Southern Festivals 2023
January
1/20-24
Mile 0 Festival - Key West, FL
Americana music
Info
March
3/2-5
Okeechobee Music Festival - Okeechobee, FL
Underground rap, edm, rock, funk... This is will be ratchet.
Info
3/21 - 4/8
Savannah Music Festival - Savannah, GA
Highlights: Buddy Guy, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Galactic, Infamous Stringdusters, and some interesting jazz and non-western acts.
Info
April
4/14
TN River history, heritage, and weaponry fest - Saltillo, TN
Aimed at the preservation of our history & ancestors. This event will be packed full of demonstrations, and hands on activities. Demonstrations include period encampments, cooking, flintknapping, woodworking, soap making, firearm and artillery demonstrations, field hospital & surgeon, colonial church service, sutlers, trade blankets, food & crafts/etc.
Info
4/13-16
French Quarter Festival - New Orleans, LA
Incredible music and it’s FREE.
Info
4/15-16
High Water Fest - Charleston, SC
Highlights: Beck, Big Boi, Wilco, Sierra Ferrel
Info
4/22-23
Main Street Fest Franklin, TN
Info
4/23
Rarity Festival - Memphis, TN
Beer festival held by Wiseacre. Breweries from all over the country showcase their beers. A ticket gets you a taster glass and 4 hours of unlimited drinking.
Info
4/27 - 4/30
Merlefest - Wilkesboro, NC
One of the largest bluegrass festivals in the country. Large lineup, a variety of stages, camping, and, unfortunately, thain't no alcohol allowed.
Info
4/28-30
Something in the Water - Virginia Beach, VA
This is a West Coast music festival, rap, r&b and such.
Info
4/29 - 5/1
SweetWater 420 Fest - Atlanta, GA
Jam band heavy lineup.
Info
May
5/6
Sevier Park Fest - Nashville, TN
Info
5/5-7
Shaky Knees - Atlanta, GA
Highlights: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Tenacious D, Cyprus Hill, Pond, Fidlar, Muse, The Flaming Lips
Info
5/5-7
Beale Street Music Festival - Memphis, TN
Southern Rap + Rock. This one's ratchet.
Info
5/5-7
Boxcar Pinion Bluegrass Festival - Chickamauga, GA
Another good ole bluegrass fest tucked away just south of Chattanooga.
Info
5/7
Spring BierFest - Helen, GA
Helen is a Bavarian style village in North Georgia famous for it’s Oktoberfest.
Info
5/12-13
Middle TN Strawberry Festival - Portland, TN
82nd annual. 55,000 in attendance in 2022.
Info
5/17-20
World Championship BBQ Cooking Competition - Memphis, TN
Info
5/19-20
Kilgore Station Bluegrass Festival - Crossplains, TN
High likelihood of a jug player here.
Info
5/20-21
Step Through Time - New Bern, NC
Demonstrations and reenactments of different eras in history.
Info
5/21-22
Smoky Mountain Scottish Festival & Games - Townsend, TN
Festivities include hammer throw or caber toss, a medley of bands including bagpipes and drummers, and clan challenges like the kilted mile run or the battle axe competition.
Info
5/19-20
Poorcastle - Louisville, KY
The poor man’s Forecastle.
Info
5/19-21
Hangout Fest - Gulf Shores, AL
Stages on the beach. Variety of genres.
Info
5/27-29
Forecastle Fest - Louisville, KY
No Forecastle this year!
Info
5/27-29
Atlanta Jazz Fest - Atlanta, GA
Free!
Info
June
6/2-4
Riverbend Festival - Chattanooga, TN
3 river front stages. Lineup includes Les Claypool's Flying Frog Brigade, Big Boi, Goose, Trombone Shorty, and Lucius
Info
6/3
Folk Medicine Festival - Red Boiling Springs, TN
Info
6/3
Dunlap Coke Ovens Bluegrass Festival - Dunlap, TN
Bluegrass festival held on a historic coal mining site containing the ruins of 268 Beehive Coke Ovens built in 1902.
Info
6/8-10
Cherokee Bluegrass Festival - Cherokee, NC
Bluegrass in the smokies.
Info
6/8-11
Dirty Bird CampINN - Orlando, FL
House music
Info
6/9-10
Redneck Rumble - Lebanon, TN
Great gathering of gearheads, possibly the rowdiest party on the list.
Info
6/15-18
Bonnaroo - Manchester, TN
The Coachella of the TN.
Info
6/21-24
Rompfest - Owensboro, KY
Large bluegrass music festival with camping.
Info
July
Early July
Byrd’s Creek Music Fest - Crossville, TN
Country and Bluegrass heavy lineup, notable names include Del Mcoury, Hannah Juanita, The Tillers, and Chelsea Lovitt.
Info
Late July
Cave Spring Motorcycle Rally & Music Fest - Cave Spring, GA
Info
7/26-30
Floydfest - Patrick County, VA
Big lineup of bluegrass, blues, country, folk, and rock. Highlights: MMJ, Sheryl Crow, Goose, Circles Around the Sun, Nikki Lane.
Info
August
8/11-12
Tomato Fest - Nashville, TN
Only fools don’t dress up like a tomato for this.
Info
8/18-19
Deep Tropics - Nashville, TN
House/Techno
Info
Mid August
German Bierfest - Atlanta, GA
One day of biers, brats, döners, pretzels, kraut, and schnitzel.
Info
September
9/7-10
Oktoberfest - Helen, GA
This Bavarian style village has it's 53rd Oktoberfest this year.
Info
9/8-10
Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion - Bristol, TN
Bluegrass, Country, Folk...
Info
9/9-10
Middle TN Highland Games - Hendersonville, TN
Music, food, scotch, athletics, bagpipes
Info
9/14-17
Bourbon & Beyond - Louisville, KY
This is a huge festival with 140,000 in attendance in 2022. Rock, country, blues, bluegrass, folk, indie.
Info
9/15-17
Imagine Music Festial - Rome, GA
EDM + camping
Info
9/16-23
Americana Fest - Nashville, TN
Taking place in bars all around the city. Expansive lineup of country, bluegrass, folk and the like.
Info
9/21-24
Louder Than Life - Louisville, KY
Most aggressive lineup on the list. Slipknot, Helmet, Incubus, Tenacious D, and the like.
Info
9/23-24
Pilgrimage Festival - Nashville, TN
Country, bluegrass, folk
Info
9/22-24
Furnace Fest - Birmingham, AL
Most sacrilegious lineup on the list. Thanks to Black Sabbath, these bands really love Christian symbolism, but hey, don’t we all?
Info
Late September
Creekers Ball - Pegram, TN
The Creekers are a community in Pegram, and Nearing it's 40th year, the Creekers Ball is their annual music festival. All proceeds going to various groups in their community and county.
Info
9/28-29
Black Mountain Jamboree - Monticello, KY
Intimate bluegrass fest on a beautiful stretch of the Cumberland River. Looks like the ideal bluegrass festival, honestly.
Info
9/29 - 10/1
Mempho - Memphis, TN
Jam, rock, jamgrass.
Info
9/29-30
GA Mushroom Fest - Cave Spring, GA
Music and mycology.
Info
October
10/12-15
Moonshiner's Ball - Mount Vernon, KY
Jam, rock, folk, country, bluegrass, and moonshine hosted by The Blind Corn Liquor Pickers in Livingston, KY
Info
10/27-29
18th Century Market - Louisville, KY
Participate in an reenactment of 18th century life. Food, drink, markets, and battle reenactments.
Info
December
Early December
North Beach Music Festival - Miami Beach, FL
This one's funky. The 2022 lineup included Lettuce, Moe, Keller Williams, Lotus.
Info