More Than Just Music: Your Guide to FreshGrass | Bentonville 2024
looking for the latest freshgrass | bentonville info?
To see weather updates, maps, current festival schedule, food and drink info, and more all in one convenient place, be sure to check out our Weekend Mobile Guide!
Ready for the best in roots music?
Festival season is officially here and we’re kicking it off with the long-awaited return of the best bluegrass and progressive roots music fest around–FreshGrass! Get ready to dive into the heart of the Ozarks and plan your weekend of toe-tapping tunes, artistic explorations, and endless fun for the whole family.
SCHEDULE
FRIDAY
4 PM | GATES OPEN
4:30-5:10 PM | JD CLAYTON
5:15-6:15 PM | AOIFE O’DONOVAN & HAWKTAIL FEATURING THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S CHOIR
6-7 PM | MR. SUN PLAYS DUKE ELLINGTON’S NUTCRACKER SUITE
6:20-7:05 PM | RUTHIE FOSTER
7:10-8:10 PM | MOLLY TUTTLE & GOLDEN HIGHWAY
8-10 PM | SQUARE DANCING
8:15-9 PM | AURELIO MARTINEZ
9:05-10:35 PM | TRAMPLED BY TURTLES
10:40-11:55 PM | ARKANSAUCE
12 AM | GATES CLOSE
Saturday
12 PM | GATES OPEN
12:30-1:15 PM | HOUSE OF SONGS PRESENTS: SONGRIDER
12:30-1:15 PM | BANJO WORKSHOP WITH ALISON BROWN
1-2 PM | ERIC MINGUS & THE SACRED ROUTES VOCAL ENSEMBLE
1:15-2 PM | FIDDLE WORKSHOP WITH DAROL ANGER
1:30-2:15 PM | PETER ONE
2:15-3 PM | JAM SESSION
2:20-3:20 PM | SG GOODMAN
3:24-4:25 PM | THE HARLEM GOSPEL TRAVELERS
3:30-4:15 PM | MANDOLIN WORKSHOP WITH SHARON GILCHRIST
4:30-5:30 PM | ALISON BROWN
5:35-6:35 PM | MERIDIAN BROTHERS
5:45 – 6:45 PM | JAM SESSION
6:40-7:40 PM | VALERIE JUNE
7:30-9:30 PM | SQUARE DANCING
7:45-8:45 PM | THE PO’ RAMBLIN’ BOYS
8:50-10:50 PM | JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT
12 AM | GATES CLOSE
FOOD + DRINKS
- MarShae’s Sweet Escape
- BeaverTails
- Poppin’ Up at the Momentary by Chef Timothy Ordway
- Wright’s BBQ
- Free Wheelin’ Pizzeria
- Stuffed
- ShoBo’s Kitchen
- Southern Sippin’
- Benton’s Roasted Nuts
- Taqueria Lucha
WORKSHOPS
Fine-tune your skills with hands-on workshops and jam sessions IN THE TULIP BARN!
You are encouraged to bring your instrument and participate in jam sessions on Friday and Saturday. Saturday will also feature three artist-led workshops featuring banjo, fiddle, and mandolin. These free workshops focus on instruments and bluegrass techniques. Space is limited, so register upon arrival–first come, first served. Instrument check available in the Boiler Room.
12:30-1:15 PM | BANJO WORKSHOP WITH ALISON BROWN
1:15-2 PM | FIDDLE WORKSHOP WITH DAROL ANGER
3:30-4:15 PM | MANDOLIN WORKSHOP WITH SHARON GILCHREST
COMMISSIONS
Eric Mingus and the Sacred Roots Vocal Ensemble
1-2 PM ON SATURDAY, MAY 18 | RØDE HOUSE
Eric Mingus and vocalists use words and melody to trace the roots of our human connection, with emphasis on human migration; paying tribute to the fact that so often in forced migration, the only thing a person can carry with them is a song.
“Sacred Routes” honors the song as a means of universal communication; where language can fail, the song may still be understood. It features the human voice, along with percussive sounds made using the body (hand claps, foot stomps, etc) and handmade acoustic instruments crafted by Eric.
Mr Sun Plays Ellington’s Nutcracker
Mr Sun records and performs a new interpretation of Ellington’s legendary Nutcracker Suite. Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite contains some of the most beloved and familiar melodies in the Western world. Mr Sun has seized upon the inspiration of Duke Ellington’s brilliant, sly, & urbane re-interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Suite as an opportunity to salute and re-invent this wildly multi-faceted work anew through the lens of the American String Band, a musical form which contains myriad styles and is presently engaged in a marathon upheaval of innovation and expansion.
On Mr Sun’s new recording, the pieces of the Suite range from close interpretations of Billy Strayhorn’s original charts to intense extrapolations based on the spirit of the material. On the recording, Mr Sun generally played original improvised solos, though some crucial musical statements by giants such as Johnny Hodges and Paul Gonsalves were transcribed directly and played in their spirit. Most of Strayhorn’s startling original horn voicings have been preserved in bowed strings, with multi-mandolin parts adding a punchy edge.
AOIFE O’DONOVAN & HAWKTAIL FEATURING THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S CHOIR performs America, Come
Inspired by the lives, letters and speeches of the president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association Carrie Chapman Catt and United States President Woodrow Wilson during the summer of 1920, GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter Aoife O’Donovan joins the Pops for her musical exploration of voting rights for women.
House of Songs
House of Songs Presents: SongRider
Brought to you by the House of Songs, SongRider harmonizes Northwest Arkansas musicians and outdoor culture leaders in a unique collaboration. Witness the magic as original songs, crafted during mountain and gravel biking excursions, culminate in a vibrant performance at FreshGrass. Each adventure, starting March 2024, is documented in Instagram films, capturing the fusion of nature and melody. Join us for an exhilarating journey, proudly presented by the House of Songs, where outdoor culture and music ride side by side creating experiences of creativity that transcend boundaries.
FRESHKIDS
FreshKids offers family-friendly activities during the festival for kids of all ages. Activities include marker printing, shaker making, reading nooks, and coloring sheets. Adult supervision is required.
Plus, check out our CB to You Mobile Art Lab with tons of fun art activities for the kids! Located on the Momentary Green, you’ll still be in view (and earshot!) of the Main Stage.
Parking & Biking
Paid parking is available in the Momentary Garage. There will be a bike valet outside the Tulip Barn.
A shuttle is located outside the 8th Street entrance.
Additional parking is available at the Walmart parking lot.