Some great folk music and arts festivals happening this weekend, be sure to check out what’s going on in your local community! If you have any info about local events or some pictures you’d like to share, [email-obfuscate email=”festivals@singout.org” link_title=”send us an email”]! Sing Out! provides an international listing of folk music festivals and camps, which can be found at https://www.singout.org/fests.html.

It might be the 150th anniversary of the battle of Gettysburg, but this weekend there’s another reason to make your way to the battlegrounds. The Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival celebrates its first weekend, starting on the 16th. The May festival features over two dozen artists, including Larry Sparks and the Lonesome Ramblers, The Gibson Brothers, Dailey & Vincent, and a slew of others. In addition there will be an all-star jam and Pete Wernick’s Jam Camp. It’s bound to be a fun time, and a short drive away from our friends in Philadelphia and the rest of the Northeast. Tickets are available for discount pricing on their website www.gettysburgbluegrass.com , but can be purchased at the gate.

Minnesotans and other Midwesterners have a destination, south of Rochester MN; the Semba Bluegrass Festival. This spring bluegrass festival is a quaint gathering which comes on the tail of a Pot Luck Dinner being the evening prior to the festival. If you make your way to the fest, be sure to bring an instrument, as jamming is always present on the campgrounds. For more info, please visit www.camppeak.com or www.semba.tv.

The Wildflower! Arts and Music Festival is being held in Richardson, Texas this weekend. Musical guests include Eliza Gilkyson, Joe Crookston, Amy Speace, Brother Sun, among many more. There will also be a huge art guitar program and auction, several kids activities, and a singer-songwriter contest. Tickets are available on their website, located at www.wildflowerfestival.com.

If you’re looking for some blues this weekend, look no further than Sandy Point State Park, in Annapolis Maryland. The Chesapeake Bay Blues Fest is this weekend and will feature performances by Bonnie Raitt and Eric Burdon and the Animals. Other acts scheduled for the weekend include, Trombone Shorty, Mavis Staples, Nikki Hill and The Slide Brothers, among others. They’ve also announced that the 2013 Chesapeake Bay Blues Fest will be going “Zero Waste” this year, and will now be recycling all utensils, paper, etc., in addition to turning all food scraps into compost. Events start at 10:30 AM. You can find more info at www.bayblues.org.

And here’s some photos from last week’s festivals:

Master Drummers of Ghana at the Newbury Spring Festival (From Instagram user @newburyspringfestival)

The Symphonic Brass of London at Newbury Spring Festival (from Instagram user @newburyspringfestival)

Southern roots and heritage at San Diego’s Crawfish Festival this weekend (from Instagram user @ameeliza)

— SO! Editorial Staff