BY BUGS DIXON
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

FALLSBURG — Fallsburg Summer Stage returned to the Creekside Cabin and RV Park for a strong 2023 gathering Friday and Saturday. Despite rain on the main day of the festival, hundreds turned out to watch some of the biggest names in the region perform.

The lineup for 2023 included regional heavyweights like Arlo McKinley, El Dorodo and Magnolia Boulevard and top local talent like Sean Whiting, Corduroy Brown, Phill Barnett and many others.

Following up last year’s surprise performance by Tyler Childers, this year’s Fallsburg Summer Stage celebration was chock full of surprises and guest features.

Cole Chaney played an unannounced acoustic set before Saturday’s headliner, bringing Arlo McKinley onstage with him to sing “Rank Stranger” by Ralph Stanley. The crowd fell silent for one of the most somber yet magical moments of the weekend.

Logan Halstead joined Arlo McKinley for a song during his set, and the Wooks, a regionally acclaimed band that has been on hiatus for the past year, reunited with the help of Jesse Wells on the fiddle.

For fans of central Appalachian music, Fallsburg Summer Stage continues to be a can’t-miss opportunity to celebrate the start of summer with a growing community of local music enthusiasts.