Merlefest North Carolina - Wilkesboro, North Carolina

“Festivals of Americana music have exploded in popularity, with the largest, North Carolina's MerleFest, attracting 81,000 fans and participants this year.” wrote The Wall Street Journal. The inaugural MerleFest took place in April 1988 to a crowd of about 4,000 people. Since then Wilkes Community College has remained committed to offering a generation and genre crossing mix of traditional and contemporary roots music, bringing together the very best of bluegrass, contemporary acoustic, blues, folk, old-time, Cajun, jazz, and singer-songwriter music. MerleFest also provides family activities, heritage crafts, food, dance, and shopping in a safe, alcohol-free environment. MerleFest has evolved into the most important annual ticketed event in northwest North Carolina and the world’s foremost Americana music festival. In so doing MerleFest has defined and lead the way for the emerging field called Americana music.

MerleFest, which starts on the last Thursday in April, takes its name from Merle Watson, who died in a tractor accident in 1985. A noted finger-picking guitarist in the folk, blues, and old-time country styles, MerleFest performed with his legendary guitarist father, Doc, from 1965 until his death. Conceived as a benefit concert to raise funds for the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Garden for the Senses at Wilkes Community College, MerleFest has grown into a significant economic engine. Wilkes Community College has earned $5.7 million over the festival’s 18 years, while approximately fifty non-profit civic and campus organizations net around $350,000 annually through their involvement with MerleFest. MerleFest produces an annual economic impact in northwestern NC of between $13,000,000 and $15,000,000.

One of the hallmarks of MerleFest has been the musical diversity, inspired by Doc’s eclectic interests. From its two-stage beginning, MerleFest has evolved to no less than a dozen stages spread across the 151-acre Wilkes Community College campus. Each year, many performers visit the public schools in the area to further educate and cultivate the musical interest of young people. MerleFest performers over the years have included Earl Scruggs, Bill Monroe, Sam Bush, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, Alison Krauss + Union Station, Robert Lockwood, Jr., the Chieftains, Natalie MacMaster, and hundreds of others.

During MerleFest, an event the Town is equally proud of is the annual campground sponsored by the Wilkesboro Volunteer Fire Department. The campground was begun about eight years ago to offer a place for MerleFest patrons to camp. Since that time, the campground has evolved into an institution of its own. Free hot showers, a shuttle to MerleFest, and late night pickin’ sessions all combine to make the campground a great place to stay. More than 2000 people will stay at the campground during MerleFest. The campground is located about 2 miles from the festival.

Prices for campsites are very reasonable at $65 for the week. There are also RV sites available at $125 for the week. Wilkesboro firemen work very hard to provide a pleasant experience for campers and the money made at the campground goes toward the firemen retirement fund.

Wilkesboro NC is a community located along the Yadkin River in the foothills of both the Blue Ridge Mountains and Brushy Mountains. Wilkesboro NC is home to Merlefest, the Wilkes Art and Heritage Festival, and neighbor to the Brushy Mountain Apple Festival. The history of Wilkesboro includes such names and places as Tom Dooley (Dula), the Tory Oak, and the Overmountain Victory Trail. For recreation, Wilkesboro NC offers easy access to sites such W. Kerr Scott Reservoir and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Blue Ridge Mountains also offer a beautiful parkway for relaxing drives.The inaugural Merlefest took place in April 1988 to a crowd of about 4,000 people. Merlefest takes its name from Merle Watson, who died in a tractor accident in 1985. Merle Watson was a noted finger-picking guitarist in the folk, blues, and country styles. He and his legendary guitarist father, Doc, performed together. Merlefest was conceived as a benefit concert to raise funds for a memorial garden in honor of Merle that would be located on the grounds of Wilkes Community College. Including the inaugural festival in 1988, the Merlefest has always been held at Wilkes Community College.