September Music Festivals
There are still lots of exciting late summer and early fall music festivals set to take place throughout the nation; here are some big ones and some lesser-known festivals for you to consider. We think you'll like them all!
Bourbon & Beyond - Sept. 11-14, 2025 - Louisville, Kentucky
This is a big one, music fans! Huge! In fact Bourbon & Beyond is the world's largest bourbon, food and music festival, so we're just going to give you some highlights here. Set to perform are Phish, the Lumineers, Joe Bonamassa, Jack White, Sturgill Simpson, Noah Kahan, Ringo Starr, Foreigner, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Goo Goo Dolls, Pixies, Gin Blossoms, Collective Soul, John Waite, Megan Moroney, Third Eye Blind, Cage the Elephant, NRBQ, Marshall Crenshaw, 10,000 Maniacs, Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors, Benson Boone, Alabama Shakes, Khruangbin, St. Lucia, Trombone Shorty and dozens of others. On the bourbon side of things, The Hunter's Club, where aficionados can sip rare bourbons, will be open, more than 30 house single barrel bourbons will be representing, almost 100 premium bourbons will be showcased and more than 20 vintage bourbons including Bourbon Supreme from 1976, Old Crow Chess Piece from 1969 and Rabbit Hole Boxergrail Rye Limited Edition will wow bourbon-loving taste buds. Lots of fun for foodies will be on hand; along with good eats there'll be celebrity appearances during Fork & Flask sessions by Jim Gaffigan, Terry Bradshaw, Elizabeth Banks, Kelly Hansen of Foreigner and many popular chefs, mixologists and wine specialists. For information on tickets, camping, parties and a schedule of shows go
here.
Horseshoe Music Festival - Sept. 12 & 13, 2025 - Teton County Fairgrounds, Jackson, Wyoming
Here's a chance to enjoy some great music and pure clean mountain air in the scenic setting of Jackson, Wyoming. Presented by Duane Betts and his wife, designer Lisa Hadley Betts, Horseshoe Music Festival features a stellar line-up that includes Jackie Greene, Steve Kimock. Nicki Bluhm, Mikaela Davis, Frank Hannon, Cody Dickinson, Lamar Williams Jr., Jorgen Carlsson, Johnny Kimock, Jeffrey Aravalo, Alex Orbison, Erika Orbison, Mattie Schell and of course Duane Betts and his band Palmetto Motel. Also appearing will be Aaron Davis & the Mystery Machine, Skulls & Peaches (Grateful Dead and Allman Brothers tribute) and Soul of the South. Betts is the son of the late guitarist for the Allman Brothers Band, Dickey Betts. Wellness sessions, a fashion mart and farm-to-table dining experiences will also be part of the fun. For more information and to purchase tickets go
here.
Four Chord Music Festival - Sept. 13 & 14, 2025 - Pittsburgh/Washington, Pennsylvania
Set to take place in EQT Park in Washington, Pennsylvania (about half an hour outside of Pittsburgh), Four Chord Music Festival presents an all-star lineup of punk rock acts for its eleventh iteration. And the lineup really is chock full of stars! Performing on Sat. Sept. 13 are Blink-182, Jimmy Eat World, Hot Mulligan, Bowling for Soup, State Champs, Set Your Goals, Knuckle Puck, Home Grown, Eternal Boy, Driveways, Charly Bliss, Patent Pending, Keep Flying and Boy in Blue Stripes. Wrapping the event up on Sun. Sept. 14 will be AFI, Jawbreaker, Alkaline Trio, Say Anything, Face to Face, The Wonder Years, Drug Church, Punchline. Koyo, Deathbyromy, Sincere Engineer, Like Roses, Runt and Mallory Run. Get tickets
here.
Smalltown for the Cause - Sept. 19 & 20, 2025 - Salida, Colorado
Back after a five year hiatus, this festival takes place in Riverside Park in downtown Salida in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. The fest focuses on music, yoga and community, all for a good cause. Performers set for this year include Elephant Revival, Moontricks, Kat Factor (Gone Gone Beyond), Lindsay Lou, Clay Street Unit, WinterWonderWomen, Pickin' on the Dead, Ramona, Bonfire Dub, LVDY, Magoo, Silas Herman & The Tone Unit, Leadville Cherokee, Deer Creek Sharpshooters and Little Moon Travelers. Leading Yoga sessions will be Mary Beth La Rue, Steph Winsor, Lisa Shanken, Heath Perry, Alana Mitnick, Yoga Olas, Tyler Trafficanti and Out Here Yoga. The festival has given back to many good causes over the years and this year's beneficiaries include Chaffee County Community Foundation, Colorado Tick-Borne Disease Association and the Hutchinson Ranch. Purchase tickets and get all the information on camping, including car and RV camping,
here.
Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival - Sept. 20 & 21, 2025 - Annapolis, Maryland
This weekend blowout has an incredible lineup of "jamgrass" artists and this year's performers will be celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead. The first day of the fest will feature Greensky Bluegrass playing two sets, Kitchen Dwellers, LaMP (Russ Lawton, Scott Metzger, and Ray Paczkowski), Larry Keel's Electric Larry Land, Sam Grisman Project, Elliot Peck & Friends and Geraldine. Taking it home on day two will be Railroad Earth, Molly Tuttle, The Travelin' McCourys, The Grateful Ball (featuring the Travelin' McCourys), Kyle Hollingsworth Band, The Last Revel and Pressing Strings. Artists at large both days will be Holly Bowling, Kyle Tuttle and Patrick Rainey. All the fun takes place in Sandy Point State Park which is right on Chesapeake Bay. Music takes place on two stages and there'll be other stuff to do too like beach yoga, an oyster shucking workshop and a special zone for kids. More information and tickets are
here.
Lotus World Music & Arts Festival - Sept. 25 - 28, 2025 - Bloomington, Indiana
This festival has been presenting world music in Bloomington for more than 30 years now and once again this year they have an absolutely stellar lineup of performers from around the globe. Taking place in multiple venues in charming downtown Bloomington, Lotus World Music & Arts Festival will showcase artists from Colombia (Nidia Gongora, Yeison Landero), Finland (Teho.), (Symbio), Estonia (Puuluup) and Costa Rica (Matixando). Numerous acts will be representing the sounds of Africa, Dan Kusaya & the Chimurenga Inspiration from Zimbabwe, Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band from Togo, Natu Camara from Guinea and sub-Saharan Desert Blues act Zar Electrik from Morocco. Canada will be represented by Quebecois act Cecilia and hailing from the U.S. (and some with members from other nations) are Cathy Fink, Marcy Marxer and Chao Tan, House of Waters, Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience and Native American performers Shelley Morningsong and Fabian Fontenelle. And representing the home turf of Bloomington will be Swing Time Big Band and La Salsoteca. This is going to be one of the season's most eclectic music festivals and if you like global music and will be anywhere near Bloomington be sure to check this one out. For tickets and more information go
here.
Punk in the Park - Sept. 27, 2025 - Worcester, Massachusetts
This beloved festival celebrating punk rock music and craft beer will pack in a huge amount of fun on just the one day. Set to take place at the Palladium Outdoors in Worcester (about 40 miles outside Boston) with scheduled performers including Bad Religion, Pennywise, Face to Face, Comeback Kid, Adolescents, Guttermouth, The Vandals, Dwarves, Poli Van Dam, The Rins and others. On the beverage side of things, fans 21 and over will be able to taste local, regional and national craft beers as well as hard seltzer and cider; there is an additional $15 fee to take part in the sampling. VIP tickets that include dedicated festival entrance lanes, a dedicated main stage viewing area, dedicated food and VIP bars and more are available too. See the various ticketing options
here.
