Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music and Dance

May 7–10, $25+

Shakori Hills, Pittsboro

Tickets for this May’s edition of the biannual Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival in Pittsboro are already on sale, with tickets starting at $25 for tent campers and day passers, before the lineup has even been announced.

That’s a mark of the festival’s tradition of bringing global roots music, inclusive dance, and family-friendly vibes to happy campers for the greater part of two decades.  

If you want to find out what’s on the bill before you start packing your cooler, though, the festival is livestreaming its lineup announcement on Facebook and YouTube from 2–4 p.m. on Sunday, February 9. The announcement will also include performances by Emily Musolino and interviews with festival director Emily Wilhelm and Foothills Brewing’s Scott Mizerak.

The same day brings the release of a new podcast featuring alumni from the festival, Shakori Sessions. The first episode features Sierra Ferrell.

As for the lineup, you can almost count on Donna the Buffalo, who helped found the festival, but otherwise, you never know exactly what to expect from Shakori. The last one featured everything from New Orleans jam-funk band Galactic to the N.C.-meets-Scottish-Highlands folk of The Tan and Sober Gentlemen and the elegant singer-songwriter sounds of Skylar Gudasz.

But it’s always good, clean fun for a good, clean cause: It’s a benefit for the Shakori Hills Community Arts Center, which provides free or low-cost music and art programs in rural areas around the Triangle.

Contact arts and culture editor Brian Howe at [email protected]. 

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