Entertainment
Three days of live music, mountain views, and festival fun featuring talented regional performers throughout the weekend.
Live Music in the Mountains
Plan your day around your favorites or discover someone new. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are filled with live performances on the Fall Fest stage.
Regional Talent
Enjoy a lineup of singers, songwriters, and bands from across East Tennessee and the surrounding region.
All Weekend Long
Music continues throughout Friday, Saturday, and Sunday so there’s always something to hear while you explore.
Relax & Enjoy
Grab your favorite festival food, find a comfortable spot, and take in the sounds of fall in Wears Valley.
2026 Entertainment Schedule
Performance times are listed below for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Meet Our 2026 Performers
Get to know the talented musicians bringing live music to Wears Valley Fall Fest.
Jimbo Whaley
Sunday, 1:00–3:00 p.m.
A Pigeon Forge native, Jimbo Whaley writes songs inspired by life in the Great Smoky Mountains, including “The Foundation,” “The Legend of Jack Huff,” and “The Kings of Orebank.” He performs with Greenbrier and co-founded Pine Mountain Railroad in 1998. That band earned two consecutive IBMA Emerging Artist of the Year nominations, and its album The Old Radio spent eight months on Bluegrass Unlimited’s Top 15 Album Chart.
Skye Full of Joy
Friday, 10:30–11:15 a.m. (Adelee Skye Reeves)
Siblings Adelee Skye, Bentley Chase, and Delilah Joy share their faith through music, dance, and ventriloquism. Adelee was a featured youth performer at Country Tonite Theatre in Pigeon Forge, while Bentley and Delilah appeared in a Christmas production at Dollywood. Together, they perform as Skye Full of Joy.
North State Grass
Friday, 4:30–5:15 p.m.
This progressive bluegrass quartet from Charlotte, North Carolina, features Steven Davidson on mandolin, Cooper Eades on guitar, Angel Chantel on bass, and Levi Austin on banjo. The band placed third in the 2026 Telluride Bluegrass Band Competition and released its debut album, Pathago, in June 2026. Their sound mixes fast picking, tight harmonies, and influences from country, rock, funk, and beyond.
Dustin Martin
Friday and Saturday, 12:30–1:15 p.m.; Sunday, 12:15–12:45 p.m.
With a sound shaped by pre-2000 country, roots music, and Southern rock, Dustin Martin has played more than 120 shows annually over the past five years. Born in Arkansas and raised in Missouri, he has performed across the country and made Nashville his home in 2014.
Jesse Priest
Friday, 3:30–4:15 p.m.; Saturday, 4:30–5:15 p.m.; Sunday, 11:15 a.m.–noon
Originally from the Holly Pond and Cullman area of Alabama, Jesse Priest blends country storytelling with Southern rock. He started playing guitar around age 12 and began performing in church before taking his music to regional stages. His original songs include “Beers, Bonfires, and Backroads,” “Truck I Can’t Afford,” and “Saving Grace.”
Gavin Byrd
Friday, 1:30–2:15 p.m.
Knoxville-based singer-songwriter Gavin Byrd combines country and Southern rock with influences from the Eagles, Merle Haggard, Sturgill Simpson, and John Mayer. He has released eight songs, with additional projects planned.
Owen Walsh
Saturday, 1:30–2:15 p.m.; Sunday, 10:15–11:00 a.m.
Owen Walsh blends folk, blues, and Americana. Raised near the Lackawaxen River in northeastern Pennsylvania, he now lives in Asheville, North Carolina. His debut album, On My Way, reached No. 9 on Folk Radio in 2023. He performs as a solo artist and contributes guitar, vocals, and fiddle to other regional projects.
Canaan Covington
Friday and Saturday, 2:30–3:15 p.m.
Hailing from Asheboro, North Carolina, Canaan Covington draws inspiration from country music, classic rock, the Eagles, and Chris Stapleton. When he’s not performing music, you may find him serving as an MC at the Comedy Barn.
Buford Watson & Southern Scars
Saturday, 10:30–11:15 a.m. and 3:30–4:15 p.m.
This East Tennessee Outlaw Folk group blends bluegrass roots, classic country soul, classic rock energy, and heartfelt original songs. Their performances range from intimate acoustic storytelling to lively, boot-stomping Southern anthems.