The Bonnaroo of Nelsonville? While that may be a stretch, the Nelsonville Music Festival is definitely “one of the the best kept secrets of the U.S. music festival circuit,” according to Billboard Magazine. And it’s easy to see why. With over 60 bands playing in four days, it’s a music event happening of no small proportion. And it’s within 15 miles of Athens Ohio rentals and Ohio University, held June 1 to 4. Who knew?
Performers
This year features They Might Be Giants, Ween, Emmylou Harris, Twin Peaks and Sarah Watkins.
Past performers have included Wilco, The Flaming Lips, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Gillian Welch, John Prine, The Avett Brothers, Randy Newman, Merle Haggard, Dinosaur Jr., Iron & Wine, Yo La Tengo, George Jones, Courtney Barnett, and many more.
Stages of All Shapes and Sizes
Tunes take place on multiple stages: the Main Stage, the Porch Stage (very picturesque), the No-Fi Cabin (a small stage featuring artists without electricity), a Boxcar stage featuring free music and played in an old train car converted into performance space.
Discover for yourself why the AV Club and Ohio Magazine named NMF as the “Best Music Festival in Ohio”, and Time Out Chicago has called it “one of the Midwest’s best festivals.”