The Bluegrass Island Festival, aka Outer Banks Bluegrass Festival, is a four-day festival presented on Roanoke Island at Manteo. Since 2012, it has grown to become a major annual event on North Carolina's Outer Banks and one of the premier music festivals in the state.
The festival benefits from its location at Roanoke Island Festival Park, where there is a large permanent stage.
The concert area is behind the park's history museum and abuts the Intracoastal Waterway. Late-night shows and pickers' jams are held on a second, small stage just outside of the gates. A fireworks show over the waterway that is set to bluegrass music typically closes one night of the festival.
VIP ticket holders are provided reserved seats up front. We (and others) were able to walk up front outside of the roped-off area when we wanted to, to get photos or simply enjoy the band on stage.
Rhonda Vincent and the Rage ...
Sam Bush Band ...
If you are willing to sit to the side, you can get pretty close without a VIP ticket.
Most, though not all, vendors were local restaurants.
The two days of the festival that were presented were rainy, which made the large tent at the back of the lawn popular. (The weather also cut down on attendance, so our photos don't depict the kind of crowd you should expect if you go in nicer weather.)
Our view from the front of the tent before the show started Thursday morning (note the falling rainwater) ...
Among the features of the park is a boardwalk that is accessed from near stage right and runs along the waterway. It is short enough to enjoy during a break between bands.
One of many picturesque views from the boardwalk ...
When on an island, of course ...
Another plus of the park's permanent facilities is the availability of indoor restrooms at the rear of the museum.
In a feat of fortunate timing, we caught Rhonda Vincent, a Bluegrass Island Festival regular, arriving for her two nights at the festival.
One other thing we appreciated at Bluegrass Island was the rubber, removable wristbands.
The Bluegrass Island Festival is also well known for announcing at least a partial lineup for the next edition of the festival almost immediately after each year's show.
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