Initial MerleFest Lineup Announced

MerleFest 2011 has announced their initial lineup, slated for April 28th – May 1st, 2011. Doc Watson will host the artists at the Wilkes Community College campus in Wilkesboro, N.C., in celebration of what Doc refers to as “traditional-plus” music—the unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass, old-time music, Americana, country, “plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play.”

Merlefest will feature 90 artists on 14 stages including Lyle Lovett, the Del McCoury Band, Tim O’Brien, the Alison Brown Quartet, Corb Lund, the Sam Bush Band, Cadillac Sky, the Doobie Brothers and Jim Lauderdale.

“The MerleFest 2011 lineup offers an incredibly exciting, diverse and talented group of musicians, which is always our mission as a festival,” comments Festival Director Ted Hagaman. “Another goal this year is to give our festival attendees up-to-the-minute information about lineup additions and other aspects of MerleFest. As new artists are added, we will share that information immediately through our social media venues.  So, staying in touch with us via our website (www.merlefest.org), Facebook and Twitter is crucial!”

On November 4th at 8:00 p.m. EST, public radio station WNCW will air a special devoted to the artists of MerleFest 2011. Fans from around the globe can listen live at www.wncw.org.

The MerleFest box office will open for 2011 ticket sales on Tuesday, November 9, at 2:00 p.m. EST. Ticket purchases can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. An early bird ticket discount is available through March 13, 2011.

MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson as a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College Endowment Corporation and a celebration of “traditional plus” music.