This year’s Sarasota County Fair will be held March 19-28, and will again feature daily bluegrass music at the Cracker Land Stage, free to all County Fair ticket holders. The Cracker Land stage is located near Gate 1, the eastern-most entrance to the fairgrounds.

Over a dozen bands will be featured over the Fair’s 11-day run, every day from 4-8:30 pm. The music will be played in 30-minute sets, with 30 minutes off between each set. Cracker Land also features several exhibits depicting aspects of country life in this area from long-past days, including the Sarasota cowboy culture, a cane sugar press, and a real still.

The Cracker Land music is being organized by Charlie Holbrook, who also runs the Thursday evening Bluegrass jam year-round at Bee Ridge Park in Sarasota. His pick-up group, the Bee Ridge Jammers, will be featured prominently on the Cracker Land stage, as well as other well-known area bluegrass bands such as The Wirebeaters, Lonesome Ridge, Peace River Quartet, Myakka, and Carl Wade & Barbara Schaffer. Some of the groups will also feature acoustic country, rockabilly, old-timey, and swing. Songs of Bill Monroe, Flatt & Scruggs, Hank Williams, Elvis, Johnny Cash, and many others will be heard. 

Free gate Monday through Thursday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.

See you at Cracker Land!

Click here for a complete Cracker Land music schedule.

Photo by Brad Fitzgerald.

Driving directions to Bluegrass At The County Fair

3000 Ringling Blvd. Sarasota, FL 34237