Earl Scruggs Music Festival

The Earl Scruggs Music Festival in Mill Spring

The Earl Scruggs Music Festival delivers three days of bluegrass performances by talented artists while honoring its namesake musical pioneer. It is held each Labor Day weekend at Tryon International in Mill Spring. Top bluegrass, Americana, and roots artists gather to celebrate Scruggs' contributions to the region's rich musical culture. There are also public jam sessions. You are invited to bring your own instrument! This festival is a great reason to visit the First Peak of the Blue Ridge.

Stages and Lineup

Multiple stages let you move between performances, from headliners to jam sessions. Each stage is just a short walk from the next. More than 40 performers participate each year. Artists scheduled to perform at the festival have included The Avett Brothers, Greensky Bluegrass, Emmylou Harris, The Del McCoury Band, Béla Fleck, Alison Brown Quintet, and Rhonda Vincent & The Rage Mountain Grass Unit. 

Check the event's website for current information.

Insider Info on Parking, Vendors, and Activities

According to a recent festival-goer, parking is easy and free shuttles make getting around even easier if you prefer a shuttle. The venue offers restaurants, food vendors, shopping, artist tents, and restrooms throughout the grounds. Families appreciate the children's area, and it is easy to find overnight accommodations near the venue. Tickets range from general admission (bring your own chairs) to VIP, with day passes or full weekend options. Fortunately, the grounds are primarily sandy, not paved, because this is an arena that is also used for horse events and sports. Covered seating is available.

Tickets

You can choose your ticket type (subject to availability), from general admission to VIP. You can also choose between day passes and weekend packages (subject to availability). Check the website for prices. 

Where to Stay

Camping, from tent camping to cabin rental and RV rentals and dry RV camping, is offered on-site. You need to reserve it early. But not to worry: the First Peak is full of vacation rentals and a variety of campgrounds near the venue. You shouldn't have any problem finding accommodations even if you book at the last minute.  You can contact the First Peak Visitor Center via their website for help finding a place that is perfect for you or your group. 

About Banjo Pioneer Earl Scruggs

Earl Scruggs, born in Shelby, North Carolina, helped develop and popularize bluegrass music. According to the Earl Scruggs Center, "Like Jazz, Bluegrass was developed from a mixing of cultures and influences." Scruggs played banjo and built upon the work of North Carolina musicians creating a purely American music form. He is credited with developing a revolutionary playing style with picking rolls and timing patterns. 

Scruggs's partnership with Lester Flatt changed how Americans encountered this music. They hosted one of the first music television shows in the early 1950s and recorded the Beverly Hillbillies television show theme song. Earl Scruggs crossed musical boundaries, bridged generations, and earned dozens of awards and Hall of Fame honors. 

More Music History in the First Peak 

The First Peak of the Blue Ridge region claims another music legend: Nina Simone. Her childhood in Tryon is being preserved and the town has a life-size sculpture of her in Nina Simone Plaza. Read more about Nina Simone.