The 2nd Annual Earl Scruggs Music Festival was held over Labor Day weekend at the Tryon International Equestrian Center just outside of Tryon, North Carolina, in Mill Spring. The gorgeous festival grounds, nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, were the perfect setting for the sunny and warm event, featuring glamorous cabins, manicured campsites, brick-and-mortar restaurants and shops, horse-jumping demonstrations, workshops and two stages chocked full of bluegrass, old-time and roots music. The festival is a partnership between Tryon International, roots radio station WNCW and the Earl Scruggs Center just down the road in Shelby, North Carolina, the county seat of Cleveland County – Scruggs’ ancestral home. Over four days, the event showcased the broad, varied and lasting influence Scruggs and his playing have had on American roots music as a whole, especially in North Carolina.
BGS returned to ESMF for its second year, once again sponsoring the very special, fan favorite Earl Scruggs Revue tribute set, hosted by Tony Trischka – and his band, Michael Daves and Jared Engel. Listeners and fans packed the plaza surrounding the Foggy Mountain gazebo stage to hear Trischka and many special guests – such as Della Mae, Michael Cleveland, I Draw Slow, Twisted Pine, Tray Wellington, Greensky Bluegrass, Jerry Douglas and more – pay tribute to Earl’s and his son’s groundbreaking and innovative group, the Earl Scruggs Revue, and their Live! From Austin City Limits album.
Enjoy a collection of photos from the Earl Scruggs Music Festival below and make plans to attend the 3rd Annual edition of this first-class event in 2024 – the dates are set and tickets are already on sale for the August 30 to September 1, 2024 edition of ESMF!
Flint Hill Stage photo by Reagan Ibach
Horse jumping demonstrations were held daily at the festival, held at the Tryon International Equestrian Center. Photo by Rette Solomon.
Earl Scruggs Music Festival host Jerry Douglas on the main stage. Photo by Cora Wagoner
Sister Sadie perform on the Flint Hill Stage. Photo by Cora Wagoner
Deanie Richardson, fiddler and band leader of Sister Sadie, on the Flint Hill Stage. Photo by Cora Wagoner.
The Infamous Stringdusters perform with Jerry Douglas during their headline set. Photo by Cora Wagoner.
Tryon International's Silo Bar, festively lit. Photo by Eli Johnson
Del McCoury smiles during his headline set on the Flint Hill Stage at Earl Scruggs Music Festival. Photo by Cora Wagoner.
Greensky Bluegrass on the Flint Hill Stage for their headline set. By Eli Johnson
Jake Blount and band step off the stage to perform among the crowd when technical difficulties interrupted the beginning of their set. Photo by Cora Wagoner
Della Mae cover Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" during the Earl Scruggs Revue set. Photo by Eli Johnson
Tony Trischka and Tray Wellington perform "Earl's Breakdown" during the Earl Scruggs Revue tribute set. Photo by Cora Wagoner.
Tony Trischka embraces Kathleen Parks of Twisted Pine during the BGS-sponsored Earl Scruggs Revue tribute set. Photo by Eli Johnson
Della Mae and Michael Cleveland join Tony Trischka and band during the Earl Scruggs Revue set. Photo by Eli Johnson
Anh Phung of Twisted Pine with Michael Cleveland at the Earl Scruggs Revue tribute. Photo by Cora Wagoner.
Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass and Jerry Douglas perform during the Earl Scruggs Revue tribute show. Photo by Cora Wagoner
Twisted Pine perform on the Foggy Mountain Stage. Photo by Cora Wagoner
Della Mae performed a main stage set at Earl Scruggs Music Festival. Photo by Cora Wagoner.
Della Mae's rousing late night set on the Foggy Mountain stage, complete with an appearance by BGS managing editor Justin Hiltner on banjo. Photo by Eli Johnson
Rissi Palmer on the Flint Hill Stage by Rette Solomon.
Zoe & Cloyd on the Foggy Mountain Stage by Eli Johnson
Emmylou Harris joined by many special guests during her set to close out the festival. Photo by Cora Wagoner.
Brooke Aldridge, Rissi Palmer, and Darin Aldridge sing background vocals with Emmylou Harris. Photo by Cora Wagoner.
Emmylou Harris shines and sparkles on the Flint Hill Stage. Photo by Cora Wagoner.
Photos courtesy of Earl Scruggs Music Festival. Lead image credit: Devon Fails All other photos:Reagan Ibach, Eli Johnson, Rette Solomon, and Cora Wagoner.
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