The 10th annual fundraiser for the Wheatland Music Organization will take over The Intersection on Jan. 12 with a host of rootsy bands and the reunion of The Hill PeopleT.
Back for 2019: The Palooka Brothers will perform again in January. (Photo/Derek Ketchum)
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Like its more established “parent,” Wheatland Music Festival, Winter Wheat has become a must-attend, annual tradition for Grand Rapids fans of folk and American roots music.
And the 2019 edition rolling out in January at The Intersection in Grand Rapids will spotlight a wide range of Michigan-bred representations of those wide-ranging genres, from bluegrass to Zydeco to indie-folk to reggae to Celtic to country and even “crabgrass.”
The 2019 Winter Wheat Schedule
The day-long Jan. 12 festival and fundraiser for the Wheatland Music Organization will feature 13 bands on two stages, including Black Jake & The Carnies, The Mark Lavengood Band, K. Jones & The Benzie Playboys, Don Julin & The Ol’ Microtones, Fauxgrass, The Bootstrap Boys, An Dro, Channing & Quinn and more. Last year’s event drew hundreds of enthusiasts, covered by Local Spins: Winter Wheat cultivates summery, Michigan-bred charm for rootsy, all-day festival.
“It is for sure a great Michigan traditional music lineup,” raves R.H. “Bear” Berends of Blue Water Ramblers and one of the organizers of the 10th annual event.
Dance-Starters: K. Jones and the Benzie Playboys always get the party rolling at Winter Wheat. (Photo/Anna Sink)
“None can compare unless you come to the actual Wheatland Festival in September. This event is one that can only be brought to Grand Rapids by the likes of an organization like Wheatland. So kudos to WMO for supporting this opportunity to our local community for 10 years now. Bravo!”
Advance tickets, $25, are available online at wheatlandmusic.org.
Performances will take place on two stages at The Intersection, the Traditional Stage and Main Stage.
This year’s “Celebration of Music and Dance” will include a special reunion set by The Hill People to kick off performances on the Main Stage at 2:10 p.m. The Hill People, a traditional and old-time folk group/string band that was popular across Michigan in the 1980s, recently reformed to the delight of longtime fans.
Also playing Winter Wheat will be The Journeymen (who also will be celebrating release of a new album), The Palooka Brothers, Jimmie Stagger and Top Shelf Country.
Tickets and more information is available online at Wheatland Music Organization and The Intersection.
VIDEO: Winter Wheat 2018 Highlights
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