Stone Countys own Sylamore Special will headline the Next Generation benefit concert during Folk Fest in Mountain View. The band won Bluegrass Group of the Year at the 2024 and 2025 Arkansas Country Music Awards and is nominated for Entertainers of the Year at this years award show. The bands fiddler, 21-year-old Mary Parker, is also nominated for Fiddle Player of the Year.
The Arkansas Folk Festival will once again feature the return of the Next Generation Concert at the Ozark Folk Center State Park on Saturday, April 18.
The fundraiser, sponsored by the Committee of One Hundred, supports the Music Roots program, which provides free music lessons, instructors and loaned instruments to homeschool and public school students in fourth grade and above in the Mountain View area.
The concert will be held inside the Ozark Highlands Theater that evening from 7 to 10, with doors opening at 6. The event will showcase several youth bluegrass and old-time groups, including Sylamore Special, Ozark Strangers, 5 South, pianist Edward Steiger and The Parker Unit. A performance by the Music Roots Ensemble is also planned, along with a guest appearance by Dave Smith and Kathy Jensen.
The Music Roots program is now in its 28th year and has served thousands of families while helping preserve Ozarks folk music traditions. The concert serves as a fundraiser for the program, a partnership between Mountain View Public Schools and the Ozark Folk Center.
Tickets are $15 for adults, $8 for children and $35 for a family pass. Tickets may be purchased online or at the door the day of the concert for an additional cost.
Earlier in the day, the Ozark Folk Center will host a free open house in the Craft Village from 10 to 5. Shuttle service will also be available between the park and downtown Mountain View throughout the day.
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