Whimmydiddle takes place Friday and Saturday at RiversEdge Amphitheater in downtown Hamilton and kicks off with the first band beginning at 7 p.m. Friday. Gates will open at 6 p.m.
On Saturday, the festival will continue with the gates opening at 5:30 p.m. and the first act playing at 6:30 p.m. For more information and a schedule of the line-up, go to www.whimmydiddle.com.
On Friday, the lineup will include Logan Halstead (7 p.m.), Maggie Rose (8 p.m.) and the headliner is Shovels & Rope (9:30 p.m.).
The lineup on Saturday will feature Emily Nenni (6:30 p.m.), Cole Chaney & Wolfpen Branch (8 p.m.) and Charley Crockett will headline (9:30 p.m.).
“The third time is a charm. Charley Crockett ... was supposed to play Whimmydiddle in 2020, and that’s when COVID happened, everything got shutdown, and we cancelled Whimmydiddle. Then, he was booked in 2021, last summer, and someone in his crew got COVID, and we had to cancel the show, so we are going to give it another go this year,” Helms said. “We are really looking forward to having Charley Crockett and his band here.”
Charley Crockett is going way out of the way to play this show in Hamilton. He’s got a show in Missouri, then, he’s driving all the way over to Hamilton. Then, he’s driving back to Oklahoma, he said.
“We’re really excited Charley Crockett is finally going to get to play here,” Helms said.
IBEW Local 648 has sponsored Whimmydiddle since the festival’s inception. The Hamilton Community Foundation also stepped up and helped to get some sponsors for the event. They have also supported the work that 17 Strong has done in the City.
“They were a big part of the reason we’re able to make this free, which is really cool for Hamilton. All the acts on the line-up are fantastic,” Helms said.
Whimmydiddle was not held in 2020 due to the pandemic. In 2021, Whimmydiddle was held 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. This year, Whimmydiddle returns as a two-day, free event.
“We went to free admission. There were a bunch of factors, too many circumstances to get into detail, but touring and the live music continues to be a challenge post COVID. Everybody is still getting their feet back underneath them after taking two years off. Things happen and circumstances change frequently, but one of the things I’m proud about is RiversEdge remains flexible and we’re nimble enough that we can adapt to these circumstances, and the only reason we are able to do that is we get a ton of support from the community,” Helms said.
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.
The 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 $35 each. There are separate VIP tickets for Friday and Saturday.
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