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2021 Forest Concert Series

Spend your summer Saturday evenings enjoying live music at Crystal Bridges during the return of our Forest Concert Series! This set of outdoor concerts merges national and local musicians in our beautiful North Forest, surrounded by art and nature. Bring your lawn chair or a blanket to enjoy live music under the forest trees. A food truck and cash bar will be available throughout the night, as well as artmaking activities.

$12/concert

($10 for members, Free for youth ages 18/under)
Register online or by calling Guest Services at 479.657.2335.

Per CDC guidelines, guests and staff who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 are no longer required to wear face coverings. If guests are not vaccinated, face coverings are still required. Face coverings are still recommended for children 2 and up, unless they are vaccinated. Face coverings will be available upon entry for those who do not have one.

Plan your Forest Concert Series visit.

*Please Note: Though tickets for youth ages 18 and under are free, a ticket is required for entry. Reserve these tickets online or with Guest Services.

Sponsored by avad3 and General Mills. Presented on the Coca-Cola Stage.

The Performers

Dawson Hollow
Dawson Hollow

Dawson Hollow 

SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 7 TO 9:30 PM

Opening: Jamie Lou & The Hullabaloo

Returning to the Forest Concert Series is indie-folk band Dawson Hollow. With their sophomore album dropping this summer, Dawson Hollow’s music encompasses the nostalgia of folk while channeling the urgent and intoxicating energy of indie rock. Hailing from the Missouri Ozark Mountains, their unique and invigorating music brings alive a contagious passion and leaves listeners energized and refreshed.

Learn more about the Dawson Hollow concert

Two people smiling and making peace signs in a cozy living room with plants and decor.
Dazz & Brie

Pride Celebration with Dazz & Brie

SATURDAY, JUNE 12, 7 TO 9:30 PM

Opening: True Lions

Presented in collaboration with NWA Equality, join us for an evening celebrating Pride Month with live music from Little Rock-based rock-and-soul band Dazz & Brie, hosted by Northwest Arkansas Drag Queens. This woman-fronted duo and band combines heavy rock instrumentation with soulful harmonies to create music that transcends all ages. Their sophomore project, Can’t Chase Girls and Your Money Too, combines a blend of acid rock, funk, and country. The band has performed all over the US from Afropunk’s Battle of the Bands in Brooklyn to Los Angeles, so don’t miss their performance at the Forest Concert Series!

Learn more about the Pride Celebration concert

one in green dress indoors, another in tan blazer outdoors near a stone wall.
DeeDee Jones and Spud Howard

The Sounds of Freedom feat. DeeDee Jones and Spud Howard

SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 7 TO 9:30 PM

Opening: Eldredge Jackson

Presented in collaboration with Music Moves, this Juneteenth celebration featuring DeeDee Jones and Spud Howard explores the genre of Black protest music from the 1970s to the present. Enjoy familiar favorites and learn new songs as Jones and Howard perform soulful, high-energy tributes to Marvin Gaye, Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin, and other influential Black artists as they delve into the heart of Black protest to produce a sound that reverberates around the world…and the North Forest!

Learn more about The Sounds of Freedom concert

Two people seated outdoors in tall grass; one holds a double bass, the other a guitar.
Trout Fishing in American in the Ozark Hills Photo by Don House Photography

Trout Fishing in America

SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 7 TO 9:30 PM

Opening: Still on the Hill

Drawing inspiration from childhoods spent listening to Top 40 AM radio, songwriters Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idles season their music with stylings from rock and roll, blues, folk, country, bluegrass, funk, Latin, and reggae…whatever sound would best bring out the flavor of the lyrics they wrote since their formation in 1979. At the 40-year mark, these two friends continue writing songs and performing. Ezra has added an electric banjo and an electric bouzouki to his stage instruments. Keith has added the fiddle. It may still be impossible to tell you what kind of music Trout plays, but after attending a show, you’ll know exactly what you’ve witnessed: two guys who still love what they do and are excited to share it with you.

Learn more about the Trout Fishing in America concert

A man playing a trumpet on stage, another person is blurred in the background.
Sons of Brasil

Canceled Due to Inclement Weather – Sons of Brasil

SATURDAY, JULY 10, 7 TO 9:30 PM

Opening: Los Veleros

Presented in collaboration with Northwest Arkansas Jazz Society, join us for an evening of Brazilian and Latin jazz in the forest with renowned Kansas City group Sons of Brasil! Sons of Brasil is a popular jazz group that has performed every week since their inception in 1991, playing Brazilian jazz with a flavor and passion found at a nightclub in Ipanema or Leblon. The Sons of Brasil invite you to sample these sounds, and we dare you to try and stay in your seat all night!

Learn more about the Sons of Brasil concert

Man in sunglasses and plaid jacket holding a guitar in front of a wooden door.
Mr. Sipp

Mr. Sipp

SATURDAY, JULY 17, 7 TO 9:30 PM

Opening: Brick Fields

Hailing from small town McComb, Mississippi, Mr. Sipp has become a Delta Blues force to be reckoned with! Being recognized for his amazing vocals, songwriting ability, and entertaining fans with an upbeat, outlandish show all make Mr. Sipp “The Total Package.” With over 125 recording credits to his name, Mr. Sipp has played on over 50 national recordings with several Grammy-nominated projects. Don’t miss his performance at the Forest Concert Series.

Learn more about the Mr. Sipp concert

Women by a lake singing and playing a tambourine with greenery in the background.
Ley Line

Ley Line

SATURDAY, JULY 24, 7 TO 9:30 PM

Opening: Voces Divinas

Presented in partnership with the House of Songs, come spend an evening with Ley Line, four voices coalesced and rooted in rhythm. Raised on the North American traditions of blues, folk, and soul and inspired by their world travels, the four women of Ley Line transcend genres and languages. Ley Line creates a global soundscape, blending influences from Brazil, Latin America, and West Africa. Dynamic harmonies run like a current through textures of stand-up bass, guitar, ukulele, and world percussion. With strong ties to world folklore traditions, Ley Line’s multilingual compositions evoke the beauty of the human experience through our connection to nature and each other, a perfect fit for the Forest Concert Series.

Learn more about the Ley Line concert

Person in cowboy hat and fringed attire crouching between trees in a black-and-white forest.
Dylan Earl

Dylan Earl

SATURDAY, JULY 31, 7 TO 9:30 PM

Opening: Jonathan Terrell

Presented in partnership with the House of Songs, join us in the forest for an evening of country music with Dylan Earl. Born in Louisiana, Dylan made his way up to Arkansas after being displaced by hurricanes in 2005 and has since been naturalized by the Natural State. You can often find Dylan and his boys out on the road anywhere between honky-tonks to opera houses to dingy basements. There is no improper place for his music. He prefers sleeping outside, Hamm’s beer, Thin Lizzy, the company of his peers, and good attitudes. Get to know more about Dylan Earl and enjoy an evening of fun country music in the North Forest!

Learn more about the Dylan Earl concert

Plan Your Forest Concert Visit

  • Shuttle service is available to all who need it, beginning at 6 p.m.
  • Strollers and personal mobility devices are welcome.
  • Blankets and lawn chairs are encouraged.
  • Dogs on a leash are allowed. Dog owners are asked to clean up after their dogs and keep them under control at all times.
  • Please leave food and coolers at home. Enjoy High South on a Roll, the Eleven food truck.
  • If weather-related issues arise, a decision to cancel a concert will be made by 3 p.m. the day of and will be emailed, posted on our website, social media and on the museum’s main phone line. You will be issued an automatic refund.

Want to upgrade your experience?

Reserve an all-inclusive VIP Forest Concert Globe! The VIP Globes include early admission, concierge beverage service for the evening, one savory and one sweet menu item per person, and reserved seats at the concert. Skip the lines at the food truck and bar by reserving your all-inclusive Forest Concert Globe Experience, and let us bring the drinks to you. Limited VIP Forest Concert Globes are available, reserve yours now! Concert tickets and reserved seats near the stage are included in your Globe reservation. VIP Forest Concert Globes (4 person minimum up to 8 people) — $89 plus tax per person.

 

Our Concert Globes are sold out for the season, but please check back for our fall Forest Globe season opening in October.

Four people sit in a geodesic dome, smiling, holding drinks, with bottled drinks on a table.