Best of the fests

OUTDOOR MUSIC EXPERIENCES ABOUND IN NORTH CAROLINA.

by David Menconi

Springtime in North Carolina means college basketball madness, azaleas blooming — and the earliest days of outdoor music. Our state has a staggering array of A-list music festivals spanning numerous genres from now until fall. Here are a few to consider.

Dreamville Festival

April 1 - 2, Raleigh; dreamvillefest.com

Between apocalyptic weather and the pandemic, rapper J. Cole’s Dreamville Festival has had a rocky existence in its short history. But in spite of multiple postponements, Dreamville has been a huge success, starting with 2019’s sold-out debut at downtown Raleigh’s Dorothea Dix Park that immediately established it as one of the nation’s top hip-hop festivals. Dreamville’s second edition in 2022 expanded from one day to two, with an onstage lineup featuring the entire roster of Cole’s Dreamville Records label, and it also sold out. Round three returns to Dix Park the first weekend of April as another multiday affair, with Cole himself in the headline slot.

MerleFest

April 27 - 30, Wilkesboro; merlefest.org

Centered on the multistyle “traditional plus” music played and loved by its late, great founder, Doc Watson, MerleFest has been a tradition at Wilkes Community College since 1988. The ven- erable roots-music festival is a signpost event on the Americana circuit. And after the same pandemic problems that every other live-music event faced in recent years, it’s back with an impressive lineup featuring the Avett Brothers, Maren Morris, Little Feat, Tanya Tucker and more.

Bear Shadow

April 28 - 30, The Highlands Plateau; bearshadownc.com

The mountains of the far western corner of North Carolina are the setting for this springtime festival, which happens the same weekend as MerleFest. First conceived in 2021, this year’s model has a first-rate alternative-leaning lineup featuring Spoon, The Head and the Heart, Jason Isbell and Amythyst Kiah.

Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music

& Dance

May 4 - 7, Pittsboro; shakorihillsgrassroots.org

Started in 2003 as a nonprofit music and dance festival, Shakori Hills takes place on a bucolic 9,000-acre spread in rural Chatham County. It’s probably the top camping festival in the greater Triangle region, with solid Americana lineups. Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, Malian singer/guitarist Vieux Farka Toure, beach legends Chairmen of the Board and festival regulars Donna the Buffalo are this year’s headliners. There’s also a fall version of Shakori Hills, which happens every October.