Wide Open Bluegrass festival to remain in Raleigh through 2018


The Wide Open Bluegrass festival, which relocated to Raleigh from Nashville last year, will remain in the Capital City through 2018, organizers announced Tuesday (yesterday). The Whole Hog Barbecue Championship will be included as part of the festival. The N.C. Pork Council will also have samples of barbecue from the western, Triad and eastern parts of the state. The 2014 festival, organized by the International Bluegrass Music Association, will take place Sept. 30- Oct. 4. Last year’s festival brought more than 154,000 attendees and generated $10 million in revenue, according to the Greater Raleigh CVB. The festival initially moved to Raleigh in 2013 for three years, after being in Nashville for eight years.