Monroe Festivals

~by Chrissy Alspaugh

Ralph Stanley II, 2021. photo by Cindy Steele

Two new festivals and one American favorite will entertain crowds with bluegrass, blues, rock, and even Cajun beats, this May and June at Bill Monroe Music Park.

“The bands are back out, the food trucks are back out, and the crowds are so ready to come out,” said park promoter Debbie Dunbar. “We can’t wait to welcome back old friends, as well as meet a lot of new ones.”

The music park got its starts in the early 1940s, when Hoosier musicians began flocking to Bean Blossom on Sunday evenings, causing traffic jams in the little town north of Nashville. The weekly jam sessions grew and drew local musicians as well as stars of the Grand Ole Opry. Opry entertainer Bill Monroe purchased the jamboree grounds in 1952, turning the park into a musical history destination that draws crowds from around the world.

Festival attendees can enjoy entertainment and workshops on two stages, visit the Bill Monroe Museum and Hall of Fame, fish, and more. Campers can bring tents, motorhomes, or rent a camping cabin.

To purchase tickets or get more details visit <billmonroemusicpark.com> or call 812-988-6422.

Indiana Cajun/Zydeco Crawfish Festival | May 20-21

The inaugural Indiana Cajun/Zydeco Crawfish Festival will bring the sounds and traditions of Louisiana to Indiana and will feature a live crawfish boil, dance lessons, second line, crawfish races, crawfish eating contests, a gumbo cookoff, golf cart parade, and of course live Cajun and Zydeco music.

The festival’s musical lineup will include Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers, Marcella & Her Lovers featuring Anne Harris, Craig Brenner & The Crawdads, Chubby Carrier & The Bayou Swamp Band, Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys, Creole Stomp with Dennis Stroughmatt, and Mojo Gumbo.

Dunbar said many of the bands traveling to Indiana for the festival are excited to host cultural and music workshops to help preserve the Cajun culture.

Gates will open 10 a.m. both days, and the party continues until 11 p.m. each night. The festival will be held rain or shine.

Americana Bean Jamboree | June 2-4

The inaugural Americana Bean Jamboree music festival, June 2-4, will showcase a diverse blend of musical genres including roots, rock, blues, bluegrass, country, and folk.

The Americana Bean Jamboree will welcome crowd favorite bands as well as award-winning musicians who will perform and lead workshops at the park for their first time.

The festival’s lineup includes Ryan Shupe and The Rubberband, Flat River Band, Roe Family Singers, Anne Harris, Nick Dittmeier and the Sawdusters, The Rainwater, The Strings of Indian Creek, Banister Band, Jim Richter & Will Kimble, Della Mae, Jon Stickley Trio, Georgia Rae Band, Restless Leg String Band, Davey & The Midnights, Shiny Shiny Black, The Box Band, Mike Martin & The Beautiful Mess, Jack Whittle Trio, Hogslop String Band, Veronica Lewis, The Kody Norris Show, Cruz Contreras of the Black Lillies, Midwest Rhythm Exchange, Highway 9 Blues Band, Kade Puckett, The Long Seasons, and John Ford.

Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Festival | June 10-18

The 56th annual Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Festival will be held June 10-18 and feature daily bluegrass bands, workshops, campfire jam sessions, a free Bean Dinner, and for the first time Sunday bluegrass jam sessions.

This nine-day summer staple started as one of the smallest festivals in the country when Bill Monroe created it in 1966. Now the longest-running bluegrass festival in the U.S., Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Festival entices regulars from as far as Hawaii,” Dunbar said.

“For some of our bands, it’s been their dream to someday play on the stage at Bill Monroe Music Park,” she said.

Included in this year’s lineup are Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive, Southern Wind, Gavin & Ashton, The Johnson Brothers, The Cleverlys, Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, 7 Mile Bluegrass, Caney Creek, Deeper Shade of Blue, Blue Flame, Hoosier Tradition, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Donna Ulisse, The Price Sisters, New Again, The Tim Shelton Syndicate, Stoney Creek Bluegrass, Kenny Stinson & The Perfect Tym’n, Three Rivers Bluegrass Band, Appalachian Road Show, Danny Paisley and the Southern Grass, Kentucky Shine, Brayden Williamson & Friends, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Alan Bibey & Grasstowne, Open Highway, New Outlook, Ralph Stanley II, Tim Raybon, Jim & Lynna Woolsey, Kaintuck Band, The Grascals, Kenny and Amanda Smith, Nectar Valley, and Larry Efaw & The Bluegrass Mountaineers.