Bluegrass in Troy

04/13/2026

Our new host band, Authentic Unlimited, features the talented Jesse Brock on mandolin. He has received IBMA’s Mandolin Player of the Year three times (2009, 2015, 2024)!!!

Jesse stated, “Big Lick BGF is always a festival I look forward to. The talent line-up is wonderful and always hits the mark. The facilities are nice and the grounds are well-manicured too. The staff is very accommodating and the merchandise area is conveniently
-located and spacious. Audio is always exceptional and the stage is situated where acoustics reverberate through the trees. Come be a part of the 2026 line-up with it being the first year of Authentic Unlimited hosting.”

04/13/2026

There will be a new location to enter the Bluegrass Festival site. Please use the following address for entering the grounds.

722 South Oakridge Road Oakboro NC

04/12/2026

Spotlighting Jerry Cole, Authentic Unlimited’s bassist and prolific songwriter.

Cole shared, “AU is honored to serve as the host band for the Big Lick Bluegrass Festival. What makes this event truly special isn’t just the music—it’s the heart behind it. Promoter Jeff Branch has built something rare, a festival rooted in respect for the tradition, and a love for bringing people together. The fans who come out each year aren’t just attendees—they’re true bluegrass folks who feel more like family. That’s what makes Big Lick one of our favorite places to play, and we’re proud to be part of it."

And we are proud to have Jerry and the rest of Authentic Unlimited hosting our biggest festival yet. Get ready!

04/11/2026

Authentic Unlimited is our new host band. Meet Stephen Burwell, AU’s talented fiddler.

Stephen shared,”Big Lick is coming up soon and I can’t wait for it! It will be our first time to have the honor of hosting a festival, so come help make it special with us! We can’t wait to hang out with everyone one and get to pick. There are so many amazing bands that will be there. It is sure to be an incredible time!”

Good times and great music are ahead!

04/09/2026

AUTHENTIC UNLIMITED
Authentic Unlimited will be returning to the Big Lick Bluegrass Festival stage this year as host band. Though this powerhouse band only began performing in 2022, they are no strangers to the bluegrass genre and have already made quite a name for themselves, racking up numerous IBMA and SPBGMA awards including Vocal Group of the Year for the past three consecutive years.
Here’s a little history on how this gifted quintet formed: Following Doyle Lawson’s retirement, three members of his band, Quicksilver, Eli Johnston-banjo, Stephen Burwell-fiddle, and Jerry Cole-bass, decided continue in a new configuration.
Cole explained, “When Doyle announced he was going to retire, Stephen, Eli, and I decided to stay together.”
Burwell added, “We didn’t even have to think about if we wanted to continue on, we just knew we had a good team and relationship with each other and so that’s what we’d do.”
“The key to longevity for a band is creating a distinctive sound of music. Authentic Unlimited is doing just that and with the wealth of talent, they are destined for a bright future!" the trio’s former bluegrass boss, Doyle Lawson shared.
With Lawson’s blessing and guidance, the three petitioned mandolin extraordinaire, Jesse Brock, to join their ensemble. Colton Baker, on guitar and vocals, joined the band last year, making his debut at Big Lick.
Recording for Nashville’s Billy Blue Records, Authentic Unlimited has released five albums, two bluegrass, two gospel, and one Christmas. The band is excited to be back at Big Lick for their fourth year and their first as host band.
Banjoist, Eli Johnston says, “Jeff Branch is such a wonderful ambassador for bluegrass. We couldn't possibly be more amped up about this year. Come see us at Big Lick.”
Authentic Unlimited will be hanging out at the festival all weekend and hit the stage both Friday, April 17, at 4:00 for a 90 minute set, and Saturday, April 18, for two sets: 4 and 10 pm.
Check out Authentic Unlimited’s latest single, “Cost of Living”, and look for posts on each individual artist in the coming days.

04/08/2026

FESTIVAL T-SHIRTS
2026 Big Lick Bluegrass Festival t-shirts are here!!! They will sell for $20 each, same price as last year.

Be sure to stop by the barn on the festival grounds during the festival and see Pam to pick up a great souvenir and memento of this historic event.

04/07/2026

04/07/2026

RFD TV stars The Malpass Brothers Will be coming to Troy North Carolina Friday August 7th at 7:00 p.m. This show will take place at the James Garner Center located at 210 Burnett Street in Troy, North Carolina. Reserve seating is $35. General admission is $30. For more information, contact 704-985-6987.

04/07/2026

THE FARM HANDS
Tim Graves and The Farm Hands will make first appearance at the Big Lick Bluegrass Festival on Saturday, April 18.

Since their inception in 2010, the Tennessee-based band has received over 82 award nominations, winning an unprecedented 34 major awards including SPBGMA’s 2019 and 2020 Bluegrass Gospel Band of the Year.

This powerhouse band is comprised of Tim Graves on dobro, Don Wayne Reno on banjo, Jimmy Haynes on guitar, and Terry Eldridge on bass. Each comes with their own pedigree in music.

Graves stated, “Tim Graves and The Farm Hands are so excited to be at this wonderful festival this year. We have been trying to get there for a few years now, but we had dates on the books that conflicted with the schedule. We are honored to be there this year and are looking forward to sharing the stage with so many other wonderful bluegrass groups. This is a show you do not want to miss. This is how a Bluegrass Festival should be. Come and be with us.”

The Farm Hands will perform at 1 and 7 PM on Saturday.
Give them a listen:

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

04/01/2026

SOUTHERN LEGACY
Making their debut performance at Big Lick this year will be bluegrass A-listers: Don Rigsby, Josh Williams, Mike Anglin, Steve Thomas, and Jody King. Meet Southern Legacy. Individually, each is talented, versatile, and well-known throughout the bluegrass community. Collectively, they form a powerhouse group that is making a huge impact upon the bluegrass industry.

Mandolinist Rigsby stressed, "We're very excited to be performing at the Big Lick Bluegrass Festival for very first time! We love the opportunity. Anytime we get it to get out and see the folks and spend time with our fellow musicians. Bluegrass music is a big family and it's important to share fellowship with everyone under our tent. We'd like to encourage all of our fans in the area and region to come out and spend this time with us and our fellow musicians at what is one of the finest festivals in the industry!”

He shared a little background on the group’s name and material selection. “The reason we named the band, Southern Legacy, is quintessential to our mission. We are southern-born people. We have all been heavily influenced by the music of JD Crowe and everyone knows his band was the New South. The southern part is about that. We have that New South, southern perspective from the music. The legacy part, we all feel like we have been left a legacy by the first and second generation musicians, a road map to follow. We have all been influenced from their legacy. This is our opportunity to leave this as a big part of our legacy. I feel this band may be my most important piece of my legacy.”

Guitarist Williams agreed. “That’s where our interests were. The five of us wanted to bring our own perspectives in and carry on, still playing traditional bluegrass, but also gospel, country, who knows. We all want to bring our own ideas to the table, but carry on the legacy.”

You can hear Southern Legacy perform on Friday, April 17, at 2 and 8:30 pm. In the meantime, listen to Southern Legacy’s release on Pinecastle Records, “The Hills of Carter County”:

Provided to YouTube by Syntax CreativeThe Hills Of Carter County · Southern LegacyThe Hills Of Carter County℗ 2025 Pinecastle RecordsReleased on: 2025-07-30M...