Blue Ox Music Festival 2023, The Pines Music Park, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, June 22-24, 2023
Blue Ox Music Festival 2023—Memories Will be Made in The Pines!
Brooke Billick
Blue Ox Music Festival 2023 is just 2 months away!
The festival is all set for its 9th staging this summer at The Pines Music Park in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The festival will run from Thursday, June 22, to Saturday night, June 24, 2023, and will offer three full days of Americana, Bluegrass and Folk music wizardry.
Americana Highways will be there to share the music and the highlights of the weekend!
The festival line-up is filled with hugely talented artists who will appeal to virtually all tastes.
Headlining the main stage on Saturday night will the American folk rock group and 3-time Grammy nominees, The Avett Brothers. Brothers Seth and Scott Avett are the center of the band, with Bob Crawford and Joe Kwon as their regular traveling partners.
Friday’s main stage headliner will be Mike Gordon—the bassist and co-founder of Phish. Following Gordon on the main stage Friday night will be the legendary Sam Bush Band.
On Thursday, Grammy award winners, The Infamous Stringdusters, will help kick Blue Ox off to a rollicking start.
Minneapolis-based Pert Near Sandstone will again be the host band for Blue Ox Music Festival and will perform on the main stage two of the nights of the event.
The overall line-up is jam packed with musical talent including Sam Bush Band, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, Charley Crockett, Sierra Hull, Charlie Parr, Kyle Tuttle with the Rainbow Girls, Joshua Ray Walker, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country, Them Coulee Boys, The Last Revel, Long Mama, Kitchen Dwellers, Stillhouse Junkies, Feed the Dog, Mama Said String Band, The MilBillies, Adam Greuel & The Space Burritos, Sprig of That, Yasmin Williams, and many more artists. Overall, performances are lined up for over 45 artists and bands.
Blue Ox highlights its talent on three stages of music during the afternoon and evening, along with late-night/early morning jam sessions.
Blue Ox offers one of the most efficient festival layouts possible. The main and saloon stages face each other across a wide grassy bowl where attendees can relax in lawn chairs and under sun shades. As the music on one stage ends, the band on the other stage begins immediately resulting in very little, if any, dead air in the bowl.
The festival promises to be family friendly, with family stage entertainment, a 9-hole disc golf course, and other activities. Festival offerings include instrument workshops offering the opportunity to learn more about traditional string musical genres, a wellness tent with yoga and meditation sessions, and art installations.
The overall organization of the festival is again expected to be top-notch—attesting to the meticulous planning and preparation that goes into Blue Ox each year.
There will plenty of area food vendors on-site around the central bowl area, along with folks selling arts, crafts, and other types of hardgoods. A wide assortment of beer, liquor, wine, and non-alcoholic beverage options will be available. Official Breweries of Blue Ox 2023 include Founders, Odell, and Topping Goliath.
In a nod to the intimacy of the weekend and the natural beauty of the area, admission will be limited to 5,000 people over the three-day festival.
The Pines Music Park is a venue dedicated to music and event camping. It has been operated by the team that has organized the Blue Ox Music Festival since 2015. Located in the northern part of Wisconsin’s Driftless Area, the park features rolling, wooded hills untouched by glacial activity from the Ice Age.
The park features 120 acres of wooded camping situated around the centralized concert area. Camping will cater to anyone’s tastes, with spots available for RV’s with hook-ups, as well as spots offering more rustic tent camping experiences. There are also plenty of motel accommodations near-by, with frequent shuttles running to the festival.
Tickets are going quickly! There is a distinct chance that Blue Ox will completely sell out this year! The festival reports that it is over 90% sold-out at this point.
For ticket information, visit Blue Ox Music Festival Tickets. Festival camping information is available here: Blue Ox Music Festival Camping.
Fans can stay tuned for updates about the 2023 Blue Ox Music Festival and The Pines Music Park, by subscribing to the newsletters at http://www.blueoxmusicfestival.com and http://www.pinesmusicpark.com.
Join Americana Highways at Blue Ox 2023 for what will be an unforgettable weekend at one of the best festivals offered in the Midwest!
Photos from Blue Ox 2022 by Brooke Billick
The Infamous Stringdusters (2022)