Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver BGF at Denton Farm Park, NC

Doyle Lawson

The thirty-first annual edition of the Doyle Lawson Bluegrass Festival begins on Thursday, May 5th at the Denton Farm Park in Denton, NC at noon. Located in a delightful park filled with buildings and farm memorabilia taking visitors back to the early days of the twentieth century when life was simpler and values more clear and understandable, the festival celebrates bluegrass music with traditional and more contemporary bands featuring some of the top touring groups in the country. Featuring award winning bands as well as newer, emerging groups, and anchored by the solid performances of long-time featured groups, this festival has plenty to offer bluegrass fans.  Here's the schedule:

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Among the highlights will be the last North Carolina performance of Cherryholmes, the near legendary family band that brought their dynamic, often show-stopping virtuoso picking and exciting choreography to the bluegrass stage over the past six years or so and are now disbanding to allow family members to follow their own directions. Dailey & Vincent will be performing a 90 minute set to close Thursday evening. Saturday has an exceptionally strong lineup featuring The Gibson Brothers and Joe Diffie backed by New Found Road in the last two spots in the evening.  Host band Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver will be featured in four sets on Friday and Saturday.

Some Highlights

Sierra Hull

Tim Shelton - New Found Road

Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers

The Gibson Brothers

               Eric                                                                                      Leigh

Cherryholmes

 Used with Permission

Josh Williams

Joe Diffie

Dailey & Vincent

IIIrd Tyme Out

Little Roy & Lizzie

Darin & Brooke Aldridge

Doyle's festival usually features a strong lineup, and this year's event is no exception. Nearly from top to bottom, people will want to fill the music shed to hear top ranked bands. The only problem here is that the Denton Farm Park is such a delightful venue and there's so much jamming and socializing going on that many will have to make time to go hear the music.  It'll be worth the effort.

Denton Farm Park

The Denton Farm Park, which has been developed over the years by the by the Loflin family, serves as home to a number of other events, often featuring farm and farm-related themes.  The facility contains fifteen period buildings moved to the site from around the region including an old country church, a grist mill, an early twentieth century gas station, and more. A steam train surrounds the park providing rides for those interested. Displays include horse drawn, steam powered, and internal combustion farm equipment, which delight young people who've never seen such machines as well as those wishing to reminisce about their youth.  Buildings around the grounds demonstrate farm crafts like sorghum syrup making, a saw mill, and others.  For people wishing to re-visit the rural America of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Denton Farmpark provides plenty to see.

The main camping area is in a large, wooded grove featuring numerous electric and water hookups.  Convenient bathroom facilities featuring hot showers and flush toilets are spread around the area. Many hookup sites are also in the open.  Early arrivals have a pretty good choice of campsites, but they do fill up quickly.

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The music shed is raked to provide good sight lines. The permanent benches are pretty hard, and experienced attendees make sure they bring cushions to make themselves a little more comfortable.  Those wishing to risk the weather can place folding chairs on the wings of the stage area.  The last time we were at a bluegrass event at Denton Farm Park, the sound was excellent. Ticket information can be found here.

How to Find Denton Farm Park

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