BANDS

2026 Artist Lineup

Saturday, September 12

Headliner Announcement Coming This Summer!

Highly requested and much anticipated, this year’s Watermelon Pickers’ Fest headliner is an artist fans have been hoping to see on our stage for a long time. The excitement has been building behind the scenes, and yes, even our loyal sound crew put in a word for this band.

We are not quite ready to share the name, but we can say this: the wait will be worth it. When the announcement comes this summer, you will understand why so many people have been asking.

Make your plans now. This is a performance you will not want to miss.

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes

Bronwyn Keith-Hynes is a two-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year. Originally from Charlottesville, VA, she now makes her home in Nashville, TN. Her first solo album, an instrumental project called Fiddler’s Pastime, received significant radio play upon release in 2020, with two songs charting at #1 on Bluegrass Today. She is a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. During her time in Boston she co-founded and toured all over the world with progressive bluegrass band Mile Twelve and won the IBMA New Artist of the Year with them in 2020. Bronwyn has performed and recorded with Molly Tuttle, Jerry Douglas, Old Crow Medicine Show, The Po Ramblin Boys, The Milk Carton Kids, Dailey and Vincent, Sierra Hull, Sarah Jarosz, Tim O’Brien, Peter Rowan, Darol Anger, Tony Trischka, Michael Daves, Vince Herman, Greensky Bluegrass, The Infamous Stringdusters, Del McCoury, Leftover Salmon and more.

The Unfaithful Servants

The Unfaithful Servants are one of Canada’s most exciting acoustic bands, blending virtuosic musicianship, soaring harmonies, and timeless songwriting. Featuring Jesse Cobb—founding member of The Infamous Stringdusters— and prolific songwriter Dylan Stone, the group’s acclaimed new album Fallen Angel and explosive live shows have made them a standout force on the Canadian festival circuit.

The Plate Scrapers

Born from the tradition of Bluegrass jams and potlucks, The Plate Scrapers — Derek Kretzer (banjo), Andrew Jordan (guitar), Robbie Mann (fiddle), Jody Mosser (dobro), and Kevin Johnson (bass) — have been putting in the work and showcasing their love for the genre since 2014.

They have since released 4 studio albums, 3 live albums, and have toured relentlessly up and down the East Coast and into the Midwest. They have been featured on WAMU Bluegrass Country Radio, performed as an IBMA Official Showcase artist, and their latest release, Artifacts (2024) had multiple singles on the Airplay Direct bluegrass/folk charts as well as rave reviews from Bluegrass Today.

Megan Jean’s Secret Family

Megan Jean’s Secret Family delivers a fresh, genre-blurring blend of 70s spirit filtered through 90s grit, weaving together rock, soul, country, and jam into a sound that feels both nostalgic and unmistakably new. Built around powerful, harmony-rich vocals and danceable original songs, the band brings generations of influence together on one stage and invites audiences of all ages into the groove.

In May 2024, the band made their national radio debut on Mountain Stage, sharing the bill with artists such as Keller Williams and Bettye LaVette. Following an energetic set at DelFest, DC Music Review named them one of their “new favorite acts,” citing the band’s magnetic stage presence and dynamic musicianship.

Tonewood

Tonewood String Band is a unique bluegrass quintet based in Denver, Colorado. They focus on complex vocal harmonies, impressive group improvisations, and a seamless blend of Middle Eastern melodies and Cajun rhythms that differentiates their sound from the standard Colorado bluegrass scene. The band did a Kickstarter in 2024 to fund their first album and successfully raised over $30,000 to bring the project to life. They began recording in early spring of 2025 after hiring esteemed local musician and producer, Tyler Grant, for the project. The album was recorded at Swingfingers Studios in Fort Collins, Colorado and was mastered by Grammy award-winning David Glasser at Airshow Mastering. Tonewood released their debut full-length album, Heart of the Pretender, in November of 2025.

Formed in 2013 by songwriters Daniel Zezeski and Melissa Wright, Mink’s Miracle Medicine was named after a craft-fair drawing of a snake-oil-sales-wagon.

Mink’s continues to woo audiences, snake-oiling what a fans describe as “songs that feel like paintings” at venues like NPR’s Mountain Stage and Nashville’s legendary Bluebird Cafe.

Pay Rent Brass Band is a boisterous group of six musicians blending the sounds of the East Coast Brass Band tradition. Formed during the “2020 global event” to take music out to the streets, their loud and fun performances are sure to get you dancing, from throwback hits to video game soundtracks.

Friday, September 11

Mon Rovîa

“I’m Mon, born in Mon Rovia, Liberia. My life can be summed up by being born into a civil war, escaping the life of a child soldier, rescued by the hands of missionaries. Spent a lot of my developmental years living in a variety of places with a number of life experiences. And then layered on top of all of this is the assimilation I felt being a transracially adopted refugee. My music, in a nutshell, is a culmination of these experiences blended with the empathy I feel for the experiences with others. The mission of my music is to heal withothers – with every nation and tongue, in due time.”

Host Band

Furnace Mountain

Furnace Mountain consists of Aimee Curl on bass and vocals, Dave Van Deventer on fiddle and vocals, and Morgan Morrison on guitar, bouzouki, and vocals. The trio creates music that is at times lively and raucous, with spirited fiddle melodies weaving in and around the powerful rhythms of the bass and bouzouki, and other times poignant and poetic, with sublime vocal harmonies beautifully interpreting some of the oldest songs ever written.

Multi-Grammy-nominated Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen is a torrent of mind-blowing bluegrass. Known for their meaty pile-driving rhythms and Frank’s dynamic and bold vocals, the band’s last two albums have both received a Grammy nomination for Best Bluegrass Album. Their massive sound and show stealing performances command the most prestigious stages in the country and abroad; from The Grand Ole Opry to the biggest international festivals across Europe, South America and Australia. FS&DK’s respect and deep understanding of the bluegrass tradition collides, live on stage, with rock-tinged fiery virtuosity that pushes the boundaries of the genre. Other influences include country, jazz, blues, southern rock, and soul.

Larry Keel is an award-winning innovative flatpicking guitarist and singer/songwriter hailing from Appalachia and currently residing in historic Lexington, VA. Raised in a musical family steeped in the mountain culture of the region, Keel began from an early age to forge a distinctive sound, taking bluegrass and classic country music and infusing those styles with a rock edge and elements of improvisational jazz. The Larry Keel Duo, consisting of Larry Keel on acoustic guitar and Winston Mitchell on mandolin and acoustic guitar, are masters of their instruments, drawing heavily from Keel’s catalog of original music and imaginative interpretations of choice covers.

GRAMMY Award winning American Roots artists Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer join with Chinese classical hammered dulcimer player Chao Tian in a show that combines music from China to Appalachia and beyond. Instrumentation includes yangqin (Chinese hammered dulcimer), gourd banjo, five-string banjo, ukulele, guitars, dumbek, cello-banjo and mandolin.

The Woodshedders are an Indie Roots band boasting four all-original studio albums and performances at hundreds of festivals and shows. The band consists of Dwayne Brooke on guitar and vocals, Fiddlin’ Dave Van Deventer on Fiddle, Jesse Shultazaberger on drums, Will Spaulding on guitar, banjo, and vocals, and Randy Ball on bass. The Woodshedders bring lyricism and musicality to fun, danceable shows that swerve through Honky-Tonk, Gypsy, Appalachian, and Vintage Rock n’ Roll, often in the same song. They are the also the traditional late night band at the beloved dance barn at Virginia’s celebrated
 Watermelon Pickers’ Fest.

The Fly Birds are an award winning musical embodiment of Alternative Bluegrass & Appalachia based out of Winchester, Virginia. They’ve migrated the music industry for 6 years, their voices and melodies soaring to new heights together. This unique and original band is comprised of Elizabeth Baker on banjo, Mary Dunlap on bass, Sarah Twigg on guitar and Crystal Shipley on fiddle. They released their first full-length original album, “The Band is Causing Problems,” in 2020, and their second, “The Band is Playing Covers,” in 2023. They complete the trilogy with their recent release, “The Band is Better Off Now”. Together, they make a memorable sound certain to make you tap your feet and sing along!

*1st place bluegrass band at 2021 Watermelon Pickers Fest

*1st place winners of the 2019 DCBU Mid Atlantic Bluegrass Band Contest

Radish is a Bluegrass-ish string band from Baltimore, MD. Featuring members of Seven Teller and Uncle Kunkel’s One Gram Band.

Thursday, September 10

Low Water Bridge Band is a six-piece Americana force from Clarke County, Virginia, blending Appalachian grit, honky tonk swagger, and rock-and-roll edge. Built on storytelling, harmony, and a no-frills work ethic, the band has forged a reputation for high-energy live shows and heartfelt, road-worn songs that stick to your ribs. Their latest album, Honky Tonk Process, is a ten-song dive into heartache, grit, and growth, crafted from the long haul of life on the road and the ties that bind.

Rowdy Ace Band brings the heart and soul of Music City to every stage they play. Born from the music and traditions of Texas and Nashville’s legendary honky-tonks and infused with modern country energy, Rowdy Ace delivers an authentic Southern sound that feels like a night on Lower Broadway. With award winning musicianship, bona fide country vocals, and authentic instrumentation, every performance is a Nashville-style party!

“For more than a decade, Skribe has been at the forefront of our creative community, using his talents as an artist to strengthen the city’s cultural fabric. For 15 years, he has curated and organized a monthly folk showcase at local cafe 49 West. The showcase welcomes and encourages emerging musicians, while making artists accessible to the public. Skribe is not only a talented artist, but a dedicated cultural steward. I recommend him without reservation and with deep appreciation for the lasting impact of his work in Annapolis.”

– Gavin Buckley, Mayor of Annapolis, MD

Don’t miss a moment!

Get your tickets now.