Soulshine Farm Music Festival: Sweet as Tupelo Honey

By Barry Bluth

Soulshine Farm Music Fest is a three-day, homegrown, mountain top “bluegrass” music festival tucked on the side of Green Mountain, North Carolina. The festival grew out of a birthday celebration with Mac Arnold of Muddy Waters fame being the original band. Today, it’s as fun as modern music festivals can be.

Like many fests, it grew in size until the natural evolution from house party to music festival was inevitable. With Randi and Chris Glover of Asheville retailer and festival merchandiser Indo Apparel & Gifts now running the show, SFMF has the amazing bones of a Spirit of Suwannee Bear Creek or Aura fest, but with a real, kid-friendly, mountain-life flavor.

Billed as a bluegrass festival, SFMF is more than just bluegrass. It has no shortage of Dead tunes of all flavors, top-notch funk and acoustic, and progressive jam to satisfy the aural tastes of its guests. Acts included Larry Keel, Ralph Roddenberry, Town Mountain (who rode court over a Saturday night costume party), Urban Soil, Woody Wood, with “space porn funk” band Particle serving up Saturday late night.

While they might be acts we’d never heard of, we’ve come to trust that festival producers know good talent when they book it. Have faith it’s gonna delight, Grasshopper.

The three stages – Soulshine, Sawmill, and Pine – were arranged nicely along a winding path through the Carolina woods. All camping lies between the Sawmill and Pine stages. The main stage – Soulshine – and the small original main stage beside it, are set in a valley at the entrance to the Farm. Every night, the large fire pit in front is lit. The Barn set stage left was a funky retreat and led to one of two kids zones on the grounds.

A couple dozen really sweet, back-in RV sites run along the main road runs in front of the Sawmill stage. Primitive and car camping shares the area.

Thick woods provide ample tree coverage for shade and hanging hammocks. Larger expanses of primitive forest camping surround the Pine Stage.

The KC Ridge for RVs appears to be a newer site, recently dozed flat and open. It definitely was a work in progress, with the bulldozer still on site. No matter your rig, this is all boondocking. There are no hookups, though freshwater is available in various locations. Port-o-lets are located in strategic locations for all campers. Bathhouses or conventional toilets would be a welcomed addition.

For some, that was no cause for pause. Sponsor Dr. Bronner’s: Organic Pure-Castile Soap, Organic Body & Hair Care soap set up a cool slip-and-slide on the hill with a spray jet of water and soap. This sufficed for many to remove the wook-like coating a couple days of festing brings and restored a fresh minty smell to patrons’ outer selves, while the Soulshine Fest restored our restive souls.

Can’t ask for more from a festival – except maybe another fest in two weeks.