More than 270 artists are set to descend on Tuscaloosa's Snow Hinton Park on Oct. 17-18 for the 55th annual Kentuck Festival of the Arts, and organizers have just released the full music and spoken-word schedule. The two-day event mixes live music, literary programming, children's activities, craft demonstrations, food vendors and local craft brews across a 40-acre park at the intersection of McFarland Boulevard and Hargrove Road.
Festival organizers announced the lineups for the 55th annual festival this week, according to Miami Herald. The music schedule unfolds on the Brother Ben Music Stage, opening Oct. 17 with Asa J. Harris from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m., followed by Elliott DeVaughn from 11 a.m. to noon, Electric Blue Yonder from 12:30 to 1:45 p.m., Sam and the Big Boys from 2:15 to 3:30 p.m., and Will Stewart closing out the day from 3:45 to 5 p.m.
Sunday Brings Lydia Loveless and a Full Day of Sets
Oct. 18 picks back up at the Brother Ben stage with Vulcan Eejits from 10 to 11 a.m., Wanda from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and Ham Bagby and the Siege from 1 to 2:15 p.m. Lydia Loveless headlines the second day with a set from 2:30 to 4 p.m., part of an announced lineup that also includes Will Stewart, Electric Blue Yonder, Seth Panitch, Charlie “Tin Man” Lucas and Pure Products, per the same Patch report.
Across the park, the Kathryn Tucker Windham Spoken Word Stage carries its own packed schedule. Saturday opens with University of Alabama undergraduate creative writing students at 9:30 a.m., followed by MFA creative writing students at 10:30 a.m., Pure Products at 11:30 a.m., and ten-minute plays at both 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., with Seth Panitch taking the stage at 2 p.m.
Spoken-Word Lineup Continues Into Sunday
Sunday's spoken-word programming begins at 11 a.m. with a joint session of undergraduate and MFA creative writing students, followed by Black Warrior Review at noon. “Southern Voices,” featuring Charlie “Tin Man” Lucas, takes the stage at 1 p.m., with ten-minute plays closing the stage at 3 p.m., according to a lineup detailed by Patch.
Exa Cork said Kentuck represents Southern art and culture through music, writing and storytelling, adding that the festival offers nationally recognized artists alongside local stars. The festival features artists from across the region and beyond, with programming built around children's activities, folk and contemporary craft demonstrations, food trucks and local craft brews.
Tickets, Admission and a Long-Term Home in Tuscaloosa
Admission runs $15 per day for advance and gate tickets, or $25 for a weekend pass, with children 12 and younger admitted free. General admission tickets, VIP packages and additional details are available through Kentuck Art Center's website. The nonprofit notes that proceeds support the following year's festival and fund its year-round programming, and the festival has historically attracted more than 15,000 visitors from across the country.
This marks the festival's third year at Snow Hinton Park after the event was held annually in Northport until 2023, when it switched to the Tuscaloosa site. The City of Tuscaloosa announced a 15-year agreement in September 2025 to keep the Kentuck Festival of the Arts in the Druid City going forward. The festival's roots trace back to 1971, when it began as a celebration of Northport's centennial and local folkways, according to kentuck.org.
