Music Festival Radar: April + May
Spotlighting independent, nonprofit, community-led, or artist-produced events worth traveling to
Now that we’re through week 1 of Coachella, music festival season is officially ramping up. But you don’t need to get to the desert with a hundred thousand people to hear a ton of great music in one place. Here are some smaller, under-the-radar festivals happening across the US in late April and May that are worth the trip:
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Biscuits & Banjos / Durham, NC / April 25-27
A brand new artist-curated festival for 2025 by Rhiannon Giddens, “dedicated to the reclamation and exploration of Black music, art, and culture in her home state of North Carolina.” The sold-out indoor performance lineup includes the highly anticipated reunion of the Carolina Chocolate Drops (tickets for a live-stream are available). There are also a ton of free outdoor shows, as well as artist talks, workshops, a biscuit bake-off, a community square dance and more!
Norman Music Festival / Norman, OK / April 24-26
NMF (a volunteer-run nonprofit) has, year-after-year, curated brilliantly diverse and unique festivals for their community in central Oklahoma — all totally free. The music is spread across indoor and outdoor venues and features nationally touring acts alongside tons of local and regional artists. This one’s all about discovery!
Waking Windows / Winooski, VT / May 2-4
Launched in 2011 and continually evolving to keep the party going, Waking Windows takes place in and around the downtown rotary in the small city of Winooski, just north of Burlington, VT. Music fills bars, restaurants, and whatever other spaces can be turned into venues. It is one of the friendliest festivals I’ve ever been to.
SierraGrass Fest / Ahwahnee, CA / May 9-10
Another first-year artist-led festival, this one is coming to California courtesy of AJ Lee and Blue Summit. Focused on folk and bluegrass, it promises an intimate and exclusive experience for music lovers with multiple camping options.
Mid West Music Fest / Winona, MN / May 9-10
Celebrating 16 years of discovering new music, Mid West Music Fest is a nonprofit event on the Mississippi River. They present regional artists from a wide range of genres scattered across four venues, and the day portion of the Saturday slate is free. Another festival by a community for the community!
Ladybug Music Festival / Wilmington, DE / May 30
The Ladybug Music Festivals have been presenting 100% female-fronted lineups in Delaware for more than a decade! The block party style celebration is all about showcasing exceptional talent while celebrating the contributions and careers of women in music and supporting the local creative economy. The festival typically takes over Wilmington in early summer and Milford later on, and last year crossed state lines to Old Ellicott City, Maryland. And they’re completely free!
They are looking to spread their mission and model across the mid-Atlantic, so if you want to work with them to bring a micro fest to YOUR town, you can reach out here!
Let us know of any upcoming hidden-gem fests we should know about in the comments!
Some more cool fests: Katabatik (WA), Mutant Fest (PNW), Canadian Midsummer (WA), ISM (WA). Yay underground music!
Free Music Olympia’s Scherler Sundays- 30 bands across 9 Sunday afternoons in July & August. Swamp Dogg, LAKE, Pearl & The Oysters, Some Velvet Sidewalk, Afrocop and 25 others. Totally free. Details at freemusicolympia.org