The Raleigh Wide Open Music Festival returns to downtown Raleigh this weekend for its second year under that moniker, offering two full days of free roots music across four main stages following a Thursday night kickoff on N.C. State’s Centennial Campus. Produced by the local nonprofit PineCone, the festival replaces the former IBMA World of Bluegrass event and features food, art, book talks, jam sessions, and artist interviews alongside global musical acts.
Curated Festival Highlights
With numerous international acts performing across the downtown footprint, WUNC News’ Brian Burns has outlined six standout performances for festival attendees to prioritize during the weekend.
Viv & Riley on the Davie Street Stage
Folk musicians Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno perform Friday at 8:30 p.m. on the Davie Street Stage. The duo met at a music camp in Port Townsend, Washington, but now reside in Durham, where they help anchor the local music scene. They recently performed at the Carrboro Music Festival prior to making their Raleigh Wide Open debut.
Sonny Miles Brings Genre-Blending Set
Winston-Salem native and N.C. State University graduate Sonny Miles takes the Davie Street Stage on Friday at 10 p.m. Miles draws on a decade of local popularity for blending R&B, hip-hop, and rock following a notable set earlier this year at the Hopscotch Music Festival.
Hubby Jenkins Across Multiple Stages
Hubby Jenkins performs twice on Saturday: at 1:30 p.m. on the Davie Street Stage and at 4:00 p.m. on the PineCone Stage. Known for instrumental skill and storytelling, the Brooklyn native joined the Carolina Chocolate Drops in 2010—appearing heavily on their 2012 album “Leaving Eden”—and later joined Rhiannon Giddens band.
Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves
The old-time banjo and fiddle duo of Allison de Groot and Tatiana Hargreaves play Saturday at 1:30 p.m. on the PineCone Stage and at 5:00 p.m. on the City Plaza Stage. Hargreaves, a member of the University of North Carolina’s music department, performed as a guest with the Dave Matthews Band over the summer. De Groot also releases a self-titled collaborative album with ambient multi-instrumentalist Rich Ruth this weekend.
Alice Gerrard Marks Decades in Traditional Music
Alice Gerrard performs Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on the Davie Street Stage. With a career spanning more than 50 years in old-time and bluegrass, Gerrard was part of the duo Hazel and Alice with Hazel Dickens and released her autobiography, “Custom Made Woman,” via UNC press last December.
Jacob Sharp Debuts Solo Material
Founding Mipso member Jacob Sharp performs a rare solo set Saturday at 7:00 p.m. on the PineCone Stage. Following Mipso’s indefinite hiatus announced roughly a year ago, Sharp releases his first ever solo record, “Middle Kid,” this October.