Merlefest 2001
Part 2 The History
Merlefest has grown over the years to become one of the biggest festivals of its kind anywhere in the world. It is certainly the most authentic reflection of the diversity within the many traditions of acoustic based folk music from all over the United States and the rest of the world. It attracts the biggest and best bands and musicians from all over the world.

This year, for example, it features such diverse artists as Dolly Parton, Nickel Creek, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Ricky Skaggs along with less well known acts such as the brilliant Donna the Buffalo who I was lucky enough to hear live at a festival in Georgia last year.

The idea was first brought to Doc Watson 2 years after his son Merle's death when Wilkes Community College Dean of Development Frederick W. "B" Townes, Bill Young, Doc Watson's close friend and Ala Sue Wyke had a meeting with the legendary guitarist.

At this meeting they suggested doing a concert at the college to raise funds for a memorial garden for Merle who was also Doc's longtime musical partner and one of the most respected musicians in US folk music. Doc himself loved the idea but it was his wife Rosa and daughter Nancy who took the bull by the horns and expanded the idea into having a festival to honor Merle's memory. It was decided to invite many of Merles friends, most of whom were very well known accomplished musicians to play at the festival. It was literally a case of "If you hold it, they will come!" And so they did. The first Merlefest took place in late April of 1988 with a relatively small number of artists playing on stage in Wilkes Community College's John A. Walker Center and on the back of

two trucks to a crowd of 4,000 people. The most recent was a little bigger than that with an estimated 65,000 people attending and enjoying this few days of wonderful music and culture.

This year's festival is expected to surpass those numbers again. With 15 stages and an amazing amount of bands and acts, lots of whom will be "mixing and matching" at various get-togethers and sessions throughout the weekend. On top of that there is a songwriting competition, workshops for many many instruments, dance lessons in many styles and food and drink aplenty. Some of the other highlights take place back at the many campsites where pickers from all over the world get together and sessions very similar to our own trad sessions at home happen around the campfires into the small hours. So good bad or not even a player there will be something for you at
Merlefest 2001
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