Organizers of the 11th annual Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival released their “sneak preview” music lineup today, with Shovels & Rope at the top of the early band list.

The Charleston, S.C., roots/rock duo were joined on the bill by progressive bluegrass acts Billy Strings and Mountain Heart, festival mainstays Yarn, Charlottesville jam/rock band Kendall Street Company and rising rock act C2 & The Brothers Reed.

Tickets to Rooster Walk 11 (RW11) go on sale at noon EST on Wednesday (Nov. 21st) through the festival’s website, www.roosterwalk.com

RW11 will take place Thursday-Sunday, May 23-26, 2019 at Pop's Farm, located in the rolling countryside surrounding Martinsville, Va. Rooster Walk is a 4-day festival celebrating music, art, and the great outdoors at the idyllic Pop's Farm venue. With roughly 50 bands performing on 5 different stages, an eclectic roster of great music guides the Rooster Walk experience.

“This is a great start to our lineup, and just a taste of the 50-or-so bands that will perform at the festival this year,” said Johnny Buck, a Rooster Walk organizer. “We’ve wanted to host Shovels & Rope for a while now, so it’s very exciting to have them on board. And then there are some major fan-favorites already on the bill, like Mountain Heart and Yarn, that our fans request each year. We’ve got a lot more bands to come, including the top two headliners.”

In addition to four days of amazing music, the family-friendly Rooster Walk will offer a wide variety of kids' activities, craft beer, great food, arts and numerous opportunities to enjoy Virginia's great outdoors with kayak tours, bike rides, yoga, a disc golf course and beautiful on-site camping.

Rooster Walk has been named one of the Top 5 festivals in the state by the Richmond-Times Dispatch. It also has been voted the region’s Most Creative Charitable Event by readers of Virginia Living Magazine. The festival was created in memory of late Martinsville natives Edwin “The Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank, who graduated from Martinsville High School in 2000 along with Buck and fellow festival co-founder William Baptist.

A portion of proceeds from the festival will be donated to local and regional charities, including Rooster Walk’s own Penn-Shank Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund for students at Martinsville High School, and the Rooster Walk Music Instrument Program for public band programs in the local city and county school systems. In 2018, Rooster Walk, Inc. donated more than $30,000 to local and regional charities.

The festival is produced by Rooster Walk Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting music, arts and education in its home of Martinsville-Henry County. Since 2009, Rooster Walk Inc. has donated more than $175,000 to local and regional charities

New Orleans-based band Galactic will headline the 11th annual Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival, organizers announced today. Other bands added to the growing lineup include: Turkuaz (funk/Brooklyn NY); BIG Something (rock/jam Burlington, NC); The Lil Smokies (bluegrass, Missoula, Mont.); The Black Lillies (roots/Knoxville, Tenn.); The Roosevelt Collier Band (rock & blues/Miami, Fla.); Fireside Collective (bluegrass/Asheville, NC); South Hill Banks (roots rock/Richmond); The Vegabonds (southern rock/Nashville), Palm Palm (rock/Richmond, Va.) and After Jack (folk/Rocky Mount, Va.).

The festival will take place Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-26, 2019, at the idyllic Pop’s Farm near Martinsville, Va. About 20 more bands will be added to the lineup before it is complete.

Formed in 1994, Galactic has spent 25 years touring the country and establishing itself as one of the Big Easy’s most identifiable musical acts.  The band has developed a unique sound in that time frame, drawing from rock, funk, brass bands, blues, jazz, hip hop, electronic and world music.

In the coming weeks, Galactic is set to release its first album in more than three years and will hit the road for a nationwide tour.

“Galactic is a band that we’ve always wanted to host at Rooster Walk,” said Johnny Buck, a co-founder of the festival. “Their live show is fantastic and a great fit for that dance-inducing, 10 pm headlining set that our fans have grown to know and love as part of the Rooster Walk experience.”

Turkuaz and BIG Something also bring post-sundown energy to the lineup.

Turkuaz, from Brooklyn, N.Y., is one of the hottest young bands on the funk/jam scene today. Their huge sound, which includes male and female vocals and a full horn section, is most notable for its innate ability to keep the audience dancing from start to finish.

Since forming in nearby Burlington, N.C., BIG Something has also made waves across the country as one of the jam/rock genre’s brightest rising stars. They will make their third appearance at Rooster Walk, and their first since 2015 (Rooster Walk 7).

Bands previously announced as part of the band lineup include: Shovels & Rope, The Marcus King Band, Billy Strings, King & Strings, Mountain Heart, Yarn, Kendall Street Company, State Birds and C2 & The Brothers Reed.

With over 40 bands performing on five different stages over the four-day weekend, an eclectic roster of great music guides the Rooster Walk experience.

In addition, the family-friendly Rooster Walk will offer a wide variety of kids' activities, craft beer, great food, arts and numerous opportunities to enjoy Virginia's great outdoors with kayak tours, bike rides, yoga, a disc golf course and beautiful on-site camping.

Rooster Walk has been named one of the Top 5 festivals in the state by the Richmond-Times Dispatch. It also has been voted the region’s Most Creative Charitable Event by readers of Virginia Living Magazine. The festival was created in memory of late Martinsville, Va. natives Edwin “The Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank, who graduated from Martinsville High School in 2000 along with Buck and fellow festival co-founder William Baptist.

A portion of proceeds from the festival will be donated to local and regional charities, including Rooster Walk’s own Penn-Shank Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund for students at Martinsville High School, and the Rooster Walk Music Instrument Program for public band programs in the local city and county school systems. In 2018, Rooster Walk, Inc. donated more than $30,000 to local and regional charities.

The festival is produced by Rooster Walk Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting music, arts and education in its home of Martinsville-Henry County, Va. Since 2009, Rooster Walk Inc. has donated more than $175,000 to local and regional charities.

For more info, updates or to purchase tickets, visit www.RoosterWalk.com.

Sam Bush Band, Steep Canyon Rangers, Sierra Hull and Ghost Light are among the final list of bands announced for the 11th annual Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival. Other new additions include:  The Steel Wheels, The Black Lillies, ‘Yarn Morrison’ (Yarn’s tribute to Van Morrison), Runaway Gin, The Trongone Band, Sanctum Sully, Disco Risqué, Kate Rhudy, Adar, The Folly, Chamomile & Whiskey, Prosperity’s Folly, The Drove, and MHC Praise Band.

RW11 will offer six different stages hosting live music. The festival will take place Memorial Day Weekend, May 23-26, 2019, at the idyllic Pop’s Farm in the rolling hillsides near Martinsville, Va. These newly announced bands join a lineup that already features: Galactic, Shovels & Rope, The Marcus King Band, Billy Strings, King & Strings, Turkuaz, BIG Something, The Lil Smokies, Yarn, Roosevelt Collier Band, Mountain Heart, The Black Lillies, The Jammy Jam (hosted by The Lil’ Smokies), Kendall Street Company, Fireside Collective, South Hill Banks, The Vegabonds, PalmPalm, State Birds, C2 & The Brothers Reed, Josh Shilling, Wallace Mullinax, After Jack, Jules & The Agreeables, and PHCC Jazz Band.

“We feel lucky and honored to have such an incredible cast of bands at Rooster Walk 11,” said Johnny Buck, a co-founder of the festival. “The music is a huge part of what makes Rooster Walk such an intimate, unforgettable experience, along with the amazing venue, the sense of community at the event, and the fact that we aren’t some huge, sprawling festival. Rooster Walk is a really fun, not-too-big, not-too-small, family friendly celebration of life. Add to that the top-shelf kids’ area, food, art, outdoor activities, craft beer offerings and on-site camping, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better roots music experience anywhere for the ticket price.”

Rooster Walk has been named one of the Top 5 festivals in the state by the Richmond-Times Dispatch. It also has been voted the region’s Most Creative Charitable Event by readers of Virginia Living Magazine. The festival was created in memory of late Martinsville, Va. natives Edwin “The Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank, who graduated from Martinsville High School in 2000 along with Buck and fellow festival co-founder William Baptist.

A portion of proceeds from the festival will be donated to local and regional charities, including Rooster Walk’s own Penn-Shank Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund for students at Martinsville High School, and the Rooster Walk Music Instrument Program for public band programs in the local city and county school systems. In 2018, Rooster Walk, Inc. donated more than $30,000 to local and regional charities.

The festival is produced by Rooster Walk Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting music, arts and education in its home of Martinsville-Henry County, Va. Since 2009, Rooster Walk Inc. has donated more than $175,000 to local and regional charities.

For more info, updates or to purchase tickets, visit www.RoosterWalk.com

Organizers of the 12th annual Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival released their “early bird band lineup” today, with The Infamous Stringdusters at the top of the initial band list.

The Grammy-winning progressive bluegrass band will be making its third appearance at Rooster Walk, and will be joined on the bill by Melvin Seals & JGB, Fruition, BIG Something, Yarn, The Vegabonds, Big Daddy Love and Sexbruise?.

Tickets went on sale at noon EST today (Nov. 26th) through the festival’s website.

RW12 will take place Thursday-Sunday, May 21-24, 2020 at Pop's Farm, located in the rolling countryside surrounding Martinsville, Va. Rooster Walk is a 4-day festival celebrating music, art, and the great outdoors at the idyllic Pop's Farm venue. With roughly 50 bands performing on 5 different stages, an eclectic roster of great music guides the Rooster Walk experience.

“This is a just a taste of the 40-plus-bands that will perform at the festival this year, and it’s an exciting start,” said Johnny Buck, a Rooster Walk organizer. “We can’t wait to have The Infamous Stringdusters play for the first time at Pop’s Farm; they haven’t been at Rooster Walk since back in the Blue Mountain days. Melvin Seals & JGB will bring authentic Jerry Garcia Band tunes, which will no doubt be a highlight, and Fruition is a great roots-rock band that we’ve always wanted to have at the festival. Even better, we’ve got a lot more bands to come, including the top two headliners.”

In addition to four days of amazing music, the family-friendly Rooster Walk will offer a wide variety of kids' activities, craft beer, great food, arts and numerous opportunities to enjoy Virginia's great outdoors with kayak tours, bike rides, yoga, a disc golf course and beautiful on-site camping.

Rooster Walk has been named one of the Top 5 festivals in the state by the Richmond-Times Dispatch. It also has been voted the region’s Most Creative Charitable Event by readers of Virginia Living Magazine. The festival was created in memory of late Martinsville natives Edwin “The Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank, who graduated from Martinsville High School in 2000 along with Buck and fellow festival co-founder William Baptist.

A portion of proceeds from the festival will be donated to local and regional charities, including Rooster Walk’s own Penn-Shank Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund for students at Martinsville High School, and the Rooster Walk Music Instrument Program for public band programs in the local city and county school systems.

The festival is produced by Rooster Walk Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting music, arts and education in its home of Martinsville-Henry County. Since 2009, Rooster Walk Inc. has donated more than $200,000 to local and regional charities.

For more info, updates or to purchase tickets, visit www.RoosterWalk.com

Fourteen more bands have been added to the Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival, led by Greensky Bluegrass rock’n’roll project, phAb.

Other bands joining Greensky Bluegrass rock’n’roll project, phAb on the bill for the 12th annual Rooster Walk, set for Memorial Day weekend, are: The Floozies, Spafford, NO BS! Brass Band, Kitchen Dwellers, Cris Jacobs Band, The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Crawford & Power, Sanctum Sully, Chamomile & Whiskey, Striking Copper, Jules & The Agreeables, PHCC Jazz Band and The Pirates of the Piedmont.

The new bands join eight that were previously announced: The Infamous Stringdusters, Melvin Seals & JGB, Fruition, BIG Something, Yarn, The Vegabonds, Big Daddy Love and Sexbruise?.

In addition, Off-Site RV Spaces are now on sale for the first time. RW organizers created a new off-site RV camping area after the on-site RV spaces at the festival’s venue, Pop’s Farm, sold out in record time. The new off-site lot is approximately 1.2 miles from the entrance to Pop’s Farm and will be serviced all weekend by free fan shuttles that run on a constant loop to and from the venue.

Tickets are now on sale through the festival’s website, www.roosterwalk.com.

RW12 will take place Thursday-Sunday, May 21-24, 2020 among the rolling countryside surrounding Martinsville, Va. Rooster Walk is a 4-day festival celebrating music, art, and the great outdoors at the idyllic Pop's Farm venue. With 40-plus bands performing on 6 different stages, an eclectic roster of great music guides the Rooster Walk experience.

“We’re really excited about these amazing additions to the Rooster Walk lineup,” said Johnny Buck, co-founder of the festival. “We’ll be hosting phAb for their East Coast debut. Paul Hoffman, Anders Beck and the special band they create for this set will put a rock/jam twist on some of their favorite Greensky songs, while also playing some totally different material. The Floozies and Spafford are going to bring a hearty dose of late-night revelry to Pop’s Farm, while bands like NO BS! Brass, Kitchen Dwellers, Crawford & Power, Striking Copper and Pirates of the Piedmont will be making their Rooster Walk debuts.”

In addition to four days of amazing music, the family-friendly Rooster Walk will offer a wide variety of kids' activities, craft beer, great food, arts and numerous opportunities to enjoy Virginia's great outdoors with kayak tours, bike rides, yoga, a disc golf course and beautiful on-site camping.

Rooster Walk has been named one of the Top 5 festivals in the state by the Richmond-Times Dispatch. It also has been voted the region’s Most Creative Charitable Event by readers of Virginia Living Magazine. The festival was created in memory of late Martinsville natives Edwin “The Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank, who graduated from Martinsville High School in 2000 along with Buck and fellow festival co-founder William Baptist.

A portion of proceeds from the festival will be donated to local and regional charities, including Rooster Walk’s own Penn-Shank Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund for students at Martinsville High School, and the Rooster Walk Music Instrument Program for public band programs in the local city and county school systems.

The festival is produced by Rooster Walk Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting music, arts and education in its home of Martinsville-Henry County. Since 2009, Rooster Walk Inc. has donated more than $215,000 to local and regional charities.

After a lot of careful thought, research and discussion, Johnny, William and the Rooster Walk board of directors have made the very difficult decision to postpone RW12 until Memorial Day weekend of next year (May 27-30, 2021). We are heartbroken that we won’t get to see you at Pop’s Farm this spring, but ultimately the health and safety of all involved with the festival is our top priority. Like everyone, we’re hoping daily life will be getting back to “normal” by the late summer/fall, but we’ve decided there are too many unknowns, and therefore too much risk, to try to put on Rooster Walk later this year.  We are hoping to host several live concerts at Pop’s in the late summer/fall, with on-site camping, if it’s safe to do so. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for updates on that front.

This decision will have some very tough financial consequences on our nonprofit company, but we are determined to survive 2020 and put on our best festival ever in 2021. We know everyone is hurting right now, and we respect the fact that some patrons may NEED a refund. For those who can make do without asking for a refund, we humbly ask that you do us that HUGE favor because it might be the difference in our ability to put on a couple fall events instead of strictly going into “survival mode.”

If you’ve already bought a ticket to Rooster Walk 12, you have three options related to your ticket purchases:

1) If you’d like to keep your tickets to use at Rooster Walk in 2021, you don’t need to do anything. All tickets already sold will be honored at Rooster Walk in 2021, even if ticket prices increase in the future.

2) If you need a refund, email [email protected] with REFUND in the subject line by 5 pm EST Friday, April 17th, and tell us which tickets you are requesting a refund for. We will refund these tickets in full, less the service fees charged by the ticket company.

3) If you’d like the ticket money to be considered a donation to us, please shoot an email to [email protected] with DONATION in the subject line. We are a 501c3 nonprofit, and we will send you a tax donation letter for your records.

Thank you for your support. We’re lucky to have such a strong festival family! We look forward to seeing you at upcoming events. For more info, visit www.RoosterWalk.com. 

We are thrilled to announce that Pop's Farm will host two nights of the legendary jamband moe. on Friday and Saturday (May 28-29) of Memorial Day weekend. This is NOT a pod show, but it is a socially distanced show.

As all of you know, Memorial Day weekend is normally the date of the Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival. When COVID-related restrictions made it impossible to confidently plan a full-scale music festival for late May, we decided on the next best thing: A weekend gathering of our family and friends with some amazing musical acts performing on the main stage at Pop's Farm.

Moe.morial Day Weekend: A Rooster Walk Family Gathering will feature two nights of moe., as well as two opening bands on Friday, and four opening bands on Saturday. The event will also feature on-site camping, libations and food vendors. No outside alcohol will be allowed, and social distancing, as well as mask wearing, will be required of all in attendance. For a complete rundown of our COVID Safety Plan, please click the info link below.

All ages are welcome, but all ages will require a ticket to attend the concert. (aka kids do not get in for free).

GET TICKETS HERE

It's for the bands, and the fans, the staff and the vols. For the vendors and menders and you'uns and y'all. It's Rooster Walk Reunion, an amazing, intimate, limited-capacity festival Oct. 8-10, 2021 at Pop's Farm that will feature a full lineup of Rooster Walk festival alumni bands, plus all your friends and family.

Rooster Walk Reunion is a 3-day festival in the rolling foothills of the Blue Ridge celebrating music, art, and the great outdoors at the idyllic Pop's Farm venue. With approximately 30 bands performing on 5 different stages, an eclectic roster of great music guides the Rooster Walk experience.

In addition to 3 days of amazing tunes, the family-friendly Rooster Walk will offer a wide variety of kids' activities, craft beer, great food, arts and numerous opportunities to enjoy Virginia's great outdoors. 

Join us under the Pines at Pop's Farm this Saturday (Sept. 11th) for Al & Rob moe.stly Acoustic. Tickets are now on sale, starting at just $20 each. Arts at the Rives season passes will be accepted, and on-site camping is available.

Al & Rob loved Pop's Farm so much over Moe.morial Day Weekend that they wanted to come back for this rare duo show! It will feature a ton of moe. tunes plus some super sweet covers. DON'T MISS THIS ONE!

Tickets are just $20 in advance, while car camping passes start at $12.50, and RV Camping passes just $30.

BUY TICKETS NOW

The first band announcements of the Rooster Walk 12 lineup are here, just in time for tickets going on sale tomorrow (Tuesday) at noon EST. Legendary rock band Little Feat will perform the entirety of their 'Waiting for Columbus' album at Rooster Walk this year! Tab Benoit will sling smoking New Orleans blues, while Andy Frasco & The U.N., and Sammy Rae & The Friends, will bring the party.

Music fans will be treated to two sets from Brandon "Taz" Niederauer, Yarn, Mike & The Moonpies, The Wooks, Sol Driven Train, Crawford & Power and Pirates of the Piedmont. Meanwhile, Mountain Heart will host "The Jimmy Jam" and The Nude Party will make their RW debut!  Many, many more bands will be announced in the coming months.

Rooster Walk will take place over Memorial Day weekend (May 26-29, 2022) at Pop's Farm. You can count on all the RW staples at this one, from amazing music, to food and craft vendors, kids' activities, on-site camping, outdoor activities and so much more!

Please note that we put tickets on sale for "Rooster Walk 12" back in November 2019, before COVID. Many fans bought tickets back then (in 2019/2020) and have been holding onto them ever since. Ticket prices will pick up where they left off, meaning that you'll some ticket types won't be starting at their traditional "early bird" price levels, because those were sold back in '19/'20. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone who has been holding onto these tickets for nearly two years now. Rooster Walk might not still be here without you!

Internationally touring purveyors of psychedelic funk, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, top a list of 19 bands added to the 13th annual Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival lineup, festival organizers announced today. These additions finalize the band lineup for the multi-genre, family-friendly festival which will take place May 25-28, 2023 at Pop’s Farm in Martinsville, Va.

Also joining Pigeons Playing Ping Pong in Rooster Walk’s third, and final, band announcement are: Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears (blues/funk/soul), The Lil Smokies (progressive bluegrass), Orgōne (funk), Dangermuffin (beach roots rock), Kelsey Waldon (vintage country), Erin & The Wildfire (rock), The Judy Chops (roots rock), Songs From The Road Band (bluegrass), Dave Eggar Band (jazz/folk), The Jared Stout Band (southern rock), Cristina Vane (Americana), Empire Strikes Brass (brass band), Into The Fog (bluegrass), Blue Cactus (Americana), Rob Cheatham and Co. (rock), Oh, Christopher (singer songwriter), P&HCC Jazz (jazz band), and the Junior Appalachian Musicians (youth bluegrass consortium), which will bring some of the region’s most talented young bluegrass pickers to the stages of RW13.

Those nineteen artists will meld with the 24 acts that have already been announced as part of Rooster Walk’s lineup: overall festival headliner Greensky Bluegrass (progressive bluegrass), St. Paul & The Broken Bones (soul), The Marshall Tucker Band (southern rock icons), Neal Francis (neo-soul), Kitchen Dwellers (progressive bluegrass), Doom Flamingo (a six-piece synthwave beast), Trouble No More (all-star collective paying tribute to The Allman Brothers Band), Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Brandon “Taz” Niederauer (rock/blues), Yarn (roots rock), Neighbor (jam), Mike & The Moonpies (neotraditional country), The Stews (southern rock), Crawford & Power (red-clay country), Jon Stickley Trio (jazzgrass), Sol Driven Train (rock), Sneezy (R&B/Soul/Jam), The Wilson Springs Hotel (country/western/swing/bluegrass), Isaac Hadden Organ Trio (rock/funk), TC Carter Band (blues/rock), Sanctum Sully (rock), Big Fat Gap (bluegrass), Jules & The Agreeables (rock), and Pirates of the Piedmont (musical marauders).

In addition, the festival recently unveiled its roster of Artists at Large: Ron Holloway (saxophone, Dizzy Gillespie/Allman Bros.), Jeff Sipe (drums, Apt. Q258/Aquarium Rescue Unit), Josh Shilling (vocals/keys/organ, Mountain Heart), Erin Lunsford (vocals/guitar, Erin & The Wildfire), Wallace Mullinax (guitar, Dead 27s), Robby Carden (harmonica, Jared Stout Band), and Jake Dempsey (bass, The Dead Reckoning). These seven artists will form the “Rooster Walk House Band” for one set of improv magic on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, while also sitting in as guest musicians with different bands at the festival all weekend.

Tickets for Rooster Walk 13 are now on sale and going fast at the newly redesigned website, www.roosterwalk.com, which also features all the information needed to plan for an amazing experience: band bios and music, ticket descriptions, festival experiences, frequently asked questions, a venue map and more.

The festival will take place Thursday-Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in the rolling foothills surrounding Martinsville, Va. Rooster Walk is a 4-day festival celebrating music, art, and the great outdoors at the idyllic Pop's Farm venue. With roughly 50 acts performing on 6 different stages, an amazing roster of stellar music steers the Rooster Walk experience.

In addition to approximately 80 sets of live music, the family-friendly Rooster Walk will offer a wide variety of kids' activities, craft beer, great food, arts and numerous opportunities to enjoy Virginia's great outdoors with kayak river floats, bike rides, yoga, a disc golf course and beautiful on-site camping.

Rooster Walk has been named one of the Top 5 festivals in the state by the Richmond-Times Dispatch. It also was voted the region’s Most Creative Charitable Event by readers of Virginia Living Magazine for three consecutive years. The festival was created in memory of late Martinsville natives Edwin “The Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank, who graduated from Martinsville High School in 2000.

A portion of proceeds from the festival will be donated to local and regional charities, including Rooster Walk’s own Penn-Shank Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund for students at Martinsville High School, and the Rooster Walk Music Instrument Program for public band programs in the local city and county school systems.

The festival is produced by Rooster Walk Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to promoting music, arts and education in its home of Martinsville-Henry County. Since 2009, Rooster Walk Inc. has donated more than $270,000 to local and regional charities.

Grammy-winning progressive bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters and nonprofit Rooster Walk Inc. are teaming up this fall to create The Infamous Weekend, a two-day, family friendly “mini-fest” at Pop’s Farm in Martinsville, Va.

The new event, slated for Sept. 15-16, 2023 at Pop’s Farm, home of the Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival, will feature four headlining sets from the ‘Dusters, along with performances by 49 Winchester, Yarn, Kendall Street Company, The Sweet Lillies, The Wilson Springs Hotel, Furnace Mountain and The Jared Stout Band.

“We are so excited about The Infamous Weekend,” said Johnny Buck, executive director of Rooster Walk Inc. “We’ve had the ‘Dusters many times at our festival; they always put on a fantastic show, and they’re great to work with.  This is going to be an amazing, affordable, intimate experience for the fans, and there’s no better venue in the Commonwealth for it than Pop’s Farm.”

The Stringdusters were host band of the Virginia-based Festy Experience music festival each October for many years. In addition, the Rooster Walk Reunion music festival took place at Pop’s Farm in October 2021 as COVID restrictions began to be relaxed in Virginia. Reunion was a one-time, scaled-down version of the Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival, but the fans loved it.

Ever since we put on that one Rooster Walk Reunion a couple years ago, our fans have been asking us, ‘When are you going to do another fall camping event at Pop’s Farm?’” said Buck. “I know the ‘Dusters’ fans have been asking them the same kind of thing for years now. It’s really a perfect pairing, Rooster Walk and the ‘Dusters. We’re going to keep a small footprint on the event this fall, with plans of growing it every year going forward. It’s exciting.”

Fans at The Infamous Weekend will enjoy on-site camping, food, art and craft vendors, outdoor excursions and children’s activities, among other attractions. The event will feature two active stages – the Lawn Stage and the Pine Grove Stage – while the entire venue will be open to camping and on-site parking.

In addition, a slew of fun outdoor offerings and excursions, such as river floats and an on-site disc golf course, will be available at The Infamous Weekend, which is brought to you in part by Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine.

Tickets are available through a presale now, and tickets will become available to the public starting at 10 am Friday, May 19th. For more information about the event, tickets, and Pop’s Farm, visit www.infamousweekend.com.

The Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival is excited to unveil the first lineup of bands for its 14th annual event, set to take place from May 23-26, 2024, at the picturesque Pop’s Farm in Martinsville, Va. Topping the list is the highly anticipated and remarkable reunion of the Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band, performing their first East Coast set in nearly two decades.

Formed in 2003, the Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band is a Colorado-based ensemble comprising immensely talented college musicians who went on to establish successful careers in nationally touring bluegrass bands. The group includes Anders Beck of Greensky Bluegrass, Travis Book of the Infamous Stringdusters, Robin Davis of The Robin Davis Duo, Jon Stickley of Jon Stickley Trio, and Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon. The Rooster Walk debut marks the band's 20th anniversary, celebrated with a full album re-release and their first-ever East Coast festival performance.

Joining the lineup is Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, returning for their third consecutive year. Led by guitar virtuoso Daniel Donato, the band has rapidly gained popularity, selling out venues nationwide. Daniel Donato will grace the stage for two nights, promising a musical experience not to be missed.

The festival also welcomes TAUK Moore, a unique collaboration between instrumental jam band TAUK and powerhouse vocalist Kanika Moore. Other notable acts include Dogs in a Pile, Yarn, Mountain Grass Unit, Isaac Hadden Organ Trio, Sol Driven Train, J & The Causeways, Colby Helms & The Virginia Creepers, Clay Street Unit, and Mighty Joshua.

More than 30 additional bands, including the overall headliners, will be added to the lineup in the coming months. Tickets for Rooster Walk 14 will be available for purchase starting at noon on Friday, October 27, 2023, via the festival's newly redesigned website, www.roosterwalk.com.

Rooster Walk is not just a music festival; it’s a celebration of music, art, and the great outdoors. With 50 bands performing on 6 different stages, the event promises an unforgettable experience for all. In addition to live music, the festival offers a variety of activities for all ages, including children's programming, craft beer, food, outdoor activities, and on-site camping.

The festival has received accolades, being named one of the Top 5 festivals in Virginia by the Richmond-Times Dispatch and winning the title of the region’s Most Creative Charitable Event by Virginia Living Magazine readers for three consecutive years. A portion of the proceeds from the festival will be donated to local and regional charities, including the Penn-Shank Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund and the Rooster Walk Music Instrument Program.

About Rooster Walk Inc.: Rooster Walk Inc. is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting music, arts, and education in Martinsville-Henry County. Since its inception in 2009, the organization has donated over $320,000 to local and regional charities. Rooster Walk was created in memory of Edwin “The Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank, beloved members of the Martinsville community.

Emmylou Harris, a 2018 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, will headline the 14th annual Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival with her band. Celebrated guitarist Cory Wong, a rising star on the international music scene, will also top the band lineup.

Harris, estimated to have sold more than 15 million records worldwide, has earned 13 Grammy Awards and placed 27 singles in the top 10 of the US country chart. She will make her Rooster Walk debut with a Saturday evening set at the festival, taking place from May 23-26, 2024, at Pop’s Farm in Martinsville, Va.

Wong, a former member of Vulfpeck, will debut at Rooster Walk with his band's Friday night headlining set. His live shows are known for their instrumental mastery, cohesiveness, and high energy.

The lineup also includes Couch (Boston, Mass. – funk/rock/soul); Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast (Asheville, N.C. – rock); Arkansauce (progressive bluegrass from Northwest Arkansas); Sneezy (high-energy party music from Chicago, Ill.); Sticks N Thorns (bluegrass duo featuring Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon and Jon Stickley); Travis Book & Friends (Americana/rock band from Asheville, N.C., led by The Infamous Stringdusters’ Travis Book); The Jared Stout Band (southern rock from the New River Valley of Virginia); T.C. Carter Band (blues from Martinsville, Va.); Lua Flora (Asheville, N.C. – beach folk); Big Fat Gap (Chapel Hill, N.C. – bluegrass); Jules & The Agreeables (Key West, Fla. – rock); DJ What (Martinsville, Va. – DJ); and Pirates of the Piedmont (Martinsville, Va. – pirate shanties).

Previously announced for the RW14 lineup are: Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band (a Colorado supergroup featuring members from Greensky Bluegrass, Leftover Salmon, the Infamous Stringdusters, Jon Stickley Trio, and more); Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country (Nashville, Tenn., jam twang); TAUK Moore (a funk collaboration between Doom Flamingo’s Kanika Moore and TAUK); Dogs in a Pile (a New Jersey-based funk/jazz/rock jam band); Yarn (NC/NY roots rockers, performing an original set and a festival-finishing tribute set); The Mountain Grass Unit (up-and-coming bluegrass shredders from Alabama); Isaac Hadden Organ Trio (a North Carolina power trio with masterful musicianship); Sol Driven Train (upbeat, horn-driven rock'n'roll with beach vibes from Charleston, SC); J & The Causeways (a New Orleans-based soul powerhouse, reminiscent of St. Paul & The Broken Bones); Colby T. Helms & The Virginia Creepers (bluegrass from nearby Franklin County, Va.); Clay Street Unit (Colorado-based honky-tonk/roots rock); and Mighty Joshua (authentic reggae from central Virginia).

The final batch of RW14 band additions will be announced by February 2024.

Tickets for Rooster Walk 14 are now on sale at www.roosterwalk.com, which also features all the information needed to plan an amazing experience.

The festival, from Thursday to Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, is set in the rolling foothills surrounding Martinsville, Va. Rooster Walk is a 4-day event celebrating music, art, and the great outdoors at the idyllic Pop's Farm venue. With over 40 bands performing on 6 different stages, the festival offers an incredible music lineup.

In addition to about 80 sets of live music, the family-friendly Rooster Walk will offer a variety of kids' programming, family fun, craft beer, great food, arts, and numerous opportunities to enjoy Virginia's great outdoors with kayak river floats, pedal boats, bike rides, yoga, a disc golf course, and beautiful on-site camping.

Rooster Walk has been named one of the Top 5 festivals in the state by the Richmond-Times Dispatch and was voted the region’s Most Creative Charitable Event by readers of Virginia Living Magazine for three consecutive years. The festival was created in memory of late Martinsville natives Edwin “The Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank, graduates of Martinsville High School in 2000. A portion of the festival's proceeds will be donated to local and regional charities, including the Penn-Shank Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund for students at Martinsville High School, and the Rooster Walk Music Instrument Program for public band programs in the local city and county school systems.

The festival is produced by Rooster Walk Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting music, arts, and education in Martinsville-Henry County. Since its inception in 2009, Rooster Walk Inc. has donated more than $320,000 to local and regional charities.
 

The North Mississippi Allstars, an internationally touring blues band known for its energetically rollicking shows, top the third and final list of bands joining the 14th annual Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival lineup. The NMAs, making their RW debut, have been nominated for four Grammys over a 25-year career that has produced 12 albums and countless sold-out shows. Big Something will also join the RW14 lineup. The North Carolina-based jam band has played nearly half a dozen Rooster Walks over the years. The six-piece band is known for its big sound of soaring guitar solos, synth, horns, and soulful vocals. They will bring their much-loved sound to Pop’s Farm in Martinsville, Va., which will host RW14 from May 23-26, 2024.

Other bands getting added to the lineup include Jim Lauderdale & The Game Changers (roots rock, iconic songwriter from Nashville, TN); The Seldom Scene (internationally celebrated pioneers of progressive bluegrass); The Rooster Walk House Band (an all-star collective featuring Ron Holloway, Jeff Sipe, Josh Shilling, Wallace Mullinax, Florencia Rusinol, Jake Dempsey, and friends); Myron Elkins (swamp rock, Otsego, MI); The Collection (Indie Rock, Saxapahaw, NC); Kaira Ba (world music, North Carolina); Holler Choir (old-time, Asheville, NC); Lillie Mae (singer/songwriter, Nashville, TN); Kind Hearted Strangers (rock, Colorado); Florencia & The Feeling (R&B/soul, Johnson City, TN); The Shoaldiggers (horny swampgrass, North Carolina); Sela Campbell (country, Northern Virginia); Raffi Kids’ Set (a Raffi tribute by Miles Andrews and full band; Saxapahaw, NC); Sugarbush (rock/blues, Virginia).

Bands that had been previously announced for the RW14 lineup include Emmylou Harris (Country Music Hall of Fame inductee with five No. 1 singles on the Billboard country music charts, Nashville, TN); Cory Wong (funk/rock/pop, Minneapolis, MN); Broke Mountain Bluegrass Band (a Colorado supergroup featuring members of Greensky Bluegrass, Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, Jon Stickley Trio, and more); two nights of Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country (Nashville, Tenn., jam twang); TAUK Moore (a funk collaboration between Doom Flamingo’s Kanika Moore and TAUK); Dogs in a Pile (a New Jersey-based funk/jazz/rock jam band); Couch (Boston, Mass. – funk/rock/soul); Caitlin Krisko & The Broadcast (Asheville, N.C. – rock); Yarn (NC/NY roots rockers who will once again perform an original set and a festival-finishing tribute set); Arkansauce (progressive bluegrass from northwest Arkansas); Sneezy (high-energy party music from Chicago, Ill.); The Mountain Grass Unit (up-and-coming bluegrass shredders from Alabama); Isaac Hadden Organ Trio (masterful musicianship from a North Carolina power trio); Sol Driven Train (upbeat, horn-driven rock’n’roll beach vibes from Charleston, SC); J & The Causeways (a New Orleans-based soul powerhouse reminiscent of St. Paul & The Broken Bones); Sticks N Thorns (a bluegrass duo featuring Andy Thorn of Leftover Salmon and Jon Stickley); Travis Book & Friends (an Asheville, N.C., Americana/rock band led by The Infamous Stringdusters’ Travis Book); Colby T. Helms & The Virginia Creepers (bluegrass from nearby Franklin County, Va.); Clay Street Unit (Colorado-based honky tonk/roots rock); The Jared Stout Band (southern rock, New River Valley, VA); and Mighty Joshua (authentic reggae from central Virginia); TC Carter Band (blues, Martinsville, Va.); Lua Flora (beach folk, Asheville, N.C.); Big Fat Gap (bluegrass, Chapel Hill, N.C.); Jules & The Agreeables (rock, Key West, Fla.); DJ What (Martinsville, Va. – DJ); Pirates of the Piedmont (pirate shanties, Martinsville, Va.).

Many ticket types have sold out or are in low inventory, but Rooster Walk 14 admission tickets remain available and can be purchased at www.roosterwalk.com, which also features all the information needed to plan for an amazing experience. Primitive festival camping is included with all admission tickets. Children aged 12 and under are admitted for free.

The festival will take place Thursday-Sunday of Memorial Day weekend in the rolling foothills surrounding Martinsville, Va. Rooster Walk is a 4-day festival celebrating music, art, and the great outdoors at the idyllic Pop's Farm venue. With 40+ bands performing on 6 different stages, an amazing roster of stellar music steers the Rooster Walk experience.

In addition to approximately 80 sets of live music, the family-friendly Rooster Walk will offer a wide variety of kids' programming, family fun, craft beer, great food, arts, and numerous opportunities to enjoy Virginia's great outdoors with kayak river floats, pedal boats, bike rides, yoga, a disc golf course, and beautiful on-site camping.

Rooster Walk has been named one of the Top 5 festivals in the state by the Richmond-Times Dispatch and listed as one of the Best Family-Friendly Festivals by Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine. It also was voted the region’s Most Creative Charitable Event by readers of Virginia Living Magazine for three consecutive years. The festival was created in memory of late Martinsville natives Edwin “The Rooster” Penn and Walker Shank, who graduated from Martinsville High School in 2000.

A portion of proceeds from the festival will be donated to local and regional charities, including Rooster Walk’s own Penn-Shank Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund for students at Martinsville High School, and the Rooster Walk Music Instrument Program for public band programs in the local city and county school systems.

The festival is produced by Rooster Walk Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting music, arts, and education in its home of Martinsville-Henry County. Since 2009, Rooster Walk Inc. has donated more than $320,000 to local and regional charities.

Back by popular demand, Grammy-winning progressive bluegrass band The Infamous Stringdusters and nonprofit Rooster Walk Inc. are once again joining forces to produce The Infamous Weekend family-friendly “mini-fest” from Sept. 19-21 at Pop’s Farm in Martinsville, Va. 

The second-year event will expand to three days at Pop’s Farm, the home of the Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival. Headlined by six sets of music from The Infamous Stringdusters, this year’s beefed-up lineup will also include performances by Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, The Lil Smokies, The Last Revel, Dangermuffin, Jon Stickley Trio, Falco & Book play Garcia, The Wilson Springs Hotel, Isaac Hadden, Florencia & The Feeling, TC Carter Band and The Fly Birds.

Jon Stickley Trio, The Wilson Springs Hotel, Isaac Hadden and Florencia & The Feeling will each perform two sets in Virginia’s Piedmont foothills region, where late September weather is typically pleasant both day and night.  

Patrons will be able to enter Pop’s Farm as early as noon on Thursday to begin setting up their campsites and preparing for a weekend of fun. Thursday’s only musical performance will be a special set by The Infamous Stringdusters on the intimate Pine Grove Stage.

“We couldn’t be any more excited about the return of The Infamous Weekend,” said Johnny Buck, executive director of Rooster Walk Inc. “The Stringdusters are a pleasure to work with, and they’ve really embraced this event and want to grow it as their hallmark, once-a-year event. They’ve given great input in helping curate this band lineup, and they’re going to be offering their fans so many unique opportunities to meet and interact with them over the course of these three days at Pop’s Farm.”

Among those ‘Duster-centric activities include a bike ride with lead singer Travis Book to Mountain Valley Brewing in Axton, as well as several exclusive opportunities for VIP ticket holders, including a one-hour set Saturday afternoon on the waterfront VIP Stage, a “Happy Hour Meet & Greet” with the band Friday afternoon, and an acoustic fireside jam that caps Friday’s musical offerings. Other concepts and ideas are still in the works and could be added in the coming weeks and months.

Fans at The Infamous Weekend will enjoy on-site camping, food, art and craft vendors, outdoor excursions and children’s activities, among other attractions. The event’s music will primarily alternate between the Lawn Stage and the Pine Grove Stage, while the entire venue will be open to camping and on-site parking.

Outdoors-loving music fans will also have the chance to take part in guided floats and fly fishing trips on the nearby Smith River, play a round on the free six-hole disc golf course at Pop’s Farm and take pedal boat trips on Pop’s Pond.

Last year’s Infamous Weekend drew about 1,500 music fans from all parts of the country. 

“To be honest, the patron feedback from last year’s Infamous Weekend couldn’t have been much better,” said Buck. “The fans love the music, the venue, the vibe. They appreciated how easy and laid back it was to see great bands, spend time with family and friends and interact with members of The ‘Dusters. Our plan is to keep the vibe intact while making it better with small improvements and thoughtful touches.” 

Tickets for this year’s event became available to the public at noon EST on Wednesday, April 10th. In addition to admission tickets, passes are now on sale for on-site RV spaces, car camping spaces, cabins and glamping packages. For more information about the event, tickets, and Pop’s Farm, visit www.infamousweekend.com.