The 8th Annual Suwannee Spring Reunion returns to the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida, March 19 through 22, spread across 800 acres of Spanish moss-draped oak and cypress trees along the Suwannee River. Rooted in Americana, newgrass, bluegrass, folk and blues, the four-day family-friendly festival includes camping, hands-on music workshops, kids’ activities, daily yoga with Rhonda Bell, and a vending village across multiple stages including Big Cosmo’s Amphitheater, The Dance Tent, the Music Hall and the Music Farmers Stage at The Back Porch. Tickets are on sale now at suwanneespringreunion.com, with children 12 and under free when accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Thursday opens at 3 p.m. with Big Cosmo’s Band, leading into Jim Lauderdale (a two-time Grammy winner, 2025 Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award recipient) performing with his band The Game Changers in his only set of the weekend, followed by SCYTHIAN headlining with their blend of Appalachian, Celtic and Ukrainian Carpathian traditions, and Donna the Buffalo closing the night in the first of their four festival appearances. Friday brings acoustic improvisation ensemble Sam Grisman Project, Steep Canyon Rangers (touring behind upcoming album ‘Next Act’), and Keller & The Keels headlining with their Appalachian psychedelic bluegrass sound celebrating 20 years of ‘Grass,’ now on vinyl, with the Jon Stickley Trio closing out the night. Saturday’s headline slot belongs to Grammy-nominated sister duo Larkin Poe, preceded by Peter Rowan with Sam Grisman Project performing music from ‘Old & In The Way’ and more.
Sunday is affectionately known as Vassar Sunday, a day of remembrance and celebration honoring those who shaped the park’s musical legacy, including Vassar Clements, Sue Cunningham, Guy Clark and Col. Bruce Hampton. Peter Rowan and Jerry Douglas, the Mosier Brothers Band, Shawn Camp and Verlon Thompson all perform, with Donna the Buffalo closing the festival in a special collaborative set featuring many of the remaining artists. Throughout the weekend, fiddler and multi-instrumentalist John Mailander serves as Artist-at-Large, sitting in across the grounds with Sam Grisman Project, the Mosier Brothers Band and others. The Music Farmers Stage, sponsored by the nonprofit Live Oak Music and Arts Foundation, hosts workshops and performances Friday and Saturday, with a raffle benefiting music and arts programs in North Florida schools.