For decades the onset of Spring meant gathering at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida for a weekend of fun, family, Bluegrass and string music. A beloved tradition continues as the picturesque grounds play host to a new take on a classic family-friendly gathering with the 2nd Annual Suwannee Spring Reunion taking place Thursday through Sunday, March 22 – 25, 2018.
Suwannee Spring Reunion 2018 features The Infamous Stringdusters, David Bromberg Quintet, Donna The Buffalo, Larry Keel Experience, Dar Williams, Billy Strings, Amy Helm, Jim Lauderdale, Verlon Thompson, Shawn Camp, The Grass Is Dead, Rev. Jeff Mosier and Biscuit Tragedy, Jon Stickley Trio, Front Country, Roy Book Binder, Grayson Capps, Ralph Roddenbery, Grandpa's Cough Medicine, Nikki Talley, Quartermoon, Sloppy Joe, and Big Cosmo!
Most of these artists bring with them storied histories of epic Suwannee performances! Matching the history on the stage, long time festival creators Beth Judy and Randy Judy along with an amazing staff, are partnering with the Spirit of the Suwannee to make sure that every piece needed to make an epic weekend of music and fun is in place and ready to write this next episode for this new legend.
The theme for the 2018 Reunion is “Sowing The Seeds of Music ~ Sustaining Our Community.” This is the inspiration behind Marci Davis's art poster for this festival with the seed packet imagery.
Once again the beloved tree-lined amphitheater is home to early morning sing-a-longs and night time musical pyrotechnics from the park’s stellar cast of alumni and new favorites. There will be music on four stages including the Amphitheater, Porch, Music Hall, and Music Farmers Stages. Suwannee Spring Reunion attendees will also enjoy music in the campground with jamming at Slopryland and the Bill Monroe Shrine as well as camp pickin’ parties.
Hands-on and performance workshops will be held throughout the weekend with a variety of artists set to perform. Billy Strings will perform the music of Doc Watson and Dar Williams will share her music and maybe some tidbits from her newest book. There will be hands-on learning workshops led by Roy Book Binder, Tom Nelly, and many more teaching musicians.
Placing a strong emphasis on embracing the traditions that have made the park a national treasure, there will be a wide array of arts & crafts as well as an array of culinary delights ranging from healthy to decadent in the Vending Village. The park itself is a place where kids of all ages can remember why they fell in love with the magic mixture of sights, sounds, and sensations that constitutes a weekend of paradise that is the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park.
Tania & The Magic Moon Traveling Circus will lead the Kid’s Tent with music and activities, Rhonda Bell will lead Daily Yoga each morning at 9am, and folks can also experience the Park’s other many attractions including disc golf, miles of hiking and biking trails, the bat house, and the chance to venture Way Down Upon The Suwannee River.
Tickets are on sale now. Suwannee Spring Reunion offers a multi-day Weekend Ticket that includes festival admission for four days of music, as well as primitive camping on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights. Early Bird Tickets are $130; Students and military with a valid ID are $120. Children 12 and under are free if accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Get your tickets now before they rise to the next pricing tier. Single Day Tickets will be available at the Gate only. Please note, Single Day Tickets do not include primitive camping.
If you are planning to attend our sister festival, Suwannee Roots Revival on October 11-14, 2018, you can get a Special Combo Spring Reunion/Roots Revival Weekend Ticket for $260 total and this is available until 1/15/2018. Each Weekend Ticket includes Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday venue access to music as well as primitive camping Thursday through Sunday.
SOSMP is located between Jacksonville, Florida & Tallahassee, Florida about 30 minutes south of the Georgia State line, about 45 minutes north of Gainesville and is host to a variety of events.
For four days in March, you can slip your shoes off and dance under the bright blue vistas and star-studded skies. Wander the endless trails along the Suwannee River, tell stories around the crackling campfire or simply lie back and watch the Spanish moss that drapes the sheltering Live Oaks that sway in the breeze. Dance the days away at the Stages and while away the late night hours around the “Picking Parties” that spring up into the dawn’s early light. There are no wrong choices when you arrive at your home and the place where live music lives for the founding of a new tradition, built on the love of the past, the Suwannee Spring Reunion.
Suwannee Spring Reunion 2018:
The Infamous Stringdusters
David Bromberg Quintet
Donna The Buffalo
Larry Keel Experience
Dar Williams
Billy Strings
Amy Helm
Jim Lauderdale
Verlon Thompson
Shawn Camp
The Grass Is Dead
Rev. Jeff Mosier and Biscuit Tragedy
Jon Stickley Trio
Front Country
Roy Book Binder
Grayson Capps
Ralph Roddenbery
Grandpa's Cough Medicine
Nikki Talley
Quartermoon
Sloppy Joe
Big Cosmo
Suwannee Spirit Kids
Tania & Magic Moon Traveling Circus
