Earl Scruggs Music Festival 2025 Add-On Experiences

Returning to Tryon International Equestrian Center for its fourth annual Labor Day Weekend celebration, Earl Scruggs Music Festival will play host to more than just music. In addition to performances by this year’s artist lineup –– 27-time GRAMMY winner Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush, Watchhouse, and The War And Treaty, to name a few –– the three-day gathering will feature a variety of add-on opportunities including horseback trail rides, a Bluegrass Over Easy Breakfast with music from Allison de Groot + Tatiana Hargreaves, a Book, Bourbon, & Bluegrass event with Travis Book & Drew Matulich, and more to come. While some events require a paid admission, a variety of activities are free to festival passholders. Set against the backdrop of Tryon’s top-tier facilities, Earl Scruggs Music Festival raises the bar for what a music festival can be.

New in 2025, Earl Scruggs Music Festival will launch its first-ever ‘Battle of the Banjos’ band competition –– an open call for rising bluegrass, Americana, and roots artists eager to make their mark. Solo acts and bands are invited to submit by June 27 for a chance to be voted into the final round by fans and perform live at the festival. The grand prize includes two performance slots during the festival weekend, a $500 honorarium, a featured interview on WNCW, full weekend passes, on-site camping, and promotional support across festival channels. Whether you’re ready to take the stage or know someone who should, this is your shot to be part of Earl Scruggs Music Festival history. Enter for your chance to win here.

Earl Scruggs Music Festival officially kicks off on Friday morning, but festivities will start on Thursday evening with an open-to-the-public Welcome Home Celebration featuring music from Holler Choir, Finkelstein 3, and the ‘Battle of the Banjos’ Band Competition winner (TBA). The free event promises toe-tapping music and an opportunity to ring in the weekend with an energetic and communal atmosphere, setting a lively tone for the days ahead.

Thursday night will also see a separately ticketed Book, Bourbon, & Bluegrass tasting event with performances by festival favorite Travis Book & Drew Matulich. Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 28 from 4:30-9 p.m, and visit the Book, Bourbon, & Bluegrass ticket link for more information.

Earl Scruggs Music Festival will occur August 29-31, 2025 in Mill Spring, NC. Advance-price tickets are currently on sale, with a variety of both three-day and one-day general admission and upgraded packages available. For more details and to stay up-to-date on all things Earl Scruggs Music Festival, visit EarlScruggsMusicFest. Tryon International, 25 International Blvd. Mill Spring, NC 28756 Tickets can still be purchased here. Join the fray.

Earl Scruggs Music Festival 2025 Lineup

Alison Krauss & Union Station Featuring Jerry Douglas (Sat), Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (Sun), Del McCoury Band (Sun), Sam Bush (Sat), Watchhouse (Sun), The Wood Brothers (Fri), The War And Treaty (Fri), The Earls of Leicester (Sun), Sierra Hull (Sat), Tony Trischka’s EarlJam – Featuring Michael Daves (Fri, Sun), Sister Sadie (Fri), Town Mountain (Sat), Fireside Collective (Sat), Darin & Brooke Aldridge (Sun), Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley (Sun), Bronwyn Keith-Hynes (Sat), Henhouse Prowlers (Fri), Travis Book String Band (Fri), Authentic Unlimited (Fri), Darren Nicholson Band (Sun), Shawn Camp and Verlon Thompson :: Songs and Stories of Guy Clark (Sat), Holler Choir (Fri), Healing the Hollers ft. Unspoken Tradition (Sat), Songs From The Road Band (Sun), Allison de Groot + Tatiana Hargreaves (Sat), John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project (Sun), Nicholas Edward Williams (Fri), Reedy River String Band (Sun), Finkelstein 3 (Fri)

Earl Scruggs Center. The Earl Scruggs Center combines the life story of legendary five-string banjo master and Cleveland County native, Earl Scruggs, with the unique and engaging story of the history and cultural traditions of the region in which Scruggs was born and raised. It was in the nearby Flint Hill community where Scruggs learned to play banjo and perfected the three-finger playing style that has come to be known around the world as “Scruggs Style.” The Earl Scruggs Center explores Scruggs’ innovative career and the community that gave it shape while celebrating how he crossed musical boundaries and defined the voice of the banjo to the world. Mr. Scruggs embraced tradition while also adapting to the changing times and looking toward the future – themes that resonate throughout the Center. Engaging exhibits, special event space, and rich programming provide a uniquely rich experience for visitors.

Tryon International Equestrian Center. Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (Tryon International) is the ultimate destination for all who love horses, outdoor living, and an active lifestyle. Home of the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018, TIEC offers first-class facilities for equestrian events of all levels and disciplines. Located in the Blue Ridge Foothills of Mill Spring, NC, the competition experience is complemented by diverse onsite restaurants, a variety of shops, relaxing lodging getaways, family entertainment, and more. Learn more at tryon.com or call 828-863-1000.

About WNCW 88.7, Isothermal Community College. WNCW is a listener-supported public media service of Isothermal Community College, which serves the community through advancing new musical discoveries, showcasing local and regional talent, and preserving and promoting the traditions of Appalachian and roots music in our area and beyond. The station’s eclectic mix includes Americana, Triple-A rock/acoustic, bluegrass, blues, jazz, reggae, world, and other roots music styles, in addition to weekly spotlights on Bob Dylan, Doc Watson, The Grateful Dead, Frank Zappa and more. Live artist interviews and performances are broadcast frequently from WNCW’s professional recording studio, “Studio B”. As the flagship bluegrass station, WNCW broadcasts contemporary, traditional, and historical bluegrass music for eight hours each Saturday. Listeners can find WNCW at 88.7 FM throughout most of its listening area, which includes Western NC, Upstate SC and Eastern Tennessee. Translators rebroadcast the signal at 101.3 in Charlotte, 97.3 in Greenville, 92.9 in Boone and 90.9 WSIF in Wilkesboro. The station also has a worldwide audience through its livestream right here.

Visit their website and like their social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and X. It’s time to separate the wheat from the chaff.