Balsam Range Art of Music Festival Kickoff

Please note: Food, as described below, is available for purchase at this event, but isn't included in the ticket price.

For the second year, Balsam Range opens its December Art of Music Festival with an official Waynesville kickoff at the Queen Auditorium, at Folkmoot Center in the Historic Hazelwood School.

Members of Balsam Range will be joined by a strong lineup of special guests to launch their popular weekend festival with a performance on Thursday, December 5.

In a special night honoring the art of songwriting, Balsam Range welcomes John Wiggins, Milan Miller, Aaron Bibelhauser and Missy Armstrong, and adds an appearance by Terry Baucom, a founding member of Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver, IIIrd Tyme Out and Boone Creek, and current leader of his band The Dukes of Drive.

Balsam Range will follow the songwriters with its own performance, and will give a sneak-peek of some material from its upcoming album (Note: no recording devices allowed in the auditorium). In addition, Balsam Range’s Marc Pruett will sign copies of his new autobiography “Rascally Mountain Boy”, and may share a tale of two from the book.

Queen Auditorium at Folkmoot Center, which seats an intimate 275, is building an audience as a listening room for concerts and songwriters-in-the-round performances. Balsam Range, winner of 12 IBMA Awards, has been generous in its support of the effort.

“We want to help build community around this space, and contribute to the vibrancy of Folkmoot with our music,” said Balsam Range’s Buddy Melton, last year’s International Bluegrass Music Association top male vocalist. “Y’all come!”

The event begins with a social gathering at 6pm, with barbeque and fresh beer available for purchase.

Tickets are $25 in advance, $28 at the door, and can be purchased in advance at Folkmoot.org or by calling 828.452.2997. Tickets sales and contributions support Folkmoot programs that sustain cultural arts for youth and families in Western North Carolina.

Food will be available at the event:
BBQ chopped pork with a choice of 2 sides from; slaw, beans or collards: $12.00
Peach Cobbler: $3.00
Serving: 5:30pm-7:00pm