Doug Sharkey and Steve Kruger combine Blue Ridge old-time traditions with the vocal harmonies of the great brother duets of the 1930s-50s. They cut their teeth playing in string bands around the High Country. Doug Sharkey is a singer. guitar player, and banjo picker originally from East Peoria, Illinois. He’s called western North Carolina his home since 2006 and has performed with The Blue Ridge Broadcasters, The Barsters and the Spring Chickens. Steve Kruger is a former folklorist who worked on the Blue Ridge Music Trails and Historic Happy Valley projects for the North Carolina Arts Council. He fiddles for the Little Stony Nighthawks, and resides in Southwest VA.

For over a decade, William Ritter and Sarah Ogletree have been charming audiences with their banter, tight harmonies, and traditional songs and tunes. In the past few years you’ve probably seen William and Sarah working behind the scenes and also on stage at Happy Valley, but this year we wanted to feature them as a part of our Sunday lineup. You don’t want to miss these two!!

Bluegrass, old-time, and folk music lovers alike can’t get enough of The Burnett Sisters Band, as siblings Anissa, Sophia, and Anneli and band mate Justin Alexander are all gifted multi-instrumentalists who are well-known and well-liked in the traditional music circuit across the United States. The band brings a youthful energy and modern flair to each performance, while remaining true to the traditional roots of the genre. Their on-stage chemistry is unmistakable – the type that only close siblings can have, evident in exchanged glances and spontaneous smiles – and their musicianship is undeniable.

Michael Reno Harrell is an award winning songwriter, a published author, a nationally known storyteller and a visual artist. And he’s from the Southern Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina where all those things are as much a part of life as breathing. Michael’s talents in the aforementioned Fields have taken him to forty-four states and several foreign countries over his over Fifty plus year career. His work is based in life experiences that reflect the culture of his mountain roots, which go back eight generations. But, Michael’s stories, songs and artworks reflect not only the southern experience, but also American’s story. His work, in whichever form it may take, all comes down to one thing…story.

Strictly Clean and Decent is an acoustic trio which features Patrick Crouch, Ron Shuffler, and Kay Crouch whose blend of brilliant vocal harmonies tops a solid instrumental foundation. This year joined by spectacular fiddler Tim Higgins!

Rob McHale is a North Carolina-based Folk-Americana artist whose songs can take you through a small town, down a dirt road or on an historical journey – and bring you back home again. Rob’s flair for penning historical and social commentary songs has received recognition and awards from American Songwriter Magazine, Woody Guthrie Folk Festival, Dallas Songwriters Association, and Billboard.