Step into the rich tradition of Appalachian balladry! Our open ballad swap is a welcoming space for singers to share centuries-old hand-me-down songs—stories of love, loss, mystery, and humor carried through the ages. Sign up to sing at the Info Table during the festival.

Not a singer? Come be part of the listening circle! Bring along a craft—knitting, whittling, mending, quilting—to work on while you enjoy the music, just as folks have done for generations.

We’re excited to have Chad Ritchie and Friends take the stage at the Happy Valley Jamboree! A familiar face at our festival, Chad brings a rich repertoire of old-time songs, with a special love for regional and local tunes. In 2021–22, he was part of the North Carolina Appalachian Folklife Apprenticeship Project, where he studied under master fiddler Richard Bowman, learning classic Round Peak tunes from North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. Get ready for music steeped in tradition and played straight from the heart!

We’re thrilled to welcome Dan and Christy Foster back to the Happy Valley Jamboree! Longtime friends and supporters of our festival (back when it was still the Happy Valley Fiddlers Convention), Dan and Christy have helped in countless ways over the years. Though they now live in Texas, they make the journey nearly every year to the farm to share their love of old-time music and reconnect with the community. Their music and friendship have become part of the heartbeat of Happy Valley, and we can’t wait to have them on stage this year!

This year the Happy Valley Jamboree is pleased to welcome incredible multi-instrumentalist and musical prodigy Branson Raines. Branson is a fiddler from Asheville, NC, known for his performances of bluegrass, old-time, and country fiddle music.  He comes from a musically inclined family and was a student (one of only three to be officially “graduated”) of the renowned fiddler and teacher, Arvil Freeman. Branson also studied and became close with the late fiddle icon Bobby Hicks. Raines often performes with NEA Heritage Award winner Sheila Kay Adams and was part of the Davis & Elkins Appalachian Ensemble at Davis & Elkins College.  He frequently leads jams in the greater Asheville area and has taken over Arvil Freeman’s post as the fiddler for the legendary Stoney Creek Boys–the host band for decades for Shindig on the Green. .

We are thrilled to have the dynamic WNC duo Zoe and Cloyd join the Jamboree this year. Natalia Zoe Weinstein and John Cloyd Miller’s music is the convergence of two different music traditions, and the result is extraordinary songcraft, harmonies, and stellar musicianship.

The Billy McBills & Bob deliver a vibrant musical experience that celebrates the timeless sounds of the Appalachian Mountains, blending tradition with heartfelt storytelling and an infectious sense of fun.

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.

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!!

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.