Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival will return on September 20th and 21st, 2025 for another year of top-tier bluegrass and jams to raise money for Chesapeake Bay restoration. Topping the lineup for the third-annual music festival are Greensky Bluegrass (two sets), Railroad Earth, and Kitchen Dwellers, plus a surprise headliner to be announced in June.
Returning to its home at Sandy Point State Park along the Chesapeake Bay in Annapolis, MD, Baygrass will welcome The Travelin’ McCourys, LaMP (ft. Scott Metzger, Russ Lawton, and Ray Paczkowski), and Baltimore-native String Cheese Incident keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth with his eponymous solo band. In honor of the Grateful Dead‘s 60th anniversary this year, Annapolis Baygrass will celebrate the band’s legacy with The Grateful Ball featuring The Travelin’ McCourys, avowed Deadhead Larry Keel‘s new project Electric Larry Land, and Phil Lesh kin Grahame Lesh‘s band Midnight North.
“It’s a generational thing… It’s about what’s passed down to us and what we pass on. The songs and the community are the pillars holding this up,” Grahame Lesh said. “We’re so thankful to be part of this scene. This music is timeless.”
Annapolis Baygrass will welcome 14 bands and three artists-at-large on two alternating beachside stages, with additional performances by Sam Grisman Project, The Last Revel, Pressing Strings, and house band Geraldine returning for its third year at the festival. Keyboardist Holly Bowling, banjoist Kyle Tuttle, and saxophonist Ron Holloway will serve as artists-at-large, popping up as special guests throughout the weekend.
“Baygrass Music Festival was a bona fide HOOT!” Holloway said of last year’s festival. “Everything about it, including the very attentive and friendly staff, made us feel at home… The location of the festival is absolutely beautiful! Getting to do what I love as my profession elevated the whole experience to musical nirvana for me! It was so much fun; I was expecting to get arrested at any moment!”
In addition to hosting world-class musicians, Annapolis Baygrass’ mission is to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay. A portion of every dollar spent on tickets, beverages, and merch directly benefits the festival’s partner non-profit organizations (NPOs) and their hands-on restoration and protection initiatives. The festival also seeks to educate attendees about the Bay with interactive workshops, information booths, educational signage throughout the festival, and “tweener talks” between sets.
“Baygrass is more than a music festival,” CEO/Founder Ron Peremel said. “In 2024, with attendees from 37 states and Canada, that concept really came to life in a big way. The music connected people with our mission. A portion of every dollar spent on tickets, beverages, and merchandise supports our nonprofit partners—Watershed Stewards Academy, Oyster Recovery Partnership, and Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay—and raised over $32,000 for Bay conservation in 2024. This is what we mean by ‘Every Jam Saves the Bay.’”
Attendees will get a front-row seat to the beauty of the Bay at the 786-acre Sandy Point State Park, located along the northwestern shore of Chesapeake Bay. The sprawling site affords plenty of room for fans to spread out, enjoy the views, and dip their toes in the sandy beaches. The festival will host beachfront yoga, beach and yard games, a KidZone, a craft vendor village, local culinary options, and much more. Annapolis Baygrass will offer an array of camping and lodging options, with discounted options available on a first-come, first-served basis. A shuttle pass will allow hassle-free transportation between the festival site and many lodging locations.
Tickets for Annapolis Baygrass 2025 are on sale now via the festival website. Stay tuned for the final headliner announcement in June.
