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MerleFest 2026, featuring traditional music and more, kicks off Thursday in Wilkesboro

88.5 WFDD - Public Radio For The Piedmont | By David Ford
Published April 22, 2026 at 3:03 PM EDT
Alison Krauss & Union Station will headline this year's MerleFest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
Courtesy MerleFest
Alison Krauss & Union Station will headline this year's MerleFest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

MerleFest kicks off its 38th season this week. The four-day tribute to legendary guitarist Doc Watson’s son, Merle, features traditional music of the Appalachian region and more.

This year’s headliners are, as usual, some of the biggest names in bluegrass, like headliner Alison Krauss & Union Station, Sam Bush and newgrass with artists including Steep Canyon Rangers and Railroad Earth.

But there’s much more to MerleFest than bluegrass. Olubukola Joy is a Nigerian American singer-songwriter who blends folk, pop and R&B. And Ukelele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro draws from elements of jazz, classical, traditional Hawaiian music and more.

And with nearly 100 artists in this year’s lineup, that’s just scratching the surface. MerleFest takes place on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro.
Arts & Culture
David Ford
Before his arrival in the Triad, David had already established himself as a fixture in the Austin, Texas arts scene as a radio host for Classical 89.5 KMFA. During his tenure there, he produced and hosted hundreds of programs including Mind Your Music, The Basics and T.G.I.F. Thank Goodness, It's Familiar, which each won international awards in the Fine Arts Radio Competition. As a radio journalist with 88.5 WFDD, his features have been recognized by the Associated Press, Public Radio News Directors Inc., Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals, and Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas. David has written and produced national stories for NPR, KUSC and CPRN in Los Angeles and conducted interviews for Minnesota Public Radio's Weekend America.
See stories by David Ford