Austin String Band Festival at Camp Ben McCullough

The Fourteenth Annual Austin String Band Festival will be held October 18-20, 2019, just west of Austin at beautiful Camp Ben Mc-Culloch near Driftwood, Texas. It’s one of the bestkept secrets in the Austin area, a small, intimate music festival in a lovely natural setting, with close-in parking. Presented by the Austin Friends of Traditional Music, this festival celebrates many kinds of regional string band music with live acoustic performances, workshops, jams, dancing, and great food.

This year’s headliner band is one of America’s most intense young string bands, Steam Machine, where bluegrass and old time music collide. Also performing, Lone Piñon, with traditional conjunto of northern New Mexico, renowned Cajun dancehall music of Jesse Lége and Bosco Stomp, Wimberley based western swing/jazz band Big Cedar Fever, and beloved local dynamite old time band, The Barn Owls with caller Sharon Isaac.

On Friday night, enjoy live music, old time square dancing and traditional dance of northern New Mexico, as well as, campground jamming all night! Early on Saturday, attend hands-on music and dance workshops under the trees, then kick back for a day and night of nonstop fiddles, banjos, and guitars as more than two dozen concert and dance bands take the stages, There will be non-stop jams all over the festival site. The music ranges from Old-Time Appalachian to Bluegrass, traditional Conjunto, Cajun dance hall, Western Swing, Carter Family-style Gospel, and Pre-WWII Country and Blues. All told, there are ten bands, twelve mini-sets, three square dances, plus Cajun dance, Swing dance, and traditional dances of northern New Mexico!

Camping is at its finest in lovely October weather along Onion Creek on a first come, first served basis. Camping permits, with or without electricity, are sold at the admissions gate beginning at noon on Friday. Sorry, no dogs are allowed; a list of kennels is available.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at https://stringband2019.simpletix.com/e/46897. Each advanced purchase comes with one of our vintage Tshirts! Tickets will be available at the festival admissions gate beginning at 12:00 noon on Friday, October 18th, 2019.

For more information, and to view the line-up and festival schedule, please visit the Austin Friends of Traditional Music website at www.aftm.us.