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As the had promised to do in the event that the International Bluegrass Music Association should move its convention away from Raleigh, NC, the city, in conjunction with Pinecone, has announced a free weekend music festival downtown on the first weekend in October.
The Wide Open Music Festival, which took place immediately following the IBMA’s annual World of Bluegrass convention in Raleigh (2013-2024), will continue on in its absence. An instant hit with local residents as well as municipal officials and area businesses, Wide Open involved a free street festival along Raleigh’s main downtown thoroughfare, closed for the duration, and a ticketed event at the adjacent Red Hat Amphitheater.
Crowds thonged downtown streets to hear bluegrass, old time, and Americana music of every kind on six outdoor stages, with food, drink, and craft vendors of all sorts lined up in between. During the day you would typically find older folks and families, which swapped out for a younger, rowdier crowd at night, all enjoying the music and the scene.
One interesting twist for this first running of Wide Open since IBMA’s departure is that the Sheraton Hotel downtown, which opens directly on to Fayetteville Street, where the music stages will be located, will again be offering jamming floors for the the weekend for pickers who want to join in the music. It’s a great move as it not only attracts jammers to provide more music, it also attracts listeners who enjoy strolling the hotel floors hearing more free music.
Since Pinecone, an organization that promotes traditional music of every kind, managed the weekend street festival from the start, it isn’t a big lift for them to keep it going.
Wouldn’t it be great if every city that hosts the World of Bluegrass was to maintain a festival like this when they move on?
Performers for the street festival have been announced and can be seen online. Of particular interest to bluegrass lovers are Balsam Range, Unspoken Tradition, Tray Wellington, Carolina Bluegrass, Dom Flemons, Jason Carter, Stillhouse Junkies, and Slippery Hill Bluegrass.
Artists to be featured at the Red Hat Amphitheater will be announced soon.
Hats off to Raleigh and Pinecone for keeping the Wide Open Music Festival going. Long may it wave!
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