By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Olive Hill’s popular Carer County Shrine Club Bluegrass Festival is returning for its 35th annual installment this month, with a mix of new acts and returning favorites.
This year’s installment of the show kicks off on Thursday, July 16, with acts starting at 2 p.m. and continuing throughout the evening, with the standard one hour supper break between the two sets most performers play.
Thursday’s performers include The True Mountain Echoes, at 2 and 6 p.m.; Southridge, at 3 and 7 p.m.; Tommy Webb Band, at 4 and 8 p.m.; a supper break from 5 – 6 p.m.; and Thursday night headliner Hammertowne starting at 9 and playing til late.
Friday and Saturday follow the established trend of two 45 minute sets from each act, with an evening headliner playing until the crowd have had their fill.
Friday’s schedule features The Carter Bentley Band, at 11 a.m. and 5 p.m.; 7 Mile Bluegrass, at 12 and 5 p.m.; The Kevin Prater Band, at 1 and 7 p.m.; Tracy Evans, at 2 and 8 p.m.; and David Parmley Band at 3 and 9 p.m. Friday’s supper break is from 4 – 5 p.m. and the headliner on Friday night is returning favorite (and Shriner Noble) Ralph Stanley II and The Clinch Mountain Boys. Ralph II and the boys start their headlining set at 10 p.m.
On Saturday, campers can plan on sleeping in if they like, as music doesn’t begin until Noon. Fenced In starts playing then, with a second set at 5 p.m. following the 4 – 5 p.m. supper break. Junior Sisk Band plays the second slot, at 1 and 6 p.m.; followed by Keith Prater and Lacy Creek, at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Dave Adkins Band at 3 and 8 p.m. The Saturday night headliner is Lonesome River Band, who take the stage at 9 p.m.
Tickets are available by the day, or for the entire weekend, and can be purchased online or by visiting Alma Sturgill, at Sturgill’s Music in Olive Hill, (606)286-4611.
For online ticket purchases, visit ccscbluegrass.ludus.com.
Funds raised by the Carter County Shrine Club Bluegrass Festival help support Shriners Hospitals for Children, a network of three burn center hospitals and 18 orthopedic hospitals, offering a variety of care and support for children in need – at no charge to their families.
The money collected by the Carter County Shrine Club at the bluegrass festival and other events help support the Shriner hospitals in Lexington, KY and Dayton, OH.
According to their 2025 impact report, the Shriners Children’s Hospitals performed 488 craniofacial procedures – including cleft palate surgeries – at their hospitals in 2025. The hospitals treat more than 10,000 cases of scoliosis each year, with more than 1,000 scoliosis related surgeries performed.
The hospitals are also leaders in research, with Shriners Children’s affiliates publishing 3,125 peer-reviewed research articles over the last five years. It’s work like this that led to four of the organizations locations being named among the “Best Children’s Hospitals for Orthopedics” by U.S. News & World Report last year.
The funding for this important work – more than $1 billion in the 2025 budget – is made up primarily of support from folks like you. More than half of the organization’s funds, at 52%, came from philanthropy, with another 31% from investment income, and 17% from insurance and other third-party payers.
All proceeds from Carter County Shrine Club paper sales, and from passing the bucket at the bluegrass festival and other events, go towards the support of the two hospitals in our coverage area, and to help cover transportation costs for families who need assistance reaching their appointments.
For more information on the festival, including camping accommodations, schedule, and event and campground rules, visit them online at shrinersbluegrassfestival.com.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
