Mark Your Calendar.
Music’s Always On.
The Tray Wellington Band w/ Rachel Gore
Banjo player Tray Wellington’s approach to the quintessential American instrument is all about looking forward. An International Bluegrass Music Association Award winner, Wellington is critically acclaimed not only for his technical prowess, but also for leveraging his unique point of view to craft a one-of-a-kind voice on the instrument. It’s a feat that’s all too rare in these roots genres that seem to value emulation and regurgitation over all else. Instead, Wellington has time and time again reasserted that his playing style, and all of the many varied and disparate parts that combine within it, is wholly his own – and it’s unconcerned with tradition.
Born underneath the Southern sun on the hottest July day, Rachel Gore finds respite in conversations with her ancestors about the cyclical nature of life and death.
The War And Treaty at Haw River
For the past decade, soulful duo The War And Treaty—the husband-and-wife team of Michael and Tanya Trotter—have released music that continues to elevate them beyond beloved industry favorites, as well as award-season and touring staples, capable of performing on stages worldwide with widespread acclaim and standing ovations.
Every aspect of their new project exemplifies the pinnacle of the group’s ever-creative growth within these mentioned ideas.
Twelve years after their founding, The War And Treaty have redefined themselves beyond Academy of Country Music, Country Music Association, and GRAMMY nominations. Moreover, being lauded by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry, and the Americana Music Association, which named them Duo/Group of the Year for two consecutive years, cannot contain them as a group greater than the sum of their most successful parts.
Steep Canyon Rangers at the Pyrle
Steep Canyon Rangers arrive at a moment of renewal and reaffirmation with Next Act, their 15th studio album released May 22, 2026. The record represents a conscious tightening of focus: a return to the bluegrass foundations that first bound the band together, approached with the confidence and emotional range earned through years of collective evolution. It is an affirmation that bluegrass still contains endless expressive possibility. Next Act finds the Rangers sounding deeply at home in their own musical language, drawing strength from tradition while continuing to write new chapters within it.
Supported by Justin Golden.
2026 festival
Our 2026 festival will be the biggest and best yet!!! Add it to your calendars and join us in Downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, September 18-20.
Lineup announcement coming early May.
local folk concert + festival kickoff!
Join us on Thursday, Sept. 17 at the Pyrle for an unforgettable night to kickoff our 2026 Festival featuring Oh He Dead and Sun Queen & The Solar Flares.
NCFF Kick-Off Jam @ Incendiary Brewing
Mark your calendars 9/15 and join us for our Folk Fest Kick-Off Party
Our house grass band Breakin’ Jimmys Martin are bringing the heat, fresh off their opening for Larry Keel and our friends from Cordial Cowboy are joining us to serve up some delicious alcohol- free cocktails.
Get info about the GSO run club and learn what the Hopper Trolley has to offer for all your Folk Fest Festivities
Rosin up that bow, practice them banjo rolls and make sure that B string is in tune. It’s time to jam! Good beer, good tunes, and good times Y’all come on.
local folk concert
Join us at The Crown on Friday, August 14, for a live concert featuring Justin Golden and Murphy Campbell!
local folk concert
Join us at The Flat Iron on Friday, July 24, for a live concert featuring Rissi Palmer and Mayia Warren!
local folk concert
Join us at Back Table on Sunday, June 21, for a live concert featuring Shana Tucker and Kay Marion!
ncff goes east
We are packing up our Folk Fest energy and hitting the road! Join us at End of Days Distillery for a sample of what we’re all about. Live music from Evan Blackerby + Karla Davis. Local vendors. Delicious eats. And just like our Festival… this event is FREE!
Evan Blackerby is a High Point, North Carolina-based singer-songwriter who crafts a unique blend of Americana, folk, and alt-rock. After transitioning to a full-time music career in 2022, he has performed over 600 public shows both as a soloist and with his band, Evan Blackerby & the Bandwagon. He gained significant regional recognition by winning the North Carolina Folk Festival's 2025 "Not Your Average Folk" contest and releasing his debut full-length album, Hop on the Bandwagon, in early 2025. Beyond his original music, Blackerby is an active community curator for the Nomad Listening Room and shares his creative journey through his Substack newsletter.
Karla Davis is a Nashville-based singer-songwriter from North Carolina known for her "country blue-eyed soul" sound and soulful vocal tone. Originally a collegiate soccer player at UNC Greensboro, she gained national fame as a top 16 finalist on Season 2 of NBC’s The Voice under coach Adam Levine. Throughout her career, she has performed on prestigious stages like the Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium, often supported by her partnership with Takamine Guitars.
lineup party
BE THE FIRST TO HEAR OUR 2026 LINEUP!!!!
We’re not just celebrating this year’s lineup… we’re bringing some folkin’ good music with it.
Join us at Natty Greene’s in downtown Greensboro on May 8 as we kick things off with live performances from Holler Choir and Too Phat Brass Band.
Good music like this doesn’t just happen, it grows from the roots.
And one more thing…
a portion of the proceeds from the night goes right back into keeping the festival free.
We’ll see you May 8!
Holler Choir is an Asheville-based string collective led by singer-songwriter Clint Roberts and multi-instrumentalist Jackson Grimm, blending Appalachian roots with an indie-pop energy. The group emerged in 2022 during the recording of Roberts' Mountain Air EP and features a rotating cast of virtuosic musicians like banjoist Helena Rose and fiddler Nat Copeland. Their sound, often described as "Appalachian indie-pop," combines haunting harmonies and stirring string arrangements that draw from old-time, bluegrass, and Americana traditions.
Based in Greensboro, NC, the Too Phat Brass Band is a dynamic ensemble dedicated to the high-energy traditions of New Orleans second-line music. Founded in 2020 by Josh Lambert, the group features a talented lineup including trombonist Leroy Pridgen IV, saxophonist Shane Wheeler, and trumpeter Benjamin Strickland. They are celebrated for their "Phat Toosday" performances and annual Mardi Gras parties, which bring a "moving celebration of life" to venues across the Southeast according to YES! Weekly. The band’s soulful sound and interactive style earned them a spot as a featured artist for the NC Folk Festival 2025.
Local folk gso summer tour kickoff
FOLK YEAH! Local Music. Local Love.
Friday, May 2 | first set starts @ 5:15pm
Natty Greene's in Downtown Greensboro
We’re kicking off the Local Folk GSO Summer Tour with an unforgettable night of homegrown talent and major festival news!
Live performances by:
King M Dot | Maia Kamil | Carri Smithey
PLUS: Be the very first to hear the 2025 NC Folk Festival lineup — revealed live at the show!
Free to attend. Folk-powered from start to finish.