditional closing song on the Festival’s final evening, many of the 450+ folk musicians from all around the vast reaches of America’s largest state and beyond can still summon enough energy to jam the night away in bars, restaurants, private parties and any space they can find out of the weather!

They come from near and far. . . from Whitehorse in Canada’s Yukon Territory, from Bethel, Alaska (more than 1,000 miles as the ptarmigan flies from the festival’s home in Juneau), from Talkeetna, Sitka, Kenai, Elfin Cove, Fairbanks, Ketchikan, Anchorage and the “Lower 48” for this annual week of fun, partying, good music and greeting old & new friends that make it such a rite  of spring.”

When: March 2024

Where: Tucson, Arizona 

https://www.tucsonfolkfest.org/folk-festival/

“The Tucson Folk Festival is a FREE, two-day event celebrating Americana/Folk Music traditions and all the wonderful variations, including American bluegrass, blues, country, jazz, Celtic, zydeco, and various styles of Latin and Mexican music!

This annual family-friendly festival is held in some of the most historic sections of downtown Tucson: Jacome Plaza, La Cocina,  Presidio Museum and the Dusty Monk Pub.

This festival features six stages of acoustic music in traditional, contemporary, and ethnic genres to entertain and delight a multi-faceted and diverse audience. The festival attracts over 12,000 fans and participants who come from all over Southern Arizona, and across the nation.”

When: May 2024

Where: Seattle, Washington 

https://www.nwfolklife.org

https://www.facebook.com/nwfolklife

50 Years of Northwest Folklife

“Since 1972, the annual Northwest Folklife Festival has been a community-powered celebration of the music, arts, and heritage that make up the brilliant cultural tapestry of the greater Pacific Northwest.

With over 5,000 performers on 20+ stages, 200 vendors, 500 volunteers, and upwards of 250,000 attendees, this remains one of the largest access-for-all festivals in the nation. The festival is more than a celebration of the diversity of the Pacific Northwest, it’s a chance to engage directly with the many communities that make up our region. This is the place to find your folk.”

When: August 4-6, 2023

Where: Saint Charles, Iowa

https://www.hinterlandiowa.com

https://www.facebook.com/hinterlandiowa

“Hinterland Music Festival is a multi-day music festival held at the Avenue of the Saints Amphitheater in St. Charles, Iowa, which was first held in 2015. The festival is organized by Sam Summers, co-owner of a local music venue and booker for a concert series.

Water Works Park, located along the Raccoon River four miles southwest of Downtown Des Moines, was set to host for the first year. Its inaugural edition, however, was moved to St. Charles, twenty miles to the south, due to flooding concerns at the park. It drew a crowd of 14,000 over the two days. Since 2019, the popular festival has expanded to three days.”

When: July 20-23, 2023

Where: Trumansburg, New York  

https://www.grassrootsfest.org

https://www.facebook.com/grassrootsfestival/

“The Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival is a mission-based organization that works to nurture local artists and talent while reaching around the globe to bring world music and culture to new audiences, creating environments that inspire creativity and foster community building.

The festival is presented over a four-day period (Thursday-Sunday) on four stages which run ridiculously long hours to accommodate the 80, some bands that play the festival. GrassRoots doesn’t hesitate to bring you great music you’ve never heard of before. Every year wonderful new bands are discovered and presented along with many old and true friends.”