YeeHaw Music Fest - January 15 - 20, 2019 - Preview

The YeeHaw Music Fest will be kicking off its 25th Anniversary season at the Agri-Civic Center in Okeechobee, Florida on January 15th and run through January 20th with the quality and fan-friendly warmth that has come to characterize events promoted by Evans Media Source. Once again, Ernie and Debi Evans have brought together outstanding national bluegrass bands with high quality regional bands. Highlights will be Hall of Famer Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver along with IBMA Entertainer of the Year Balsam Range. The usual round of engaging activities will continue from the moment the gates open on Monday until the last act closes on Saturday evening. Camping facilities are convenient, hot showers available. There will be quality vendors offering a range of festival foods, and plenty of jamming around the Park. Located in southern Florida, warm weather, even in January, is the standard. We always look forward to kicking off our winter season with this historic festival, once located in a pasture about thirty miles north of Okeechobee in YeeHaw Junction and now celebrating its fourth year in the wonderful Agri-Civic Center, located just on the edge of Okeechobee.

Agri Civic Center, Okeechobee, FL

The Agri-Civic Center provides plenty of space for all kinds of RV's including water and electric. The shed provides almost unlimited space for holding a bluegrass festival, offering good sound, space for vendors, including an RV display, and all-season cover along with convenient flush facilities and easy access. Shuttle services help convey festival goers from their sites to the performance areas, including the main stage and the workshop stage.

The Lineup and Schedule:

Doyle Lawson & Quicksiilver (Sa)

With more than fifty years in bluegrass, Hall of Famer Doyle Lawson has played in some of the most important bands in bluegrass history, as well as fronting his own band for decades. Once again, this year, they have been named IBMA Vocal Group of the Year for their solo work as well as their gospel quartet. Fans across the country continue to be captivated by this man and his band. 

Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver - 

Balsam Range (Fr)

Buddy Melton

Founded only eleven years ago, Balsam Range has established a remarkable record of recording success and high level recognition, with three IBMA Entertainer of the Year awards and fiddle player/vocalist Buddy Melton having scored three Male Vocalist of the Year awards. This year, bassist/band emcee Tim Surrett was named Bass Player of the Year, too. Hailing from the rural mountain county of Haywood, NC, the band features a remarkable repertoire of traditional sounds coupled with driving southern rock covers and fervent gospel music. This band always pleases with its quality and innovative sound. 

Balsam Range - Matthew

Summer Brooke & Mountain Faith (Sa)

Summer Brooke McMahan

Also from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Mountain Faith began its life as a young, enthusiastic gospel band, catching national attention as runners-up on America's GotTalent. The band has continued to broaden its repertoire, while appearing at bluegrass festivals and singing the National Anthem at major league events in football and other sports, making friends for bluegrass across the nation.  They show their versatility in this cover of Lady Antebellum:

Mountain Faith - Milan

Nothin Fancy (Th)

Mike Andes

Nothin' Fancy has been a fixture on the bluegrass trail for nearly twenty-five years, combining songs written from within the band with well-chosen covers, especially of The Country Gentlemen. Their well-loved humor includes both broad farce and subtle musicality. Since signing with Mountain Fever records, their music and humor has received increasingly serious attention and their popularity has spread still further. We always look forward to spending time with this band which keeps the sawdust between their toes while always striving successfully for greater quality and style.

Nothin' Fancy - Simon Crutchfield's Grave

Mile Twelve (Fr)

New Zealand's BB Bowness

Mile Twelve, based in Boston, has emerged from the red hot bluegrass and Americana scene in The Hub and sparked by Berklee College of Music. Candidates for IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year in 2018, they won a Momentum Award in 2017. The band's members have assembled from all over, but the talented BB Bowness on banjo has come the farthest, from her home in New Zealand to study at Berklee. The other members of the band were drawn to the light currently glowing in and around Boston. Mile Twelve is melodic, musical, and personable. Make sure you get to know them while they're at YeeHaw and in Florida this winter.

Mile Twelve - Our Last Goodbye

Monroe Crossing (Th, Fr)

Monroe Crossing hails from that great old time bluegrass state of Minnesota. Each year they magically appear in Florida, usually before heading out on or coming back from a much needed Caribbean cruise. Their music ranges from the deeply traditional to the interestingly progressive, with rock covers and folk music sprinkled through their sets. They're always fun and sometimes surprising. 

Monroe Crossing - Long, Cool Woman in a Black Dress

Dave Adkins Band (Sa)

Dave Adkins loves what he's doing! He squirms like a puppy with his belly being rubbed every time something in his music tickles him. He has a big, deep country voice which helps display his roots and love of music. He's a hard working musician who brings his all to every performance. 

Dave Adkisn - Put Some Grass In It

Don Rigsby (Sa)

Don Rigsby has had a long and distinguished career as a musician as well as having spent some significant time as a college administrator, working to preserve and extend traditional music. He has played with some of the great bands in bluegrass history, including J.D. Crowe & the New South, The Lonesome River Band, and Longview, as well as others. Most recently, he has been featured with Flashback. He is an articulate spokesman for maintaining traditional music as well as one of the great, in demand, tenor singers in the history of bluegrass music. 

Don Rigsby - The Mountain Doctor

Jeff Brown & Still Lonesome (Th)

Jeff Brown has spent much of his life as a working musician, meaning he also has to find a variety of ways to make a living. In his case, this has included work as a bluegrass DJ and concert promoter, among other endeavors. Through the years, he has performed with the likes of Larry Sparks, Charlie Sizemore, Ralph Stanley, Jesse McReynolds and many others, in addition to having been named a Kentucky Colonel. With his current band, including his son Austin, Still Lonesome, he has released two albums, the most recent being on Mountain Fever Records. He has been a regular at EMS events during the past couple of years. 

Jeff Brown & Still Lonesom - Appalachia Is My Name

Roxeen & Dalrymple (Sa)

The face is familiar, but the band may be new to you, as it was to me. Then I recognized Gary Dalrymple, for more than twenty years the mandolin player, harmony singer, and road manager of The Spinney Brothers. With their retirement from the road, Gary has formed this new duo with Roxeen Roberts, who was a bandmate with the Spinney's twenty-five years ago. This duo looks and sounds like an engaging change of pace.

Wildflower - Roxeen & Dalrymple

Scattered Grass (Tu,Th)

Composed of four local musicians from the Okeechobee area, the members of Scattered Grass are all well known to attendees of the YeeHaw Music Fest. The Prevatt sisters (Spider and Moe) bring their perky enthusiasm and sister harmonies to the band, which also features Sean Campbell on banjo. Justin Mason, on mandolin, has become a regular at EMS festivals, bringing his enthusiasm and organizational skills to encouraging jamming in the jam tent and contributing in other ways as needed. Scattered Grass will host the open Mic on Tuesday with the concert release of their new CD  Always energetic and musical.....

Scattered Grass - Little Georgia Rose

Sandy Back Porch (Fr)

Sandy Back Porch is an Orlando-based bluegrass band frequently seen and heard in the central Florida region. Enjoy their bluegrass and gospel music. 

Sandy Back Porch - Sitting on Top of the World 

Sunday Morning Gospel Sing

Jan Ladd

Jan Lass, her husband Larry, and several members of their band offer a non-sectarian Sunday morning Gospel Sing at 10:00 AM on Sunday morning. For many attendees at EMS events, this low key period of song and reflection provides an opportunity for simple worship and helps prepare them for the drive home. 

Les Sears

Radio DJ Les Sears will be hosting the open Mic "In the Spotlight" at the Pot Luck Supper on Wednesday evening.

Pot Luck Supper

Jo Odum

The ever popular Jo Odum returns as the emcee at Evans Media Source events for another celebration of bluegrass. 

Jan Ladd will host a gospel sing on Sunday morning at 10:00 AM 

This year's YeeHaw Music Fest lineup is power packed and diverse. It will prove, once again, to provide a great kickoff event for the winter season of Florida bluegrass. 

The Details:

Dates: The YeeHaw Music Fest will run from January 15 - 20, 2019 with the gates opening for campers on Monday, January 14 at the gate on highway 710 only at 9:00 AM

Call for Tickets, Camping Reservations and Reserved Seats: The New Phone is 386.385.3500!
Tickets:
3 Day Gate Price = $85.00 (Advanced Ticket Sales are  Closed)
Daily Tickets:
     Thursday: $30.00, Friday and Saturday: $35.00 per day
Children 12 and Under 12 Free with a Paid Adult
Reserve Seating: $5.00 per person
Bring a comfortable Chair - No high backs or conventional rocking chairs. The cylinder charis are OK.  - No high back chairs over 35"

Jamming

Camping: There are a limited number of camp sites with hookups.
Get Your Campsite and Reserved Seat by Calling (904) 886-8378 (Reserve Seats are Limited)
Primitive Sites: $15.00
20 Amp Electric = $20.00/per night (Three night minimum)
30 Amp Electric = $30.00/per night (Three night minimum)
50 Amp Electric = $35.00/per night (Three night minimum)

Food and Craft Vendors: This year's scheduled food vendors include a barbecue wagon, fish & shrimp sausage etc., homemade ice cream, and a hot & cold drink wagon. More are still being added. 

Important Details:
Show goes on Rain or Shine (Music is under cover) - There are no refunds!
Wristbands must be worn.
Park Rules and Regulations are posted and must be obeyed!
Golf carts must have lights and drivers have licenses.
No Pets, Smoking or Alcohol in the concert and food vendor areas.

How To Get to the Agri-Civic Center

The Okeechobee Agri Civic Center 

4601 FL-710

Okeechobee, FL 34974

Place your Address in the Space Marked O

Click to Make a Personalized Map

YeeHaw Music Fest is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year. I haven't been told what surprises you can expect, or they wouldn't be surprises, would they? Evans Media Services has rebuilt this festival from near failing a very few years ago into a thriving and growing event. Come and celebrate the re-birth and anniversary with Ernie and Deb Evans.

Ernie Evans

Deb Evans