The Annapolis Baygrass Music Festival, which returns for its third year on Sept. 20-21, will feature a wide range of bluegrass artists, fundraising for Chesapeake Bay restoration, local food and drink vendors, educational booths and family-friendly activities.

The beachfront festival is the only music event hosted at Sandy Point State Park. Fourteen bands are scheduled to play, with headliners Greensky Bluegrass, Railroad Earth, Kitchen Dwellers and a surprise headliner to be announced in June.

Festival organizers sold almost 20% of their available tickets ahead of the lineup announcement last week, said Ron Peremel, the festival’s founder and CEO, and the response to the announcement was overwhelmingly positive.

“I’m super proud of pulling this off and having an incredible lineup that people love,” said Peremel. “I want to do something good for the earth and for my local community. … To see it working and to see it proving itself, from concept to execution, is incredibly humbling.”

The festival drew attendees from 37 states and Canada last year and raised more than $32,000 for the Watershed Stewards Academy, Oyster Recovery Partnership and the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, according to a news release.

The Baygrass Festival launched in 2023 after Hurricane Ian forced organizers to cancel less than 24 hours before its planned debut in 2022. Peremel said he set out to create a unique experience — a bluegrass festival with great music and a focus on environmental restoration and education. Planning the festival is Peremel’s full-time job and merges his passions — engaging local business, bluegrass music and the environment. Each year, organizers try to top the previous event, Peremel said.

The festival feels like a village with a wide range of activities, food and music available, Peremel said. It features educational workshops and signage to raise awareness about the bay.

Wandering between venues, guests can learn about best recycling practices, mental health and much more. The experience is designed to be fun for the whole family, with special activities for kids, beachfront yoga and yard games.

This year, the festival is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead, a band that had a legendary impact on folk music and jam bands. The featured artwork, created by Liz Burr Design, is inspired by the band’s iconic visuals, and the lineup includes The Travelin’ McCourys’ tribute to the band, called “The Grateful Ball.”

“It’s a generational thing. … It’s about what’s passed down to us and what we pass on. The songs and the community are the pillars holding this up,” said Grahame Lesh, a performer with the featured band, Midnight North, and son of Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh, who died in October. “We’re so thankful to be part of this scene. This music is timeless.”

The festival offers camping options and shuttle services. Tickets are on sale now.

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