Looking for a great holiday gift for the music lover in your life? Then we have the gift for you!

Sugar Maple Music Festival 2020 tickets will be on sale for one day only this year – Cyber Monday on Dec. 2. For just $20, you’ll be able to purchase a weekend pass for the July 31 and Aug. 1, 2020 event.  It will cost you $50 at the gate, so mark your calendar and don’t miss this chance to get huge savings.

Tickets go on sale here at 12:01 a.m. Monday, Dec. 2

Confirmed artists for the 2020 Sugar Maple Music Festival include the Amythyst Kiah Trio! Born in Chattanooga and based in Johnson City, Amythyst Kiah’s commanding stage presence is matched by her raw and powerful vocals—a deeply moving, hypnotic sound that stirs echoes of a distant and restless past.

Accompanied interchangeably with banjo, acoustic guitar, or a full band, her eclectic influences span decades, finding inspiration in old time music, alternative rock, folk, country, and blues.

Our Native Daughters, her recent collaboration with Rhiannon Giddens, Leyla McCalla, and Allison Russell (Birds of Chicago), has delivered a full-length album produced by Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell, Songs of Our Native Daughters (out now on Smithsonian Folkways). The opening track, “Black Myself”, written by Amythyst, was recently nominated for a Grammy for Best American Roots Song.

This year’s line-up also includes Appalachian Road Show, a group honoring the music, traditions and history of the Appalachian people and regions.  The group is comprised of banjoist Barry Abernathy, mandolinist-extraordinaire Darrell Webb, Grammy-award winning fiddler Jim Vancleve, and legendary upright bassist Todd Phillips.  On guitar is Zeb Snyder, a young phenom taking acoustic guitar circles by storm.

And we have confirmed Robbie Fulks will be back at the Sugar Maple fest performing a Doc Watson Tribute!  Robbie Fulks is a singer, recording artist, instrumentalist, composer, and songwriter. His most recent release, 2017’s Upland Stories, earned year’s-best recognition from NPR and Rolling Stone among many others, as well as two Grammy nominations, for folk album and American roots song (“Alabama At Night”).  Robbie is a long-time friend of the festival (2004, 2007, 2009 and 2012) and we’re thrilled to welcome him back.

Any one of these performances would be worth the ticket price alone!

More artists to be announced…stay tuned!

Thanks to each of you – musicians, music fans, sponsors, donors, and volunteers – for helping build and nurture community through music. The 16^th annual Sugar Maple Music Festival was a success because of YOU!

Have ideas for how we could improve?  Want to tell us what you loved?  Take our survey!  Your ideas will help us shape the 2020 Sugar Maple Music Festival, to be held July 31 and August 1.

— The Four Lakes Traditional Music Collective

Welcome to the 16th Annual Sugar Maple Music Festival! We are just days away…

Whether this is your first time or 16th time joining us, here are some tips and helpful information.

• Bring the kids!  We are a family-friendly festival and ages 17 and under are free.
• We have food!  Check out this year’s vendors.
• We have drinks!  Beer from Tyranena Brewing Company  and mead from Bos Meadery.  Yum, yum!
• We have a raffle and silent auction! Check out the raffle table at the back of the big tent to see the wide range of prizes.
• Carry-ins are allowed but please support our wonderful food and drink vendors!
• Bring your instruments for jamming!  This is an interactive festival and your participation is what sets the Sugar Maple fest apart from other music fests. Check-out the schedule and find out when you can jam with Wood & Wire, Hubby Jenkins and Jeffery Broussard!
• We are a rain or shine event; all of our artists perform under tents or shelters.
• Bring a chair or a blanket to sit on.  We have a limited number of chairs and yours are more comfortable anyway.
• Leave all pets at home. Park rule.
• Other great activities this year include…
  • Boulders Climbing Gym climbing wall
  • Instrument-making workshop for the kids (see fest program for details)
  • Yoga for all ages with Katie Muschlewski of Lotus Roots Kundalini Yoga and Yoga Sprouts.
• We know you’re social (we’ve seen you on the dance floor!) so spread the word…
  • Like us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • And hashtag like crazy! #sugarmaplefest
• We are a 501(c)3 non-profit and all our money goes toward bringing this great music to Madison.  Please consider donating on-line or by adding to the donation jar at the merchandise table.  We can’t do this without your support!

The Four Lakes Traditional Music Collective is excited to announce the unveiling of the Four Lakes Forest Mead, a custom mead created for the 16th annual Sugar Maple Music Festival by Colleen Bos of Bos Meadery.

This 12% ABV botanical mead is infused with juniper, spruce tips and rose petals.  Like a stroll through a lush northern forest, the Four Lakes Forest mead is light, crisp and refreshing; reminiscent of a fine gin.

At its most basic, mead is simply fermented water and honey, typically about the strength of wine (11-14% ABV.) Bos Mead is Field to Glass drinking that reflects the flavor of the surrounding landscape. It is a celebration of our Wisconsin flora in drinkable form.

Cheers!

We are bringing back musical yoga to the Sugar Maple Music Festival! Katie Muschlewski of Lotus Roots Yoga is a Madison local, musician and Yoga instructor. She founded Lotus Roots Yoga in 2005 and developed a yoga program for children called Yoga Sprouts in 2007 when she realized there were no yoga programs for her young children. She teaches all ages and abilities. Katie will offer several sessions on Saturday, August 3 at the Beginner Jam Tent.

12:30-1:15 All Ages Yoga
Join us for a relaxing yoga class to prepare for a day of fun! Live music will accompany this easy and accessible workout for all abilities. Yoga mats are available to borrow.

2:45-3 Yoga Sprouts
(kids 4 and under, please bring your grownup. Older kids welcome!)
Let’s go on an adventure! Katie Muschlewski offers her most popular Yoga Sprouts! Child & Caregiver Yoga Adventures ©2013. Kids are natural yogis! Come play pirates, swim with dolphins, and swing through the trees with monkeys! All ages and abilities are welcome. Yoga mats provided. (also at 4:45)

3:30-4:15 Teen Yoga
Kundalini Yoga is the Science of Self Awareness. Check out these awesome yoga techniques to feel confident, reduce stress, and strengthen your body and will-power! This is a special class for tweens and teens only. All abilities welcome. Yoga mats provided.