Bonnie Raitt and Emmylou Harris headline our own Magnolia Fest! This week!

One of the many awesome Slopryland pumpkins!

Magnolia fest -- one of the most magical of all the festivals in the southeast -- happens this weekend at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida.

This fest is under new management (Judy Van Zant, widow of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Ronnie Van Zant,) and she's bringing in the famous ladies this year -- Bonnie Raitt headlines Saturday night on the Meadow stage (right after  JJ Grey and Mofro and Jimmy Herring Band.) Emmylou Harris headlines Friday in the ampitheater (right after Del McCoury Band.) 

The trippy Mickey Hart Band, featuring Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart, anchors the ampitheater stage on Thursday night. (right after Anders Osbourne.) Donna the Buffalo closes the fest out Sunday night (right after Tornado Rider.) You can see the full, talent-packed schedule here. 

Weekend passes (which include primitive camping) are $165 until MIDNIGHT TONIGHT, then they cost $180 at the gate. (Remember that these very same Magfest passes were available at early bird for a mere $115.) RV sites with water and electric cost extra and you contact the park about that. 

One of the greatest things about Magfest is the lovely camping weather, which makes the pickin' circles extend late into the night. Also, there's Slopryland, the magical campsite after-hours picking world lovingly created by our friends from Wisconsin, irreverent "Slopgrass" pickers Sloppy Joe. 

They show up way before the fest and carve dozens and dozens of artisitc pumpkins, lay in firewood for the all-weekend picking fire, build a cool tiki tent, and hang lanterns all through the trees. Slopryland is at the far side of Rees Lake, the cypress-lined jewel in the lake camping area beyond the ampitheater stage. I really appreciate spontaneous art and effort like this in our musical community. 

Here are some of the other acts festgrrl urges you not to miss:

The New Orleans Suspects -- Members of The Dirty Dozen Brass band, The Radiators, and the Neville Brothers. 'Nuff said.

Flannel Church -- Love this funky blues and New Orleans-style band. It's made up of talented alumni of Col. Bruce Hampton's bands. It is anchored by drummer Duane Trucks -- brother to guitar legend Derek Trucks (Allman Brothers, Tedeschi-Trucks Band.) 

Honey Island Swamp Band -- These guys are absolutely fantastic New Orleans funk and rage. Danceable and fun, fun, fun.

Cope -- Tampa's jam-rockers, insanely talented.

kLob -- Nice soul, funk, rock five-piece out of Jacksonville. Great original tunes. 

And don't forget to make time for the Suwannee River .....aaaaahhhhhh....