Shakori Hills makes initial lineup announcement for fall festival

The Wailers are just one of the headliners of Shakori Hills
Fall Festival, taking place October 4-7

The bi-annual paradise of Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival has already dropped around a dozen or so names for their upcoming fall festival, and it's one that marks the return of some festival favorites and the addition of a few welcomed new faces.  Shakori Hills is held in April and October in Pittsboro, NC on a beautiful farmland, allowing for adults and children alike to forget about their worries of day-to-day life and simply immerse themselves in the sounds of bluegrass, folk, funk, soul, and pretty much everything in between.

From October 4-7, Shakori Hills will be rolling along with acts like The Wailers, Steep Canyon Rangers, and Lost in the Trees, just a snippet of what's sure to be another phenomenal lineup from this standout festival in North Carolina.  You can purchase a weekend pass at their Early Bird price of $85 until this Sunday when they make the leap to $95, but Early Bird or not this festival is worth every penny you drop on it.

This year's initial lineup has some fantastic new faces joining the Grassroots family such as the legendary Wailers and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, a high-energy Grammy nominated funky jazz group that's sure to get the crowds at Shakori dancing through the night.  While the new names stand out, it's some of these old favorites returning that has me most excited.  Since I've started attending Shakori I still haven't gotten to see the Carolina darlings of Lost in the Trees grace the stage, but that changes this year.  It's the perfect environment to take in all of the beauty of Ari Picker's orchestrations, in the middle of a farmland surrounded by people who care just as deeply about music as yourself.  Shakori staples like Donna The Buffalo, Preston Frank, and The Ayr Mountaineers have been announced as well as the infectious Latin funk group that nearly stole my Saturday night last Spring, Suenalo.  This perfect mixture of local gems and internationally touring talents will continue to grow as we get nearer to the festival, much like my anticipation.


To put it simply, Shakori Hills is a festival that you go to once and never stop coming to.  The energy throughout the festival grounds will infect you, you'll drive away on that dirt covered road on Sunday counting down the days until the next time you'll be making your trek out to the Hills.  You might even feel this way with a case of Bronchitis, as I got the joy of experiencing last Fall.  In sickness or in health Shakori will make it all feel okay, because quite frankly what could be better than 4 straight days of music surrounded by those you love and those you'll learn to love.  I've made friends and memories that will last a lifetime, I've seen my adored Camp Honeybadger grow exponentially with each festival outing, and I've felt the joy permeating throughout the community of Shakori.  Do yourself a favor and immerse yourself in the same.  The rest of the initial lineup can be found below:

ArtOfficial | The Ayr Mountaineers | Big Fat Gap | The Cane Creek Cloggers | Donna The Buffalo | Driftwood | Elephant Revival | LiLa | Lost in the Trees | Preston Frank | Randy Dean Whitt | Rosie Ledet & The Zydeco Playboys | Shannon Whitworth | Steep Canyon Rangers | Suenalo | Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue | The Wailers