“We’re going back to free admission again. We started out doing this as free admission, and we always focused on featuring emerging talent. Over the years, we’ve had free shows with Billy Strings, Tyler Childers and Sarah Shook,” said Adam Helms, director of Resident Services for the City of Hamilton and the producer of Whimmydiddle.
He said you’ll see some of the talent line-up like John R. Miller, Nick Shoulders, and 49 Winchester, featured on bigger music festivals across the country.
On June 22, the line-up will include Nick Shoulders at 7 p.m. and John R. Miller will headline the show at 8:30 p.m. The lineup on June 23 will feature Michelle Robinson Band at 7 p.m. and Little Texas will headline the evening at 9 p.m.
“The local connection is Little Texas, they are from Hamilton and Fairfield, and they had multiple No. 1 hits in the 1990s, so we excited to have them come back home and play a show in Hamilton. They played at RiversEdge once before in 2014, so it’s been a while since they’ve been back,” Helms said.
On June 24, The Mountain Grass Unit will open the show at 6 p.m., followed by Drayton Farley at 7:30 p.m., and 49 Winchester will headline the festival at 9 p.m.
“Come out early on Saturday night, and make sure you catch The Mountain Grass Unit. I think these kids are in their 20′s, if that, and they are just getting started. They are from Alabama, and this will be their first show up in Ohio, and they are incredible. If you like Billy Strings and bluegrass-type music, definitely come out Saturday and check out The Mountain Grass Unit,” Helms said.
IBEW Local 648 has sponsored Whimmydiddle since the festival’s inception.
“IBEW Local 648 has been the sponsor since the very beginning. We wouldn’t be able to do this without IBEW Local 648. They’ve done it every year. They have a pretty long track record with us, and we are super grateful for the support,” Helms said.
Whimmydiddle was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2021, Whimmydiddle was conducted in a different format — it became a four-concert series with free admission that was spread out across the summer concert season. This change was due to COVID-19, the limited capacity and safety protocols at the venue. In 2022, Whimmydiddle was announced as a paid two-day event, and then it moved forward as a free event.
With a mix of country sounds at the core of Whimmydiddle, artists have presented a variety of musical styles from roots, progressive bluegrass and Americana to rock-blues and more. The event has drawn more than 3,000 people to the park on one night. In 2019, concertgoers traveled from more than 17 different states for Whimmydiddle.
How to go
Whimmydiddle 2023 concerts are free to attend. Guests may bring chairs and blankets to set up in the amphitheater. Nightly VIP tickets are available for purchase for $40 each night and a 3-day VIP ticket is available for $90. For more details about Whimmydiddle, go to whimmydiddle.com, or visit the RiversEdge Facebook page at facebook.com/HamiltonRiversEdge.
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