Wilkesboro, NC – February 28, 2017 ––This September, the third annual Carolina In The Fall™ Music and Food Festival presented by Wilkes Communications, Inc. continues its’ tradition of celebrating the heritage of western North Carolina through music, food and beverage. On September 22nd and 23rd, 2017, over 100 musicians, chefs, vintners and craft beer brewers from the region will gather on Main Street in Wilkesboro, NC to engage audiences with the best of their craft.
Wilkes County’s own The Kruger Brothers will be the Festival hosts again and welcome some of North Carolina’s best Folk/ Roots music bands. They will be joined by bands from other regions that tip their hats to the rich musical history of Wilkes, the Heart of American Folk Music™. This year’s line-up includes The Kruger Brothers, The Kontras Quartet , The Black Lillies, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, The Snyder Family Band, Lindsay Lou and the Flatbellys and many others.
The Kruger Brothers
Originally from Switzerland, brothers Uwe and Jens Kruger began playing North American folk music at an early age and were particularly inspired by recordings of Doc Watson, Flatt and Scruggs, Bill Monroe, and other progenitors of country, bluegrass and folk music. Their first public performances were as a duo, busking on the streets of cities throughout eastern and Western Europe.
After gaining a recording contract as well as a radio show on SRG SSR, the Swiss public broadcaster, they teamed up with bass player Joel Landsberg, inaugurating a trio that has been playing professionally together since 1995. Landsberg is an American citizen from New York, NY. The Kruger Brothers moved to the United States in 2002, and are based in Wilkesboro, NC.
Through their numerous CD releases, radio and television performances, lectures, and collaborative efforts, The Kruger Brothers’ powerful artistic statement continues to inspire and enlighten audiences and musicians around the world.
The Kontras Quartet
Admired for their "superlative artistry" (CVNC Arts Journal), the Kontras Quartet has established an international following for their vibrant and nuanced performances. The "superb Chicago-based ensemble" (Gramophone Magazine) has been described as "a tightly crafted and beautiful instrument" (CVNC Arts Journal) and has been lauded for their "crisp precision" (Palm Beach Daily News) and "enjoyable musical personality" (Fanfare Magazine). Kontras means contrasts in the Afrikaans language - fitting for a string ensemble whose colorful repertoire spans centuries, genres, and continents.
Formed while the group's members were string principals in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Kontras Quartet began pursuing a professional career in 2009. Kontras enjoyed immediate recognition, holding their own against seasoned string quartets from around the country to win a four-year chamber music residency with the Western Piedmont Symphony in North Carolina, a full-time position established through Chamber Music America's Residency Partnership Program. The quartet has received continued training with the Vermeer Quartet and Juilliard String Quartet.
The Black Lillies
The Black Lillies’ story is one of hard work and highway miles … a story that traces their evolution from a group of friends making music in songwriter and frontman Cruz Contreras’ living room into what is now one of Americana’s biggest success stories: an internationally-renowned band of roots-rockers, armed with songs that blur the boundaries between folk, soul, red dirt country, blues and jazz.
More importantly, The Black Lillies’ story is still unfolding, with the band’s sharp, southern-influenced songs — including Americana radio hits like “Hard to Please,” the kickoff single and title track from the band’s most recent album — leading the charge. Featuring multi-instrumentalist Contreras, bassist and vocalist Sam Quinn, drummer Bowman Townsend, guitarist/vocalist Dustin Schaefer, pedal steel player Jonathan Keeney and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Haley Cole, The Black Lillies enter this chapter as one of the most visible, viable groups in contemporary roots music.
Darin and Brooke Aldridge
Husband and wife duo Darin & Brooke Aldridge draw on the traditions of their native North Carolina, the savvy of a young, gifted band and their own dedication to ingenuity to create the most adventurous album of their career with their latest release, Faster & Farther.
The duo has placed several tracks at the top of the charts on Americana/Roots, SiriusXM, Bluegrass and Gospel charts. They have received multiple nominations from the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music of America (SPGBMA) and Inspirational Country Music (ICM). Their music videos “Wildflower” and “Tennessee Flat Top Box” were heavily featured on outlets including CMT, CMT Edge, GAC, Bluegrass Ridge TV and The Bluegrass Situation. TV appearances include PBS, Great American Gospel, The Bluegrass Road, Presley’s Country Jubilee, RFD-TV, Rural-TV, Daystar Network, Blue Highways TV, Songs of the Mountain, Woodsongs and Music City Roots.
Each evening during the festival, the Kruger Brothers will host the Carolina Jam™ at the Yadkin Valley Event Center at the Wilkesboro Holiday Inn Express. Artists from each day will come together to present once in a lifetime, unforgettable jam sessions. Last year’s Jams were the talk of the festival and beyond. These sessions are available to those that purchase a VIP ticket.
In addition to great music, those that attend the festival will enjoy some of North Carolina’s best food as food trucks from across the state will bring their amazing recipes to feed the masses and vie for the coveted Carolina in the Fall™ Food Truck Championship Award. If you have a grown-up thirst, local vineyards and regional craft beer breweries will be onsite to provide a taste of the region’s best adult beverages. The Second Annual Chad Lovette Memorial Run and Ride will be taking place on Saturday, September 23rd on the trails at Cub Creek Park located in downtown Wilkesboro. This is a benefit run for the American Cancer Society. Last year’s event raised $10,000 for the charity.
In its’ third year, Carolina in the Fall has already become an annual pilgrimage for music and food lovers from around the nation, Carolina in the Fall™ presented by Wilkes Communications, Inc. will be held on the fourth weekend of September each year. Save the date and make the annual pilgrimage to Wilkes, the Heart of American Folk Music.
Local accommodations consist of campgrounds and area hotels. The Town of Wilkesboro is opening up the Sewerfest Campground for the Carolina in the Fall™ festival. Contact them at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to reserve your campsite or click the link on the festival website.
Make plans now to be in Wilkesboro on September 23rd and 24th to enjoy the sights and sounds of the season of Carolina in the Fall™. Festival tickets are available at www.carolinainthefall.org. Round One pricing is as follows: Two Day pass $45.00. The VIP package that includes both days and the evening jam sessions is $90.00. Round Two pricing will begin June 1. Single day passes will not be available until June 1.
Carolina in the Fall Music and Food Festival™ is made possible through the partnership of Heart of Folk, LLC, Wilkes Communications, Inc., River Street Productions, The Kruger Brothers and the Town of Wilkesboro.