WALLACE — After two successful years, the Wallace Music Festival is returning this month with another free weekend of live music. 

The two-day event will take place July 10-11 and will feature music from a variety of genres. 

This year, regional favorites Snacks at Midnight and Sammy Eubanks will headline Friday and Saturday nights, respectively. Even with such talented headliners, event organizers are especially excited about the festival’s full-day lineups. 

"I think it's going to be a fun one," organizer Marcy Hayman said. "We have some pretty good bands, coming from some distance, that will be here." 

Other artists scheduled to perform include Joel Astley, Justyn Priest, Young Cardinals, Alison Joy Williams, Jim Tilden Brown, Rusty Jackson, Ban Larson and Curtis Roy Moore. The festival will feature two stages, one main stage and one dedicated for more blues-style artists.

Hayman highlighted indie-rock band the Young Cardinals, which will perform on the festival’s blues stage Saturday night. Based in North Carolina and led by singer James Forgey, the band also features Wallace natives Sam Branstetter and Marcus Matile. 

"We're pretty stoked to have our local boys in action," Hayman said. 

Now in its third year, the Wallace Music Festival was born out of necessity in 2024 after planning errors effectively led to the cancellation and eventual demise of the Wallace Blues Festival. 

According to many Wallace business owners, the Wallace Blues Festival was one of the most important weekends of the year for local businesses, bringing visitors to town, filling hotel rooms and generating significant revenue for restaurants, bars and shops. Organizers said the weekend often helped businesses recover from the slow winter season and return to profitability. 

When the event was abruptly canceled, community leaders worried about the economic impact and the loss of a long-standing summer tradition. In response, local business owners and volunteers quickly organized the Wallace Music Festival to maintain tourism and support local businesses during a critical summer weekend. 

"The blues fest had a shaky history over its last few years," Hayman said. "We, as a group, decided that we wanted to have a free festival that brings culture to the area, and supports local businesses. Plus, keeping it free removes a lot of logistics like fencing and the need for so many volunteers." 

The Wallace Music Festival remains free to attend thanks to the support of sponsors, donors, volunteers and community members who help keep live music accessible to everyone. 

Organizers are also seeking vendors for this year’s event. For the complete lineup, event schedule, vendor applications, donation information and festival updates, visit www.wallacemusicfest.com.