Chattanooga’s waterfront welcomes the 3 Sisters Music Festival’s return for its 18th year on October 3 and 4 at Ross’ Landing.
This event is a rare free festival featuring performances by top names in contemporary and traditional bluegrass.
Headlining this year’s festival on Friday, October 3 is the Grammy Award-Winning band The Travelin’ McCourys. A 3 Sisters Festival favorite, this band features brothers Ronnie and Rob McCoury, on mandolin and banjo respectively, and are sons of bluegrass legend Del McCoury.
Just a little over a week ago, the band won the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) "Instrumental Group of the Year” Award at the 2025 Bluegrass Music Awards. recognizing their excellence in bluegrass music.
Preceding The Travelin’ McCoury’s performance at 9:15pm, will be Keller & the Keels, made up of picker and vocalist Keller Williams, with award-winning flat picker Larry Keel and his rock solid bass playing wife, Jenny Keel at 7:55pm. Fireside Collective, a newgrass jam band from Asheville, NC will perform at at 6:35.
Opening the festival at 5:30pm is the host band, The New Dismembered Tennesseans, a group of much-loved local musicians who primarily were part of the Dismembered Tennesseans, founded by Fletcher Bright and his high school buddies from McCallie School over 75 years ago. Fletcher Bright’s three daughters are the namesake of the festival.
Saturday’s music schedule will begin at noon with a performance by Randy Steele and High Cold Wind, making their debut at the 3 Sisters Festival. Following them will be a group of fiddlers from the Berklee School of Music at 1:00pm, a 2:00pm performance by Korean bluegrass band Country Gongbang, Big Richard, an all-female s a quartet that blends bluegrass, old time, country, and pop with virtuosity and four-part harmony will play at 3:00pm.
At 4:20pm, Shadowgrass, a young band with layered harmonies, electrifying musicianship and tight chemistry will take the stage. Highlights of the evening will include performances by Kruger Brothers at 5:40pm and the multi-award winning band of Michael Cleveland and Jason Carter at 7:00pm.
This bluegrass-packed weekend will close out with one of 3 Sisters’ favorites, The Brothers Comatose, bringing their energetic blend of bluegrass at 8:40pm. This will be their third appearance at 3 Sisters, although the first time to include their new band member, Addie Levy.
Food options from 18 local food trucks will be lined up and ready to share their love of food and the city, offering everything from corn dogs to Thai food. Local brews and spirits will also be well represented as well as non-alcoholic drink concessions. 3 Sisters t-shirts and performers’ merchandise will be sold, including the option for live sweatshirt screen printing by Neat Pony.
The public is invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets, however, no outside food or beverages are allowed. Wheelchair seating will be offered near the front of the stage.
As always, it is hosted by Fletcher Bright Realty and produced by Chattanooga Presents.
Please visit 3sistersbluegrass.com for details on the festival and performance times.