Earl Scruggs Music Festival once again captivated bluegrass fans this weekend at Tryon International Equestrian Center with three days of top performances, engaging workshops, in-depth artist discussions, and family-friendly activities. For the third consecutive year, the festival maintained its premier status, featuring over 50 leading country, bluegrass, and Americana musicians, including host and 16-time GRAMMY winner Jerry Douglas. This year's event continued to attract enthusiastic crowds and high-energy experiences, solidifying its status as a can’t-miss festival for bluegrass lovers.
Ahead of the festival’s official kick-off on Friday, Tryon International hosted a free and open to the public Welcome Home celebration at its world class facility, featuring performances by Tanasi and The Well Drinkers. As part of the pre-weekend festivities, Scruggs Fest alum Travis Book delivered a special bluegrass set with Tommy Maher and Julian Pinelli during a bourbon tasting happy hour presented by Wild Turkey.
The first day of Earl Scruggs Music Festival held plenty in store, with daytime acts including the Fine Tuned Sessions presented by Rare Bird Farm & Blue Ridge Music Trails, Warren Wilson College Bluegrass Band, award-winning fiddle player and vocalist Carley Arrowood, accomplished songwriter Darrell Scott, Americana troubadour Pony Bradshaw, and others. On the Legends Workshop stage, journalist, musician, and bluegrass historian Tommy Goldsmith led inspiring conversations and insightful music clinics alongside experts like banjo virtuoso Kristin Scott Benson, veteran songwriter and producer Jon Weisberger, and festival fixtures Jerry Douglas and The Earls of Leicester. Throughout the day, bluegrass fanatics and armchair enthusiasts alike enjoyed thoughtful reflections on Earl Scruggs, songwriting tips, and keynotes on Scruggs-style banjo technique.
As night fell on Friday, artists like The Steeldrivers, Shawn Camp, Larry & Joe, and The Earls of Leicester showcased their music prowess, paying respect to the three-finger banjo icon and festival namesake in their own distinct styles. The evening was topped off with a headlining performance by Colorado-based jamgrass trailblazers Yonder Mountain String Band, who debuted new songs from their forthcoming 11th studio album, Nowhere Next, and included plenty of tried and true singalongs during their 90-minute production. Jerry Douglas also made an appearance during several songs, closing out the first night of Earl Scruggs Music Festival in style.
Saturday featured an impressive jamboree of young talent with the PacJAM Ramblers, Creekwater Collective, and returning family band The Biscuit Eaters taking to the Foggy Mountain stage. The three awe-inspiring youth outfits are just a small sample of torch-bearers who make up the next generation of traditional music. 15-year old mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis also made an appearance on Saturday, performing both with his band and as part of the annual 'Scruggs Sessions' (formerly 'Earl Scruggs Revue') tribute hour presented by The Bluegrass Situation. The Earls of Leicester assembled this superset of epic proportions featuring Old Crow Medicine Show, Shadowgrass, Twisted Pine, Lindsay Lou, and more as they brought new life to the 1963 album Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall. Later that evening, Earl Scruggs collaborator and living legend Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives took to the main stage for a show stopping performance before Old Crow Medicine Show brought down the house with an unforgettable, high-energy set. Fast-rising contemporary bluegrass outfit AJ Lee & Blue Summit then closed out the night with a rollicking late-night set under the Foggy Mountain stage gazebo.
On Sunday, Cleveland County natives Darin & Brooke Aldridge transported festival goers to ‘church’ with their moving gospel brunch set. Later, Jerry Douglas captivated an enthusiastic afternoon crowd with a spellbinding solo performance while Rachel Sumner & Traveling Light made their Earl Scruggs Music Festival debut. Rounding out the stacked Sunday lineup were Peter Rowan & Sam Grisman Project, who paid homage to Old & In The Way during their iconic collaborative performance, Miko Marks, who summoned the sunshine back after a short afternoon rainstorm, Martha Spencer & The Wonderland Country Band, channeling a bit of Patsy Cline and a hearty dose of Dolly, and bluegrass supergroup Mighty Poplar, whose top-tier harmonies and incredible musicianship mesmerized an early-evening crowd. “Delta Dawn” hit-maker Tanya Tucker later made a stunning entrance in her bright pink ensemble, performing non-stop chart-toppers during her headlining appearance on the Flint Hill stage. Casey Driessen’s Red Show Stringjam then closed the curtains on an extraordinary weekend with the final late-night set of Earl Scruggs Music Festival 2024.
Although musical performances were a major highlight of the third annual Earl Scruggs Music Festival, Rolling Stone notes that “throughout the gathering, there were countless reminders of Scruggs — from impromptu jam sessions in tucked-away corners of the property to artists sharing Scruggs stories onstage.” Highlights of this homage included the ‘Silo Sessions’—intimate artist interviews hosted by music journalist and author Craig Havighurst—an all-levels ‘pickin’ circle,’ along with family-friendly activities, equestrian trail rides, yoga, and a diverse selection of brick-and-mortar restaurants, food trucks, and craft vendors.
Held annually on the immaculate property of Tryon International Equestrian Center, Earl Scruggs Music Festival is a one-of-a-kind event. Boasting a variety of on-site shops and restaurants, lodging opportunities, and comfortable amenities, Tryon International serves as the perfect home for this celebration of Earl’s life and legacy. All sights are set on the festival’s return, slated for Labor Day Weekend 2025. Early Bird passes are on sale now – secure your spot today, and be among the first to support Scruggs Fest beneficiaries Earl Scruggs Center, WNCW 88.7, and Isothermal Community College for another year.
