Hardywood West Creek Hosts Live Music and Weekend Programming in Goochland

Five bluegrass acts, seven hours of live music, and free admission are coming to Hardywood West Creek on Saturday, May 23, as the brewery's annual Ode to Bluegrass Festival returns to its 24-acre campus along Tuckahoe Creek in Goochland County.

The brewery is billing it as a return to form: "Get ready to hear that 'twang' up and down Tuckahoe!" reads Hardywood's announcement, with music running from 2 to 9 pm and food trucks on site.

The lineup moves through five sets: Sheep and Goats from 2:30 to 3:30, Andrew Alli and Josh Small from 3:45 to 4:45, Hot Seats from 5:00 to 6:00, The Blue Ridge Girls from 6:15 to 7:15, and Dirty Grass Players closing out from 7:45 to 9:00.

The festival isn't the only live-music programming at Hardywood West Creek this spring. The Explore Goochland tourism calendar listed live music and weekend programming at the venue the weekend of March 21 and 22, and the brewery's broader schedule includes acts such as 64 Crayons, described as an acoustic band known for "their wall of vocals, fresh arrangements of classic rock and blue-eyed soul," as well as Richmond-based singer-songwriter Josh Lief, who has released two albums recorded at Montrose Recording in Richmond.

Separate from the bluegrass festival, Hardywood's annual egg hunt is also on the spring calendar. Tickets are on sale now, with check-in beginning at 11:30 am and the hunt kicking off at noon. The event pairs family programming with a charitable component: all egg hunt ticket proceeds benefit the Autism Society of Central Virginia. Music that day runs from CB&J, a duo playing rock, country, and pop, from 1 to 4 pm, followed by Colin and Caroline from 6 to 9 pm. Food from the Hardywood Snack Bar and Eats, Crumbl Cookie, and additional vendors will also be available. Tickets for the egg hunt are required only for the egg hunt portion of the day, with pricing divided by age group.

For the Ode to Bluegrass Festival, anyone driving to 820 Sanctuary Trail Drive should plan ahead. Hardywood anticipates a large turnout and notes that the overflow parking lot across from the West Creek facility is no longer available; the brewery is encouraging guests to use Uber, Lyft, or carpooling instead.

The West Creek campus sits on a 24-acre plot along Tuckahoe Creek, with a natural amphitheater and grassy lawn well suited for the kind of all-day outdoor festival the Ode to Bluegrass has become. Admission to the May 23 festival is free.