Clayton Shindig Selected as an STS Top 20 Event

Fireside Collective perform at last year’s Shindig. They will be returning to this year’s Shindig as a crowd favorite.

The Shindig is celebrating year number 7 in 2018 and this growing Americana festival has announced their line-up for this year – new acts and crowd-favorites from previous Shindigs. The Shindig is held the first Saturday in November in downtown Clayton, NC. This year it will be on Saturday, Nov. 3rd from Noon to 10PM. The goal is to highlight both amazing Americana bands and regional craft beer.

Shindig continues to be the holy grail of music festivals, managing to book high-caliber bands but maintain an intimate feeling. Taking note of that, the Southeast Tourism Society has named Shindig one of the STS Top 20 Events in the Southeast for November 2018. The STS Top 20 Festival and Event Awards have highlighted programs around the Southeast since 1985. Travel industry experts select 20 events per month, and STS publicizes them throughout the United States.

“The Southeast is home to unique and memorable events throughout the year. In spotlighting the Top 20 festivals and events each month, STS is not only giving these events the recognition they deserve but we’re also creating a quick reference guide to some of the best festivals in the Southeast,” said Bill Hardman, president and CEO of the Southeast Tourism Society. “These events are important to the economic vitality of our communities and this is a way for us to acknowledge the time and resources organizers have tirelessly spent to create memories for their attendees.”

This year’s Shindig line-up is Scythian, Jon Stickley Trio, Yarn, DangerMuffin, Forlorn Strangers, The Tan & Sober Gentlemen, Twisted Pine, Fireside Collective, and Nick Driver. Dave Brown, head of Earth Plow productions and one of the key organizers of Shindig, is very pleased with the line-up, “A lot of people have discovered bands through the festival over the years and they want to hear them again. We’ve worked the last few years to bring back fan-favorites and continue to add new acts to the line-up so festival attendees can discover new bands.”

General admission to Shindig is free but there is also a VIP ticket option with sales from the experience going to local charities. The VIP tent this year will be sponsored by Bedlam Vodka and ticket-holders can mingle with the bands, enjoy complimentary food pairing, and party on the party deck. New to the VIP tent this year is a rolling beer tasting schedule through-out the day instead of set hours as in previous years; it’s the unlimited tasting attendees have come to expect from the VIP experience, but with more breweries and more opportunities to taste.

Gates open in Downtown Clayton at Noon on the 3rd and close at 10PM. There will also be food trucks onsite throughout the day. Clayton is located just minutes from Downtown Raleigh and convenient to I-95 and I-40. Make a weekend out of the Shindig experience and discover all the amazing things Downtown Clayton has to offer.

To find out more visit theshindig.net. To keep up with other festivals and events happening in Clayton and Johnston County’s other towns visit johnstoncountync.org/events.