Last Updated on August 8, 2026 5:55 am
The Town of Boone will celebrate the life and legacy of legendary Appalachian musician Doc Watson with its annual Doc Watson Day concert on Friday, August 14. The concert begins at 5:00 p.m. on the Jones House lawn in downtown Boone and is free and open to the public.
Doc Watson was a seven-time Grammy Award winner and a musical legend who lived in nearby Deep Gap, N.C. Blind since childhood, Watson inspired generations of musicians with his distinctive flat-picking guitar style and profound connection to Appalachian music. Despite his worldwide influence, Doc wished to be remembered first as a member of the community, a husband, a father, and a grandfather.
That spirit is reflected in the life-sized bronze statue of Watson that was unveiled in downtown Boone on June 24, 2011. Designed by Alex Hallmark, the statue stands at the corner of W. King St. and N. Depot St. When asked about the idea of a statue of his likeness being installed in downtown Boone, Doc said it would be okay as long as a plaque accompanied it reading, “Just one of the people.”
On the day the statue was unveiled, the Town of Boone and then-Mayor Loretta Clawson decreed that Doc Watson Day would become an annual town celebration. Since then, Boone and the Jones House have honored Watson's memory and influence with a free concert on the Jones House lawn each year.
The 2026 Doc Watson Day concert will feature performances from Noah Lanham & Eliot Smith, Olivia Phillips, Trevor McKenzie & Steve Kruger, and Nick Chandler & Delivered.
Noah Lanham & Eliot Smith will open the concert. Lanham is a 13-year-old student in the Boone Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) program and an accomplished flat-picking guitarist. His teacher, Eliot Smith, is an alumnus of the Boone JAM program who now teaches the next generation of Watauga traditional musicians. Together, they will perform some of the classic fiddle tunes that Doc Watson made famous among acoustic guitar players.
Olivia Phillips is a traditional musician from the Old Beech Mountain Community of North Carolina. Her musical experience spans Appalachian ballads, old-time, gospel, Irish traditional singing, and more. She is grateful to have learned ballads and songs from many wonderful late and living Western North Carolina traditional singers. Phillips holds an MA in ethnomusicology from Indiana University and a BM in vocal music education from East Tennessee State University. She is currently writing a dissertation on Beech Mountain traditional singing through the Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology at Indiana University.
Trevor McKenzie & Steve Kruger play traditional music from communities along the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. Their music is influenced by traditional musicians and friends who shared their music with them, including Lonnie Ward, Ora Watson, Clifford Glenn, Alfred Michels, Rick Ward, Rosa Hicks, and Fred McBride. In 2024, McKenzie and Kruger released The Freshet, an album containing ballads, songs, and fiddle tunes unique to the mountain communities of the Blue Ridge.
Nick Chandler & Delivered bring a sound that is traditional yet original, rooted in the bluegrass of the 1980s. Led by mandolinist, songwriter, and arranger Nick Chandler, the band features Spencer Atkinson on guitar and tenor vocals, Watauga County native Gary Trivette on bass and vocals, and Jake Burrows on banjo. The group has enjoyed chart-topping hits with its traditional yet original releases and continues to deliver a polished, recognizable sound rooted in a deep love for bluegrass.
The Doc Watson celebration will continue on Saturday, August 15 with two events at the Appalachian Theatre in downtown Boone. At 2:00 p.m., there will be a free screening of the new documentary Doc Watson: One of the People. Then, at 7:30 p.m., Tommy Emmanuel, CGP will perform a ticketed concert. For more information regarding events at the theatre, please visit apptheatre.org.
Jones House concertgoers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs, blankets, and picnic fare to enjoy the performances under the shade trees. Alcoholic beverages are permitted for guests of legal drinking age, but open containers must remain on the property.
Free parking is available in all downtown Boone metered spaces and public lots after 5:00 p.m., making it easy to enjoy the concert and explore downtown before or after the show.
The 2026 Doc Watson Day celebration is presented by the Town of Boone and sponsored by the Downtown Boone Development Association (DBDA), Omega Tees Screen Printing and Embroidery, Mast General Store, ECRS, Melanie's Food Fantasy, and Stick Boy Bread Company.
For more information about Doc Watson Day, including event details and updates, visit joneshouse.org/docday.
