The Stapleton Bluegrass Festival will return Oct. 31 with six bands, food, family activities and a full day of music on the grounds of Stapleton School.

The festival is scheduled for 11 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Saturday and serves as the school’s largest and most important annual fundraiser. For the small, rural public elementary school, proceeds from the event help provide resources and educational experiences for its students.

The 2026 festival marks the ninth time the community tradition has been held since its revival in 2018. Organizers say the festival has quickly developed a reputation as “one of the best music festivals in the region” and a can’t-miss event for fans of live music, food and family-friendly activities. It has also been described in local media as “the finest Bluegrass festival on the Gulf Coast!” Bama Buzz named it “the best place for live Bluegrass music in the state of Alabama!”

This year’s lineup includes nationally acclaimed touring artists, Alabama music veterans and regional performers, offering a mix of traditional and contemporary music.

The Amanda Cook Band will headline a lineup that also includes Remedy Tree, Three on a String, The Old Mixed Tapes, Cowgirl Up Collective and The Bailiwicks.

The Amanda Cook Band combines traditional bluegrass roots with a contemporary sound, heartfelt storytelling, tight harmonies and strong musicianship. The group has performed at the Grand Ole Opry, The Station Inn and IBMA World of Bluegrass, while Amanda Cook’s recordings have reached the top of the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart.

Remedy Tree, a Florida-based Americana band rooted in bluegrass, old-time and folk traditions, was nominated for the 2026 IBMA Momentum Band of the Year Award. The group has performed throughout the eastern United States, Ireland and England and has shared stages with Ricky Skaggs, Peter Rowan, Sister Sadie and The Steeldrivers.

Three on a String, an Alabama musical institution, has entertained audiences for more than five decades with acoustic music, tight harmonies and comedy. The group has been inducted into both the Alabama Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

The Old Mixed Tapes formed following a campfire jam at Old Rex Music Park. The Alabama group combines traditional bluegrass and bluegrass gospel with driving instrumentals, nostalgic Americana influences, three-part harmonies and gospel selections.

Cowgirl Up Collective features Julie and Bridget alongside veteran Alabama bassist, songwriter and entertainer Cliff Abbott. The group blends traditional bluegrass, bluegrass gospel, original music and audience favorites with strong instrumentation and harmonies.

The Mobile-area group The Bailiwicks brings a Gulf Coast influence through its “Baygrass” style, which uses bluegrass instrumentation in a relaxed, nontraditional approach. The group describes its sound as a mix of laid-back grooves, twangy claw-hammer stompers and “take-you-to-church” harmonies.

Organizers also plan numerous food and beverage trucks and a variety of activities for families throughout the day.

The festival’s reach has received recognition through two grants awarded this year. The event received a community arts grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts as well as an Alabama Department of Tourism Legislative Event Grant, with support from Representative Donna Givens.

Organizers say the grants will help the festival continue bringing a high-quality musical event to Stapleton while supporting the school and its students.

Putting on an event of the festival’s size and quality requires significant upfront costs, and the school is seeking sponsors to help ensure its financial success. Sponsorships are available at various levels, with associated benefits. Sponsors are recognized through festival signage as well as festival and school system websites and social media accounts.

The school says sponsorship support helps sustain an important regional festival while improving educational opportunities for students.

More information is available on the event’s Facebook page and at www.stapletonbluegrassfestival.com.

Stapleton School is at 35480 Harriot Avenue in Stapleton. For more information, call (251) 937-2038.