Punch Brothers / Courtesy facebook.com/PunchBrothers
It’s official. The Fayetteville Roots Festival has – in a very short amount of time – become one of the staple events of the Fall in Fayetteville.
The festival enters its sixth year in 2015, and is already up there with Razorback football, the changing fall foliage, and the energy created by the UA students coming back to town as one of the things that makes Fayetteville such a great place to be this time of year.
As they have every year since 2009, event organizers Bryan and Bernice Hembree and Jerrmy Gawthrop have assembled an enormous lineup of music, food, and fun for this year’s event, set for Aug. 27-30 at various locations around Fayetteville.
As usual, main stage events on Friday and Saturday are completely sold out, as are the coveted “Friends of the Festival” four-day passes that include a festival opening party with food and music at the Garner Farm in east Fayetteville.
As far as the festival’s headlining shows go, only a handful of tickets remain to the Sunday night show featuring all-star group Watkins Family Hour (featuring Sarah Watkins, Sean Watkins, Fiona Apple, Don Heffington, Sebastian Steinberg, Benmont Tench, and special guests).
Headliners this year include The Punch Brothers, JD McPherson, John Fullbright, I’m With Her, The Steel Wheels, Martha Scanlan, Smokey & The Mirror, John Moreland, and Corey Branan.
Tickets are still available to several late-night shows at George’s Majestic Lounge, and the festival always includes plenty of free entertainment, such as local New Orleans horn band, Crescent City Combo Friday night at Maxine’s, or bluegrass band Arkansauce on Saturday night. Kingfish has free shows as well, with local baltic-inspired Ozarka Orkestra on Friday, and the funky 1 Oz. Jig on Saturday.
There are free concerts, live radio shows, art exhibits and more at Fayetteville Public Library and Fayetteville Underground off the square.
As always, local food is a huge part of the event, and that continues this year as well. New this year is an Iron Chef-style cooking competition on Saturday at the Fayetteville Town Center featuring some of the region’s best chefs from Greenhouse Grille, Bordinos, Meiji, Arsaga’s, Eleven, and others. The chefs will be given $50 to shop at the Farmers’ Market, and will race back to create their best dish. The winner will have $5,000 worth of Crystal Lake Farms chicken donated to a local non-profit of their choice.
A lot more information, including a full schedule of events is below.
To grab tickets to one of the late-night ticketed shows still available, visit fayettevilleroots.com.
Artist Tim West
Wednesday, Aug. 26
Music – Festival pre-party at George’s Majestic Lounge
(Ticket required. Get tickets)
Time: 9 p.m.
Address: 519 W. Dickson St.
Performers: Hard Working Americans, a supergroup featuring Todd Snider, Dave Schools, Neal Casal, Duane Trucks, Chad Staehly, and Jesse Aycock
Thursday, Aug. 27
Gallery Exhibit – Ozark Artistry: Contemporary Craftsmanship feat. Tim West
at Fayetteville Underground
(No ticket needed)
Time: 9 a.m.
Address: 101 W. Mountain St., Suite 222
What:An exhibit featuring the work of Tim West, curated by folklorist and poet Willi Goehring. The exhibit will feature West’s landscapes, prints, sculptures, and drawings.
Music/Food – Friends of the Festival Concert at the Garner Farm
(Ticket required. Sold out.)
Address: 3390 E. Mission Blvd.
6 p.m. – Martha Scanlan
7 p.m. – The Steel Wheels
8 p.m. – John Fullbright
John Fullbright
Courtesy
Music – George’s Majestic Lounge Late-night Stage
(Ticket required. Get tickets)
Address: 519 W. Dickson St.
9:30 p.m. – The Silver Shakers
10:30 p.m. – The Sisters Sweet
11:30 p.m. – Handmade Moments (featuring Melissa Carper)
Friday, Aug. 28
Gallery Exhibit – “Making Music: Images from the Shiloh Museum Collection” at Fayetteville Public Library
(No ticket needed)
Time: 9 a.m.
Address: 401 W. Mountain St.
What: Multi-media show
JD McPherson
Courtesy
Live radio show/workshops/etc. at Fayetteville Public Library
(No ticket needed)
Time: 12 p.m.
Address: 401 W. Mountain St.
What: A live taping of Ozarks at Large
Luthier Summit at May Bell Music
(No ticket needed)
Time: 1 p.m.
Address: 120 N Block Ave #2
What: Local luthiers will speak about building acoustic, electric, and “cigar box” musical instruments, including display workbenches.Participants can wander, ask questions, and watch luthiers in action.
Music/art at Fayetteville Underground
(No ticket needed)
Address: 101 W. Mountain St.
3:30 p.m. – Traditional music
6 p.m. – Tim West Talk: Expert talk with Diana Hausaum
Main Stage at Fayetteville Town Center
(Ticket required. Sold out.)
Address: 15 W. Mountain St.
3 p.m. – John Moreland
4 p.m. – Martha Scanlan
5 p.m. – The Steel Wheels
6:45 p.m. – Pokey LaFarge
7:45 p.m. – John Fullbright
9 p.m. – JD McPherson
Music – Old Time Square Dance/Street Dance at Backspace
(No ticket needed.)
Time: 8 p.m.
Address: 600 W. Center St.
Music – Kingfish
(No ticket needed)
Time: 9 p.m.
Address: 262 N. School Ave.
Performer: Ozarka Orkestra
Music – Maxine’s Tap Room Stage
(No ticket needed.)
Time: 9:30 p.m.
Address: 107 N. Block Ave.
Performer: Crescent City Combo
Music- George’s Majestic Lounge Late-night Stage
(Ticket required. Get tickets)
Address: 519 W. Dickson St.
10 p.m. – Mark & Cindy Bilyeu
10:30 p.m. – Tony Furtado Trio
11:00 p.m. – Anthony DeCosta
12:00 a.m. – Shook Twins
Music – Chancellor Hotel Late-night Stage
(No ticket needed)
Time: 11 p.m.
Address: 70 N. East Ave.
Jimmy LaFave and Michael Fracasso
Saturday, Aug. 29
Live radio show/workshops/etc. at Fayetteville Public Library
(No ticket needed)
Address: 401 W. Mountain St.
8 a.m. – Songwriting Workshop hosted by J Wagner
10 a.m. – Mark Bilyeu & Cindy Woolf: Woody Gutherie’s Kid Songs
10 a.m. – Apple Seeds: on-site healthy food demonstration
11 a.m. – Woody Guthrie Center Workshop
12 p.m. – Live from Fayetteville Roots Fest hosted by Kyle Kellams – featuring Gabriel Kahane & Michael Fracasso
2 p.m. – “The Next Elvis: Searching for Stardom at Sun Records” – a talk with Barbara Sims
Fayetteville Farmers’ Market Cook-off at Fayetteville Town Center
(No ticket needed.)
Time: 9 a.m.
Address: 15 W. Mountain St.
What: An Iron Chef-style cook-off featuring several of the region’s top chefs cooking their best dishes with fresh ingredients from Fayetteville Farmers’ Market. Featuring music by Farmer and the Markets.
Music, workshops & more at Fayetteville Underground
(No ticket needed)
Address: 101 W. Mountain St., Suite 222
What:
9:30 a.m. – Kids & Parents Folk Sing w/Carol Widder
10 a.m. – Still on the Hill
11 a.m. – Ozark Flatfooting Workshop
12 p.m. – Ozark Storytelling Workshop & Performance
Traditional Ozark Music Workshops at May Bell Music
(No ticket needed)
Time: 1 p.m.
Address: 120 N. Block Ave.
Performer: Joe Craven
Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O’Donovan
Courtesy
Music – Main Stage at Fayetteville Town Center
(Ticket required. Sold out.)
Address: 15 W. Mountain St.
3 p.m. – Cory Branan
4 p.m. – Ben Miller Band
5 p.m. – Smokey and the Mirror
6:45 p.m. – Shook Twins
7:45 p.m. – Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O’Donovan
9 p.m. – Punch Brothers
Music – Maxine’s Tap Room Stage
(No ticket required.)
Time: 11 p.m.
Address: 107 N. Block Ave.
Arkansauce
Music – George’s Majestic Lounge Late-night Stage
(Ticket required. Get tickets)
Address: 519 W. Dickson St.
9:30 p.m. – Cutty Rye
10:45 p.m. – Pokey LaFarge
12 p.m. – Ben Miller Band
Music – Kingfish Late-night Stage
(No ticket needed)
Time: 10 p.m.
Address: 262 N. School Ave.
1 Oz. Jig
Music – Chancellor Hotel Late-night Stage
(No ticket needed)
Time: 11 p.m.
Address: 70 N. East Ave.
DaCosta, Rose & Elliot
Sunday, Aug. 30
Roots at Greenhouse Grille – Brunch
(No ticket needed. Reservations recommended. Call 479-444-8909)
Time: 10 a.m.
Address: 481 S. School Ave.
Performer: Surprise show featuring several festival acts.
Music/Workshops/Live Radio Shows – Fayetteville Public Library
(No ticket needed)
Address: 401 W. Mountain St.
1 p.m. – Instrument Workshop for kids featuring Sara Watkins, Sarah Jarosz, and Aoife O’Donovan
2 p.m. – Moors and McCumber
3 p.m. – Tales from the South w/ Moors & McCumber, Cory Branan
Main Stage at Fayetteville Town Center
(Ticket required. Get tickets)
Address: 15 W. Mountain St.
3:30 p.m. – John Elliot
4:30 p.m. – Dana Louise and the Glorious Birds
5:30 p.m. – Devon Sproule
7:15 p.m. – Jimmy LaFave
8:15 p.m. – Watkins Family Hour featuring Sarah Watkins, Sean Watkins, Fiona Apple, Don Heffington, Sebastian Steinberg, Benmont Tench, and special guests.
The Food
Several events during the festival include food, much of which is grown in Northwest Arkansas by local farmers.
Thursday’s VIP Reception at the Garner Farm includes a meal catered by Greenhouse Grille, Woodstone Pizza, Farmers’ Table, Bordinos, Apple Blossom Brewing, Revolution Pastry, Pure Joy Ice Cream, Eleven, River Grill, Tusk & Trotter, and Hello Chocolate. The event will also include craft beer by Ozark Brewing Co, New Belgium, Bike Rack Brewing, Lagunitas, Mothers, Oskar Blues, and Apple Blossom, and craft cocktails by PH Alchemy.
Greenhouse Grille, Tusk & Trotter, and Farmers’ Table will cater the festival main stages on Friday and Saturday night, and Ozark Beer and PH Alchemy will provide the liquid refreshments.
As we mentioned above, a new Iron Chef-style event is planned on Saturday morning. Four teams featuring chefs from Benton and Washington counties will pair up, and create a dish made from ingredients at the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market. Participants include Darwin Beyer (Meiji), Jason Paul (Heirloom), Jared Hickman (Greenhouse Grille), Justus Moll (River Grill), Ethan Altom (Bordinos), William Lyle (Eleven), Patrick Lane (Arsaga’s at the Depot), and Michael Robertshaw (Pressroom).
The chef cook-off begins at 9 a.m., with cook time set for 11 a.m. The award presentation is set for noon. It’s free to attend, and open to the public.
