In response to directives from North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and growing concerns about the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Wilkes County officials have cancelled all mass gatherings of more than 100 people in Wilkes County through the end of April. Therefore, MerleFest 2020 has been cancelled. While this decision is disappointing for all of us, we fully support the directive from our county officials. The health, safety, and well-being of all involved with MerleFest is, and always will be, our primary concern. Click here for details.
MEDIA ROOM
Upcoming Events
October 1, 2019 – Volunteer Applications Opens
October 1, 2019 – Chris Austin Songwriting Contest Opens
October 1-November 30, 2019 – Early Bird Entry period for Chris Austin Songwriting Contest ($25/song)
November 12, 2019 at noon – Tickets on sale!
January 13, 2020 – Media Credential Application online
February 1, 2020 – Chris Austin Songwriting Contest deadline
February 17, 2020 – Early Bird Tier 2 pricing begins
March 16, 2020– Media Credential Application deadline
April 23-26, 2020 – MerleFest 2020
MerleFest History
Click on any of the links below to read, watch, and enjoy our festival’s rich history!
Media Releases & PSAs
For the latest Media Releases, please visit our MerleFest Facebook Notes.
Download our MerleFest 2020 PSAs below! There are 15-second & 30-second high-quality audio recordings for your stations to play!
Media Images
Please visit our MerleFest Flickr account!
Who is Flattop?
The big friendly raccoon you will see at MerleFest is our mascot, Flattop. Why a raccoon? Merle Watson’s band, Frosty Morn, used a raccoon as its logo, based on his suggestion. A naming contest gave Flattop his name–a truly fitting one because of Merle and Doc’s mastery of the flattop guitar.
