They’re Western music legends, with songs of the early days of cowboys on the rolling prairies, pioneer wagons heading west, campfires at night beneath the stars. They’ve performed the songs and stories of Texas and Tennessee, Bear Creek and the Brazos River, Cimarron and Santa Fe. They’ve appeared at the Hollywood Bowl and Carnegie Hall, Grand Ole Opry and Austin City Limits, Nashville and Louisville, Wabash and Woodstown, with awards along the way including two GRAMMYs. They’re known as the America’s Favorite Cowboy, and they’ve come to support the Festival, through the help of Steve ‘Jake’ Jacobs, and through their own interest, with fiddler Woody Paul having a PhD in theoretical plasma physics. With him are guitarist Ranger Doug, music historian and master yodeller; bassist Too Slim, who’s been a janitor, hay stacker, sportswriter and wildlife manager; and accordionist Joey the CowPolka King, described as the man who plays both ends against the middle.

Sponsored by The Faraday Foundation, Francis R Dewing Foundation, Alvin & Sara Lee Sarachek