By Julie Matthews
With a rich heritage filled with old-time Appalachian-style tunes laced with seasoned sounds of fiddles and banjos, the High Country’s appreciation of music plays on in its culture today. From traditional mountain music and bluegrass to ballads, blues, country and just about every other genre, live musical performances are a staple here, not only on venue stages but also in restaurants, parks, gardens, campsites, front porches and even general stores. Keep reading for incredible ways to immerse yourself in the High Country’s music scene.
Top music festivals to keep on your radar for 2026 include the following >>
The 5th Annual High Country Jazz Festival, June 10-14 at the Appalachian Theatre of the High Country, will feature an amazing lineup of performances including El Arte del Bolero: Miguel Zenón & Luis Perdomo (June 10), Spyro Gyra (June 12), Wycliffe Gordon (June 13) and Emmet Cohen Trio (June 14).
Learn more at HCJazzFest.org.
Beech Mountain Resort Summer Concert Series includes several event dates (all ticketed shows) throughout the summer: Joe Russo’s Almost Dead (June 13); Party on the Mountain Weekend!, which is a two-day festival (July 17-18) filled with performances; and Lord Huron with Lucius (Aug. 8).
Learn more at SummerConcert.BeechMountainResort.com.
Boonerang Music & Arts Festival, June 19-21, is a free street festival in downtown Boone. The beloved festival entertains attendees of all ages with activities including numerous performances (spanning multiple stages), vendors, breweries, silent disco and kids zone. Learn more at BoonerangFest.com.
Doc & Rosa Lee Watson MusicFest is a long-running music event honoring Grammy award-winning musician Doc Watson. This year’s festival will be held on July 17 at the Appalachian Theatre in Boone and include performances by The Kody Norris Show, Blue Highway and The Kruger Brothers. Learn more at DocWatsonMusicFest.org.
Symphony by Chetola Lake, July 17, offers an elevated evening of music in a spectacular outdoor setting. Presented by the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce, this ticketed event is rain or shine. Learn more at SymphonyByTheLake.com.
Antlers & Acorns, The Boone
Songwriters Festival, Sept. 23-26, will occur at various venues throughout Boone. This one-of-a-kind annual gathering celebrates the talents of songwriters and musicians. Learn more at AntlersAndAcornsLodge.com/Festival.
Looking ahead to 2027, MerleFest is a bucket list-worthy annual festival that is typically held in late April on the campus of Wilkes Community College. Each year, this premier large music festival draws music artists and fans from all over the nation to celebrate of all kinds of musical genres. In 1988, music legend Doc Watson created the festival in memory of his son, Eddy Merle Watson, who was also a musician, and the event serves as a major fundraiser for the Wilkes Community College Foundation. Learn more at MerleFest.org.
Broadway Meets the Mountains
The High Country is home to an array of high-quality musical theatre performances, with local colleges Lees-McRae College and Appalachian State University both offering top-notch student theatre.
For more than 40 years, Lees-McRae Summer Theatre has entertained audiences with a variety of productions on their Banner Elk campus. The 2026 lineup includes “Moses, The Musical” (May 13-17), “Shrek, The Musical” (June 11-16), “American 250” (June 30-July 5) and “Sister Act” (July 25-31). The performances will be held on the Lees-McRae College campus in the Broyhill Theatre in Hayes Auditorium. Learn more at LMC.edu/Community/Summer-Theatre/Index.htm.
An Appalachian Summer Festival is recognized as one of the “Top 20 Events in the Southeast” by the Southeast Tourism Society. It has dazzled audiences for more than four decades with a robust event schedule filled with music, theatre and dance performances. This year’s festival will run from June 27-Aug. 1. Learn more at AppSummer.org.
Ensemble Stage, a 99-seat professional theater located in the Historic Banner Elk School, showcases a diverse selection of high-quality live performances at affordable prices. Throughout the year, audiences are treated to a variety of shows at this cultural gem in downtown Banner Elk. Learn more at EnsembleStage.com.
Horn in the West, in Boone, presents the nation’s oldest Revolutionary War dramas in a beautiful outdoor theatre. With its 74th season opening on June 26, 2026, the Horn in the West offers a unique performing arts experience. With America celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2026, there is no better time to experience such a historic show about our country’s past. Learn more at HornInTheWest.com.
Free Concert Series
Community concert series make for a fun, budget-friendly outing for the whole family. The High Country is home to several free summer concert series including:
Music on the Lawn at The Inn at Ragged Gardens, Blowing Rock
May-September
Ragged-Gardens.com
Concerts in the Park, Memorial Park in Blowing Rock
May-September
BlowingRock.com/Concert InThePark
Monday Night Concert Series, Broyhill Park in Blowing Rock
July-August
BlowingRock.com/Monday-Night-Concert-Series
Roots in the Garden,
Daniel Boone Native
Gardens in Boone
May-August
DanielBooneNativeGardens.org/Music
Summer Concerts at the
Jones House, Jones House Cultural Center in Boone
June-August
JonesHouse.org/Summer concerts
*The Jones House Cultural Center also holds Old-Time Acoustic Jams weekly on Thursday evenings.
Summer Concerts in the Park, Tate-Evans Park in Banner Elk
June-August
BannerElk.org/Concerts-in-the-Park.html
All dates and times are subject to change.
Please call ahead or check online before attending.
Want more Events?
CALENDAR: Check out our High Country calendar of events to help plan your activities!
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