Pryor, Oklahoma is gearing up for its fifth annual Born & Raised Music Festival, a multi-day country and Red Dirt music gathering that kicks off Wednesday with a Honky Tonk Kick-Off Party before the main lineup takes over the weekend. The event brings together camping, live music and food across a sprawling ranch property that has become a fixture on the region's festival calendar.
According to News 9, the city of Pryor kicks off the festival on Wednesday, with the official main lineup running Thursday, September 17 through Saturday, September 19. That schedule lines up with details reported by Value News, which notes the three full festival days follow the Wednesday, September 16 kickoff party. Red Clay Strays return as headliners this year, with News 9 noting the band's status as an ACM and CMA group of the year honoree. The broader lineup also includes Gavin Adcock, Justin Moore, Tracy Lawrence, Shane Smith and the Saints, and William Clark Green.
A Genre Rooted in Stillwater's Red Clay Soil
The festival's musical identity traces back decades before its 2021 debut. Red Dirt country music originated in Stillwater, Oklahoma, during the late 1970s around a rural property known as The Farm, where it blended country, rock, folk and blues into a songwriting-focused roots sound named after the state's red clay soil, according to Oklahoma State University. That regional sound has since exploded well beyond its origins. A four-night concert series in Stillwater last April, featuring reunited Cross Canadian Ragweed and Turnpike Troubadours, sold 180,000 tickets and became the largest musical event in Oklahoma history, per Grammy.com.
Born & Raised itself debuted in September 2021 as an outlaw country, Texas country and Red Dirt event organized by AEG Presents, according to MusicRow. The festival is now produced by Pryor Creek Music Festivals, LLC in partnership with AEG Presents, with ticket tiers ranging from single-day general admission to VIP passes that include acoustic sessions in the Red River Saloon, according to Hits Daily Double.
Camping and the Wednesday Warm-Up
Early arrivals can set up camp and catch pre-party sets during the Honky Tonk Kick-Off, which the festival's own materials list as featuring Gannon Freeman, Josh Weathers, The CCRAV, Jamie Lynn Wilson and Covington Creek, per News 9's reporting. That kickoff helps campers arrive early and get settled before the main lineup begins. Camping options across the grounds include three RV campgrounds — White Tail Run, Quails Nest and Coyote Crossing — plus two tent camping zones at White Tail Run and Eagle Ridge, according to Value News.
The festival takes place at Rockin' Red Dirt Ranch, a 200-acre property with capacity for up to 70,000 people, according to Country Chord. The same grounds hosted Rocklahoma's 20th anniversary just weeks ago, giving Pryor back-to-back major festival weekends on the same site.
Wristbands, Barbecue and Ticket Details
Attendees are required to individually register their wristbands before entering the grounds this year, with a $40 replacement fee for lost wristbands and a $25 fee for overtightened ones, according to the festival's official site. Beyond music and camping, the event has long featured The BBQ Ranch, a culinary attraction that AEG Presents introduced when it launched the festival, showcasing regional pitmasters curated by Wayne Mueller of Central Texas's historic Louie Mueller Barbecue, per MusicRow.
The 2026 lineup expands well beyond the festival's headliners to include regional and national country acts across three stages, among them Muscadine Bloodline, Randall King, Paul Cauthen, Cody Canada & The Departed and the Josh Abbott Band, according to Music Festival Wizard. Tickets remain available through the festival's official website, as News 9 reported.
