Earl Scruggs Music Festival highlights healing after Helene with special musical act

The Earl Scruggs Music Festival wrapped its fourth annual event on Aug. 31, 2025.

The three-day festival brought together artists across genres, including Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Sam Bush, The Wood Brothers, Del McCoury Band, Watchhouse, The War & Treaty, Sierra Hull, The Earls of Leicester, and more.

Set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina, the festival honors the musical influence of Cleveland County native Earl Scruggs and was established in partnership with Isothermal Community College’s public radio station WNCW 88.7 and the Earl Scruggs Center located in Shelby. 

This year’s event was particularly significant for the region still untangling all that Hurricane Helene left in its wake. A spotlight performance, “Healing the Hollers,” featured performances from regional artists using music as an act of recovery and healing.

The Scruggs way: Crossing genres and sharing music

Earl Scruggs is best remembered for his unique style of banjo picking — a style that has “redefined old-time and string band music.” 

Even for those unfamiliar with Scruggs, his sound can be found in pop culture, including the theme song for “The Beverly Hillbillies” and his composition of “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” in the 1967 film “Bonnie and Clyde.” 

Throughout the music community, Scruggs is known as someone who bridged musical genres by blending country and bluegrass with elements of rock music. 

During a special onstage interview, Jeff Hanna and Jimmie Fadden of Nitty Gritty Dirt Band — one of the most accomplished bands in American roots music — discussed Scruggs’ influence on their 1972 album, “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” 

The album was considered a landmark, featuring collaborations with some of Nashville’s most noteworthy bluegrass artists, blending their sounds with other genres. Rolling Stone magazine said it was “the most important album to come out of Nashville.” 

The album became a touchstone, bridging generational and cultural gaps in homes and across communities, Hanna said.

It was also healing.

Hanna shared how a father and son, who had been estranged for some time, began talking after they sat together and listened to the entire album.

As Hanna and others described, a hallmark of Scruggs’ ability and desire was his love for sharing music, and he especially loved mentoring younger musicians.  

The Earl Scruggs Festival features musical workshops for young and aspiring musicians, including the Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) showcase. 

JAM is an afterschool program for students in fourth through eighth grade that focuses on small-group instruction on instruments “common to the Appalachian region.” The program spans seven states across the southern Appalachian region and introduces several musical instruments, including the banjo, fiddle, and guitar.

A musical act of recovery and resilience

In the early days after Hurricane Helene, North Carolina natives Eric Church and Luke Combs organized a benefit concert to raise funds for the western region. The all-star lineup featured other tarheel natives, including James Taylor, Scotty McCreery, and the Avett Brothers. Keith Urban, Billy Strings, and Sheryl Crow also made appearances during the show.

The concert generated over $24 million, and the funds were distributed to organizations involved in recovery efforts. The concert was also a moment in time to reflect and start the healing process. 

Now, one year later, healing is still happening across the region, and music continues to be an integral part of that. 

“Healing the Hollers” was a unique opportunity during the festival to focus on the tradition of the Appalachian sound and to highlight the resilience of the communities following Helene. 

Hosted by western North Carolina’s Unspoken Tradition, the band was joined by performers Laura Boosinger, Josh Goforth, Nest of Singing Birds, and Lance Mills. 

Stories and songs about the mountain traditions and resilience echoed from the stage as musicians from the western region turned their Helene experiences into art. 

Appalachian roots music has always been about bringing people together, telling stories, and making connections. And after a disaster like Helene, live music continues to be a powerful driver of community healing. 

Ty Gilpin of Unspoken Tradition said their band has always been about a strong sense of place. But after Helene, that connection has become even more meaningful, deepening their bonds with fans as they share not just their songs, but the healing process behind them, he said. 

“We’re continuing the work of rebuilding from within,” Gilpin said in a press release. “That’s always been the ethic of mountain people. And there’s one word that sums it up — resilience.” 

Unspoken Tradition recently released an album titled “Resilience,” a compilation of singles and more in tribute to their community and their experiences of healing and recovery after Helene. 

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Editor’s note: The N.C. Press Association has awarded EdNC its public service award for our coverage and strategic support of western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. You can see all of our coverage here.