This week’s column highlights two Appalachian roots music festivals: Spring Shakori Hills Grass Roots Festival of Music & Dance (Pittsboro, North Carolina, May 1-4, 2025) and Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival (Martinsville, Virginia, May 22-25, 2025).
In addition to presenting a wide array of roots musicians in a family friendly manner, both are located in the rural Piedmont areas of their respective states, and are 501(c)(3) nonprofits that give back to the community. More on their respective community involvements: Rooster Walk can be found here and Shakori here.
Willa Stein, a frequent column contributor, shares her photos from both festivals, and Greg Jenkins, who has previously written about Rooster Walk (most notably for JamBase), provides us with his insights for the first time for No Depression.
Trampled By Roosters: Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival 2025 by Greg Jenkins
Joy, gratitude, and appreciating the present ruled the weekend at this year’s Rooster Walk, its 15th. Stellar spring weather amplified the already good vibes beyond the six stages as thousands of festival patrons danced, camped, cheered, laughed, fellowshipped, and relaxed in the gorgeous setting in southwestern Virginia’s Piedmont area.
Roots music dominated the lineup: Trampled By Turtles headlined; Shadowgrass' Kyser George joined forces with Isaac Hadden to present "Guitarmageddon: Isaac & Kyser Destroy the World;" Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country jammed; Keller Williams did what he and no one else does; and Town Mountain, Hogslop String Band, and Shadowgrass picked bluegrass. The traditional festival-closing tribute set was roots-rock as Yarn performed Neil Young classics.
Other hot sets came from regional bands Ashes & Arrows, Caleb Caudle, The Wilson Springs Hotel, Striking Copper, and Woody Woodworth & The Piners, Rebecca Porter, Ramona & the Holy Smokes, and Big Fat Gap. The festival also featured an eclectic lineup of reggae, funk, rock, Americana, and hip-hop.
Another Rooster Walk innovation is its annual, and ever-changing, House Band. This year it included seven artists, most notably Kyser George, Isaac Hadden, and Flori Rusiñol (Florencia & The Feeling). They played three diverse sets: (1) the music of Jerry Garcia; (2) backed Keller Williams; and (3) hosted the "Jimmy Jam," an all-star jam where anything goes. They also played with their own bands (or solo), and sat in frequently with other musicians’ sets. All in all, this improvisation and spontaneity is what sets Rooster Walk apart from other fests I am aware of.
Rooster Walk 16 is scheduled for May 21-24, 2026. There’s no lineup available yet; “blind faith” tickets are on sale now.
Click on any photo to view the gallery as a full-size slideshow.
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