Share This Article
Bluegrass Hall of Fame member and three-time Grammy winner Sam Bush will bring his band to Ozark Folk Center State Park on Saturday, July 18. The show marks the mandolin player’s first return to the park’s Ozark Highlands Theater since a sold-out 2010 appearance. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the concert begins at 7 p.m.
The Music Roots Ensemble, featuring young musicians from the Mountain View area, will open the night. The concert is sponsored by the Committee of One Hundred for the Ozark Folk Center, and ticket proceeds benefit the area’s Music Roots Program. The nonprofit gives Stone County children in fourth grade and up free classes and instruments, including fiddle, banjo and guitar, for both public school and homeschool students.
Park Coordinator Keith Symanowitz said Bush transformed the genre by using fiddle and mandolin in ways no one had before, paving the way for modern bluegrass. He credited Bush with influencing current stars such as Sierra Hull, Billy Strings and Molly Tuttle. “We’re honored to have him back this July,” Symanowitz said.
Known as the father of newgrass, Bush has earned three Grammys and 14 nominations across a career that includes 11 solo albums. He is a four-time International Bluegrass Music Association Mandolin Player of the Year and one of few artists inducted into the IBMA Hall of Fame twice, first with New Grass Revival in 2020 and again for his solo work in 2023. The Americana Music Association gave him its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009.
Reserved seats run $40 to $60 at Tickets.OzarkFolkCenter.com, and VIP passes are $150 with a front-and-center seat, a limited-edition poster and a post-show meet-and-greet. Admission is not part of an Ozark Folk Center Season Pass, and day-of tickets cost $5 more. Patrons who need wheelchair-accessible seating can contact Music Director Daren Dortin at 870-269-3853.
Guests who want to stay overnight can book a duplex room at The Cabins at Dry Creek, located on-site with an outdoor pool. A shuttle runs for cabin guests attending the theater show.
