After taking a year off from hosting his Renewal festival in 2025, Billy Strings has announced a new two-day event, the Ionia Freak Fair, set for August 28th–29th, 2026 at the Ionia County Fairgrounds in Ionia, MI [get tickets].
The festival will feature a select assortment of bluegrass and jam grass favorites, including Greensky Bluegrass, Leftover Salmon, Sierra Hull, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, Lindsay Lou, and Full Cord. Additional artists may be announced at a later date, according to Strings’ social media post.
Mark Lavengood will serve as the festival’s host. The event will also feature a pinball and metal tent presented by The Pyramid Scheme, a Grand Rapids music venue and bar known for its 24 pinball machines.
Doors will open at 3:00 p.m. ET both days, with music running until 11:00 p.m. ET. While tent and car camping will not be available on site, a limited number of RV passes will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. The RV area will include bathrooms, showers, and electricity. Free on-site car parking is available, though no overnight parking is permitted.
Billy Strings laid out some of the details about the Freak Fest, including a preview of the daily lineups, on local Grand Rapids/West Michigan radio station WYCE today.
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A locals-only presale is currently underway through 11:59 p.m. ET on February 12th. Sales are restricted to residents within a 20-mile radius of the venue, with residency determined by credit card billing address. RV passes are not available during this presale.
The public on-sale will follow on Friday, February 13th at noon ET.
More information is available on the festival website.
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