Stapleton School will host its annual Bluegrass Festival on Saturday, April 6, bringing six bluegrass and Americana acts to the campus for an afternoon of live music, food trucks and family activities. Gates open at 10 a.m. at the school, located at 35480 Harriot Ave. in Stapleton, and proceeds from the event go directly toward funding the school’s academic programs.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5 to 12, with tickets available at the gate. Organizers describe the festival as one of the community’s signature springtime traditions, drawing families from across Baldwin County to enjoy the outdoors alongside a full day of regional bluegrass talent.
The lineup includes six bands with roots throughout the greater Mobile Bay area. Fairhope-based Blue Mullet will open the day with a mix of traditional, contemporary and gospel bluegrass. The Unknown Bluegrass Band, longtime favorites on the Baldwin County bluegrass circuit, will bring decades of combined experience to the stage, while the String Slingers round out the instrumental lineup with tight vocal harmonies and a stage full of traditional stringed instruments, including an accordion alongside the usual banjos and fiddles.
Phil & Foster will showcase a blend of Americana and bluegrass influences, and Fat Man Squeeze, known locally for its high-energy “bargrass” sound, will mix traditional bluegrass standards with more contemporary material. Closing out the festival as the headline act will be the Amanda Cook Band, fronted by a vocalist who grew up immersed in bluegrass music through her father and has since recorded with Mountain Fever Records. Her most recent release, “Deep Water,” blends acoustic instrumentation with reflective lyrics and has drawn praise within the bluegrass community.
Beyond the music, festival organizers are planning food trucks and family-friendly activities throughout the day, giving attendees plenty of reasons to stay and enjoy the grounds between sets. The event has become an annual fixture for Stapleton School, which relies on the festival’s proceeds to help support classroom programs and academic resources that might otherwise go unfunded through the regular school budget.
Organizers are encouraging attendees to arrive early, bring lawn chairs or blankets, and plan to spend the day, as the festival typically runs well into the afternoon. More information about the event, including updates on scheduling, is available through the Stapleton School website at bcbe.org/stapleton.