After driving the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway out of Asheville, we finally arrived in Wilkesboro, NC on Thursday afternoon. The concerts were beginning, so we were off! Merlefest is held on the campus of Wilkes Community College. It began with a two day event featuring concerts on flatbed trucks and has grown to a four day festival with about 80,000 attendees. The musical lineup is great. In addition to the legendary guitar player, Doc Watson, there are young, energetic newcomers as well as familiar names in blues, bluegrass and celtic music. We decided to try out Merlefest for the first time when we heard that our favorite Celtic group, Solas, was going to be performing a reunion concert with former members Karan Casey and John Doyle. There were 13 stages, some indoors and most outdoors, with continual concerts so there were lots of opportunities to catch our favorites. Amazingly, I think Peter Rowan played with almost every musician there!
Karen Casey and John Doyle performing at the Lounge Stage.
Tim O'Brien with Peter Rowan on the main Watson Stage
guitar player extraordinaire, Mike Dowling, on the Austin Stage in a moment of sunshine between storms.
