The Black Mountain Music Festival runs Friday through Sunday, Oct. 2-4, at Flat Rock’s Camp Ton-A-Wandah. Advance-ticket holders will be admitted starting at 10 a.m. on Friday; gates open at noon for everyone else.
Performers:
Besides Keb’ Mo’ (Saturday, 8:15 p.m.) and Rick Danko (Saturday, 5:30 and 10 p.m.), other featured artists include: the willfully crazed Dr. Demento (performing throughout the weekend); the bluegrass-tinged sounds of the Lynn Morris Band (Friday, 5:30 p.m.); blues legend Etta Baker (Saturday, 5:30 p.m.); the way-beyond-bluegrass electrified sounds of bluegrass legend Ralph Lewis and Sons (a.k.a. Sons of Ralph); and the soulful, rootsy Tiny Town (Saturday, 5:30 p.m.); plus, The Celtic Boys, Seconds Flat, the Snake Oil Medicine Show, The Rank Outsiders, Acoustic Syndicate, David Childers, B-Goes, Refried Confusion, The Willie & Joe Show, Lisa Baldwin and David Haney, B.J. Bowen, Bill Phillips, The Hogtown Squealers, Grasshopper Highway, Stir Fried (featuring Vassar Clements), the Gospel Playboys, Bruce Piephoff, Kat Hill, and more performers not confirmed at press time.
For evening headliner performances, plan to be at the gate at least 90 minutes early.
Other festival attractions include drum, contra-dance and instrumental workshops; various (and sometimes spontaneous) Celtic and bluegrass jams; vendors galore; children’s activities; and a best-campsite contest.
Tickets: Weekend passes are $65 in advance, $70 at the gate ($30 for youths ages 10-15; children under 10 get in free). Day passes, available at the gate, are as follows: Friday: $17.50/adults, $10/youths. Saturday: $27.50/adults, $15/youths. Saturday after 6 p.m.: $25/adults, $12.50/youths. Sunday: $12/adults, $5/youths. Partial-weekend tickets, available on Saturday, are good for Saturday and Sunday, including Saturday night camping. The cost is $50/adults, $30/youth.
Directions to Camp Ton-A-Wandah: From I-26, take Exit 22 and head toward Flat Rock/Carl Sandburg Home/The Festival. Travel about 2.5 miles on Upward Road, which will end at Rt. 25/ Greenville Highway. Make a left and go 0.8 miles to Little River Road. Turn right on Little River Road, go 2.2 miles and make a left on Lake Falls Road. Festival entrance will be 300 yards on the right.
The Black Mountain Music Festival is produced by Miracle Productions, in association with Camp Ton-a-Wandah and Uncle Dave Presents. A portion of the proceeds goes to Camp Merritimes, a facility for children with cancer.
Call (828) 281-3382 for tickets and more info, or visit the festival Web site at www.mindspring.com/~bmmf.
an awesome show, and my introduction to contradancing!