2025 LINEUP
We've worked very hard to assemble a high-quality, eclectic lineup for all to enjoy this year. Check out this year's performers below and get a sample of some of their work.
Will Hoge has a career whose milestones include Number One hits, Grammy nods, major-label record deals, and hard-won independence. Years before Americana music received its own category at the Grammy Awards, Hoge was on the frontlines, helping to pilot and popularize the genre’s blend of American roots music. In the current digital era dominated by influencers seeking shortcuts to stardom, Will Hoge proudly treads the scenic route, immersing himself in
the journey rather than fixating on the destination.
Hoge received a Country Music Association nomination, an Academy of Country Music nomination and a Grammy nomination for "Country Song of the Year" for "Even If It Breaks Your Heart". The song was recorded by the Eli Young Band and reached #1 on the country charts. He will release his 14th studio album, Tenderhearted Boys, on April 14, 2025. He breaks new ground by producing and playing every instrument on the entire album.
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Indie folk band Kindred Valley started when three friends with a passion for music met at Marshall University in 2020. Initially under the name Back Row
Baptists, Blake Lacy, Noah Freeman and Brett McCoy met in Huntington, West Virginia, and began writing and recording music together. The band released its first singles as a trio but found its footing in 2021 with three new members - Husband and Wife Rachael
and Jadon Hayes and Kaden Salmons.
Their latest release was an EP titled “What Was Left” in 2024. It contains ideas and songs inspired by their new experiences of playing live together all across the East Coast.
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Multi-instrumentalist Rachael Davis is as renown for her expressive--and explosive--voice as she is for uniting the often disparate worlds of folk, blues, country, and pop. Performing as a duo this time around, she will be in her third Ferdinand Folk
Festival lineup. Davis will also be performing another highly anticipated children’s concert at this year’s festival.
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With a classic sound, freckled face, and a full heart, this rising country artist brings a voice to Nashville that we have all needed. Originally from Hickory, NC,
Krystal King has a fresh take on a true country sound, combining raw and emotionally laced vocals with vivid, imagery infused songwriting. Her latest endeavor is as the newest voice on Radio Margaritaville on Sirius XM. You can hear Krystal on the air on Saturdays and Sundays 10am-3pm Eastern Standard Time.
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JOLLY OLD HAWK
Tradition meets innovation when Cincinnati's genre-spanning veterans of folk scenes Mike Oberst and Justine Cefalu team up. Together, the duo brings a
vibrant mix of warm, fluent and playful tones, rhythms and harmonies for a set sure to enthrall traditional enthusiasts and general music lovers alike.
A native of Owensboro, Kentucky, Josh Merritt is an artist steeped in Heartland culture. He has opened shows for everyone from Hank Williams Jr and Charlie Daniels to Corey Smith and Colt Ford.
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Drawing inspiration from a wide range of influences, Mady has crafted a unique sound that feels both familiar and fresh. From right here in Southern Indiana, Mady creates music for those who appreciate a blend of introspective lyrics, gritty rock
influences, and a touch of everything in between.
