The Eno River Festival, which takes place every year along the banks of the Eno River in north Durham—and has, now, for 43 years—is the kind of event you could risk taking for granted. But the pandemic has snapped gratitude for live events back into place, and the Eno River Festival, which sprawls outdoors at West Point for the Eno, is particularly suited for the times. Bring a blanket and a bottle of water and you’re pretty much set for the day. 

This year, the festival will take place on Saturday, July 2, and Monday, July 4, and will feature 65 artists across four stages. Tickets are available online. 

Highlights include H.C. McEntire, The Branchettes, and Molly Sarlé—you can read INDY profiles of all three acts online—as well as performances by Daughter of Swords, African American Dance Ensemble, Tumbao, Jon Shain & FJ Ventre, Blackhaus, the Pie Faced Girls, Willi Carlisle, The Gospel Tones, The Gospel Jubilators, Mellow Swells, Javier Montana’s Grupo Norteno, Libby Rodenbough, Al Riggs, Joe Newberry, Dissimilar South, Apple Chill Cloggers, Tray Wellington, Cane Creek Cloggers, Weirs, XOXOK, Secret Monkey Weekend, Sonny Miles, and more. 

“We are excited to return to the full Festival experience on the banks of the Eno River this year,” EnoFest director Greg Bell wrote in a press release. “We enjoyed the virtual events over the past two years, but can’t wait to get everyone back together on the Eno to enjoy the exceptional places the Festival funding protects.”

Proceeds go to the non-profit Eno River Association, which works to conserve the river and its resources. Over the past year, the fate of parts of the river and its surrounding property has come into question due to a proposed development by West Point that has caused considerable community pushback. 

If you can’t make this particular musical throwdown, others are on the horizon, including newcomer festival That Music Fest, which is presented by Come Hear NC and is slated for June 24 and 25 at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Its impressive lineup of 25 local acts includes the Steep Canyon Rangers, The Mountain Goats, American Aquarium, Mipso, and Rissi Palmer. 

Other summer music series in the Triangle include Carrboro’s Freight Train Blues series, Raleigh’s summer concert series at Pullen Park, and Durham’s Rock the Park movie and music series. 

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Sarah Edwards is culture editor of the INDY, covering cultural institutions and the arts in the Triangle. She joined the staff in 2019 and assumed her current role in 2020.