Baygrass Festival Returns to Sandy Point: Where Music Meets Mission

Photos by Mark Raker

When Ron Peremel and John Way co-founded the Annapolis Baygrass Festival four years ago, they had bigger plans than just putting on another music event. Sure, there would be great bands and good times, but Peremel wanted something deeper. Peremel calls it his “passion play.”

This year’s festival takes place on September 20-21, 2025, at Sandy Point State Park, and it is drawing people from more than 40 states. What brings them isn’t just the progressive bluegrass, it’s the way Peremel and Way have woven together music with two causes they care deeply about: saving the Chesapeake Bay and supporting mental health, especially for veterans..

Most festivals talk about giving back to the community. Baygrass does it in ways you can see and feel throughout the weekend.

“It’s wonderful to see the vision and the concept of combining the missions of Chesapeake Bay, conservation and mental health awareness, into what I call an immersive education experience,” Peremel explains. “You can actually not even think about the mission, but you get it, and you feel it, and you take something away.”

The mental health component is spearheaded by John Way and the VA Way organization, which “works to improve mental health of veterans, members of the music industry and their communities by connecting them to mental health trainings, resources, and events.” Way serves as a NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) program manager and runs a veteran peer support group for Maryland. The festival features a sober safe space and promotes the 988 suicide prevention hotline.

“It’s just always shocking when I run into people who have no idea what 988 is or what it’s for,” Way notes. “And it’s a crucial life-saving line.”

The weekend kicks off Saturday, September 20, with a special pre-festival event at Maryland Hall featuring Wicked Sycamore and the Fitzke Brothers. This intimate kickoff party, limited to approximately 200 people, offers fans the chance to start the weekend early with some of the region’s rising talent.

This year’s main festival lineup celebrates the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead while showcasing a diverse range of progressive bluegrass and Americana acts. Saturday’s powerhouse lineup features two sets from Greensky Bluegrass, along with Kitchen Dwellers, LaMP (featuring Russ Lawton, Scott Metzger, and Ray Paczkowski), Larry Keel’s Electric Larry Land, Sam Grisman Project, Elliot Peck and Friends, and local favorites Geraldine.

Sunday brings Railroad Earth and Molly Tuttle with her new band, closing out the weekend. The Travelin’ McCourys will host a special Grateful Ball set as part of the Dead’s 60th anniversary celebration. The day also includes Kyle Hollingsworth Band, The Last Revel, and Pressing Strings.

As is often the case with live music events, last-minute changes have occurred. Ron Holloway will no longer be performing due to illness. A GoFundMe campaign (Play It Forward: The Ron Holloway Fund) has been established to support him. Baltimore-based saxophonist Patrick Rainey, known for his years with The Bridge and his ability to engage a crowd, has stepped in. Additionally, Midnight North has canceled their appearance due to a family situation involving Grahame Lesh. Elliott Peck and Friends will be performing in their place.

The lineup runs deep beyond the headliners. Kitchen Dwellers bring serious energy to their sets, the kind that gets people moving, whether they planned to dance or not. Larry Keel’s Electric Larry Land takes things in a different direction, mixing electric guitar into the acoustic foundation until it sounds more like rock than traditional bluegrass. Then there’s the Sam Grisman Project. If the name sounds familiar, that’s because Sam is David “Dawg” Grisman’s son, carrying forward his father’s musical legacy with his twist.

The festival’s three artists-at-large, keyboardist Holly Bowling, banjo player Kyle Tuttle, and saxophonist Patrick Rainey, will create unique collaborations throughout the weekend. These spontaneous musical conversations between artists often produce once-in-a-lifetime performances that can’t be experienced anywhere else.

“I encourage collaboration, like, step outside the box, get your stuff together before you show up to the festival,” Way explains. “I want that magic, because those are the rare shows that you’ll never get anywhere else.”

Sandy Point State Park provides a stunning backdrop for the festival, with boats passing by on the Chesapeake Bay and gentle breezes coming off the water. The venue offers accessibility advantages that many festival locations lack. The flat terrain accommodates wheelchairs and mobility devices, plus actual bathhouses where attendees can freshen up throughout the day.

The music runs from 11:30 AM to 10 PM both days, featuring continuous music across two alternating stages. This means there’s no downtime. As one band finishes on the main stage, another begins on the second stage.

Food plays a central role in the Baygrass experience. Chesapeake Chefs provides locally sourced, Bay-focused cuisine featuring some of the region’s best crab cakes and seafood. Last year, the festival served 11,000 fresh oysters, and organizers expect to reach 15,000 this year. Every oyster shell gets recycled through the Oyster Recovery Partnership, which replants them in the Bay to produce new oysters. Last year’s shells generated 200,000 new oysters.

The Bay Guardian Village showcases conservation organizations, including NASA’s hydrological center, which will launch a weather balloon with camera equipment during the festival. Mental health nonprofits will have adjacent booths, creating an educational hub in the quieter north section of the grounds.

Families will find plenty to keep kids engaged throughout the weekend. The Kids Zone features arts and crafts, face painting, games, and educational programs from Maryland State Parks’ pollinator program. There’s also a little fiddle workshop for young musicians. Games happen throughout the festival grounds, from the beach to the VIP area.

Gates open at 10 AM both days, and organizers strongly recommend arriving early to secure good spots. The festival offers shuttle service from partner hotels and the Harry S. Truman Park & Ride on Riva Road for DC-area attendees who want to avoid parking hassles. Veterans and active-duty military personnel don’t have to pay the state park entry fee, just show ID at the gate. The festival also donates tickets to Fort Meade and the Naval Academy each year.

VIP tickets include backstage access, catered meals, a commemorative steel cup, a poster, an oyster tasting, and preferred viewing areas. According to Peremel, VIP typically sells out, so interested attendees shouldn’t wait too long to purchase.

What sets Baygrass apart is its year-round commitment to its causes. The festival serves as a platform for ongoing conservation and mental health advocacy, building relationships with attendees that extend far beyond the weekend event.

“We designed the festival as a cause-focused festival,” Peremel says. “We do this all year round, this is our job is to create this opportunity, this platform, take this platform and use it to communicate these causes all year round.”

Way shares a story that illustrates the festival’s impact: “I remember one lady from the first year, she grabbed a pamphlet, and then the next time I saw her at another event, she was grateful for Baygrass, for having NAMI there, because that pamphlet changed her daughter’s life and her life.” Way said, “In a world where the pace never seems to slow, recognizing the simple truth that ‘Fun Sure Is Fun’ becomes an anthem for our mental well-being. It’s a reminder that amidst the complexities of life, embracing moments of joy isn’t just about indulgence—it’s about nurturing our mental health. We can tap into a boundless well of joy through the universal language of music because “Every Jam Helps a Mind.”

For music fans seeking more than just entertainment, Baygrass offers a chance to be part of something meaningful while enjoying world-class performances in one of Maryland’s most beautiful settings. As the organizers like to say, “Every Jam Saves the Bay.”

Tickets and more information are available at baygrassfestival.com.