FreshGrass Returns to the Momentary

Jason isbell, trampled by turtles, molly tuttle, valerie june, and more to perform at bentonville’s beloved bluegrass music festival 

Download high-resolution images of 2024 artists and past FreshGrass festivals.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — The Momentary today announced the full lineup for 2024 FreshGrass, Bentonville’s two-day, all-ages festival with the best of today’s bluegrass and progressive roots music. Taking place May 17-18, this year’s performers include Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Trampled by Turtles, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Valerie June, Aoife O’Donovan, Alison Brown, Ruthie Foster, S.G. Goodman, Arkansauce, Meridian Brothers, The Harlem Gospel Travelers, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Mr. Sun, JD Clayton, Peter One, Aurelio Martinez, Eric Mingus, and more.

“FreshGrass is the first music festival we ever held at the Momentary, and it’s successfully paved the way for the premier music venue this space has become,” said Jill Wagar, director of the Momentary. “Now in its fourth year, we’re excited to welcome our community back to FreshGrass and give them the unique opportunity to see Grammy Award-winning artists, special commissions, and world premieres live and up-close. This is a can’t-miss event that has truly become a beloved tradition here in Bentonville.”

This year’s knockout performances will be accompanied by fun, family-friendly activities, homegrown retail vendors, artist merchandise, line dancing, industry workshops, and a curated selection of food and beverage vendors, including a pop-up dining experience from Crystal Bridges Executive Chef Timothy Ordway.

Programming will also include House of Songs’ SongRider, an energizing performance of original songs crafted by musicians and outdoor culture leaders during biking excursions; and Belly of the Beast, a theatrical work by Jefferson Pinder featuring a genre-face off between gospel and bluegrass. Commissioned by the Momentary for the Barn, the work will rely on sound, music, and language as a catalyst of understanding difference.

Commissions made especially for FreshGrass will premiere at the festival as well. Aoife O’Donovan & Hawktail featuring The University of Arkansas Children’s Choir will perform America, Come, a musical exploration of voting rights for women inspired by the lives, letters, and speeches of the president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association during the summer of 1920. Mr. Sun will perform a new re-interpretation of Duke Ellington’s interpretation of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, and Eric Mingus & the Sacred Routes Vocal Ensemble will perform “Sacred Routes,” using words and melody to trace the roots of our human connection, with emphasis on human migration.

Set among the beauty of the Ozarks, FreshGrass | Bentonville has welcomed nearly 20,000 attendees to the Momentary since its inception. Presented by the Momentary in collaboration with the FreshGrass Foundation and No Depression, past headliners have included phenomenal talents from 12-time Grammy winner Dispatch (Acoustic) to lauded singer-songwriter Amos Lee, and a myriad of national and local stars, Grammy-nominated artists, and internationally and nationally acclaimed musicians taking the stage over the weekend.

2024 tickets are available here. For more information about FreshGrass, visit themomentary.org/FreshGrass.

FreshGrass | Bentonville is supported in part by The Coca-Cola Company, Cox Communications, and iHeartMedia.

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About FreshGrass Foundation

FreshGrass Foundation, a 501(c)(3), is an award-winning, nonprofit organization focused on sustainable solutions for the music industry. We partner with world-class institutions such as The Office Performing Arts + Film, MASS MoCA, The Momentary, Berklee College of Music, Silkroad, and many others to bring world class performing arts experiences to life.

Our main projects include: FreshGrass Festivals in North Adams, MA and Bentonville, AR, which have welcomed artists such as Brandi Carlile, Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, Gary Clark Jr., and many others. Renowned grants, commissions, and awards to musicians and writers for new works. Production and publication of No Depression, the quarterly journal of roots music as well Folk Alley, the 24-hour online listening for roots music. Founding partners of Artists At Work, a program that provides living wages for living artists. Administer the Steve Martin Banjo Prize, a prestigious award founded by Steve Martin (actor/comedian) that recognizes an individual or group for outstanding accomplishment in banjo. Operate and manage Studio 9 in North Adams, MA, a state-of-the-art recording studio and venue. Through a cutting-edge, multidisciplinary and collaborative approach, FreshGrass continually strives to help promote new artists and create new art through each of its entities.

FreshGrass is committed to making our organization completely sustainable and carbon neutral. Learn more about our green pledge by reading our FreshGrass Sustainability Manifesto.

About the Momentary

Opened in February of 2020 in Downtown Bentonville, the Momentary is a platform for the music, art, and food of our time. It is a catalyst for creativity and economic vitality, and a welcoming hub that gathers and celebrates local heroes and international stars. The Momentary was founded by the Walton family, based on the vision of Tom, Olivia, and Steuart Walton. Its commitment to cultivating arts and cultural experiences provides more opportunities for education, engagement, and enjoyment in our region. The Momentary is an extension of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, founded by Alice Walton. The Momentary welcomes all with free general admission. Additional offerings include live music, visual and performing arts, an artist-in-residence program, culinary experiences such as Onyx Coffee Lab and the sky-high Tower Bar, indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, an outdoor festival space, and a retail shop. For more information, visit theMomentary.org. The Momentary is located at 507 SE E Street, Bentonville, Arkansas 72712. The Momentary’s Founding Funders are Walton Family Foundation, Walmart, RØDE Microphones, The Coca-Cola Company, Tyson Family Foundation, and Willard and Pat Walker Charitable Foundation.