MerleFest

MerleFest began in the spring of 1988 and has grown from two flat-bed trailers and 4,000 attendees to 13 stages with more than 81,500 festival participants and an annual economic impact for the region in excess of twelve million dollars. According to MerleFest Executive Director B Townes, however, the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Festival was intended to be a “one time, one night, one man show.”

From its two-stage beginning, MerleFest evolved to thirteen stages spread across the Wilkes campus.

Jamming, or collaborations, among often-unusual combinations of the diverse musical talents at the festival became a defining feature of MerleFest.

“A lot of people think it’s my festival,” Doc Watson told the Macon (GA) Telegraph, for May 14, 2004. “It’s Merle’s festival, and I respect my son. I’m proud of the success of the festival. I’ve been told it’s the best festival in the world. I don’t doubt it.”

(From the Festival Website)

Location