Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival welcomes you to bring your Lil’ Pilgrims this September 25 & 26, as the family-friendly two-day event returns for its seventh year at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin, TN.
Hosted by GRAMMY-nominated children’s musician Ralph Covert, the Lil’ Pilgrims Family Stage features a wide-range of for-the-kids talent including Covert's acclaimed Ralph's World, The Farmer & Adele, DRUMinSYNC, Tom Mason and the Blue Buccaneers, Michael Dardant aka “Magic Mike,” School of Rock Nashville, Lil’ Pilgrims Hootenanny, plus the Rocky Top Revue square dancers. Boasting dual stages in the Lil’ Pilgrims Village, the Mare Barn Theatre complements the main stage, showcasing fun-filled activities for all ages with music, magic, and puppet shows, plus yoga and martial arts classes. There’s also an arts and crafts section, as well as a face-painting booth on-site.
“Lil’ Pilgrims is the family-oriented oasis in the heart of the Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival,” shares Covert. “Warning – more than one parent has told us that they planned on a short visit and then stayed all day! It features two stages and a bustling array of activities for children of all ages. Honestly, with live music, yoga, magic, and pirates, what’s not to love?”
“Most festivals overlook this, but with a devoted kids stage, kid-centric artists and fun activities, Pilgrimage has been able to include an entire demographic of folks who won’t have to find a sitter,” raves The Tennessean. Offering a family experience like no other, School of Rock Nashville and the Country Music Hall of Fame will both present hands-on learning with musical instruments, while DRUMinSYNC leads drum circles and offers therapeutic rhythm exercises. Lil’ Pilgrims Passbooks are available on festival grounds for the young guests to track their adventures with stamps.
“I connected with Ralph Covert back in 2015 at another music festival, and I remember listening intently to a brilliant idea he had – how a kids village at a music festival would rock. That’s all I needed to hear,” recalls event co-producer W. Brandt Wood. "Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival committed in our first year to build an interactive area where a kid’s love of music is celebrated and families have a place to enjoy the event together. Meeting Ralph, and of course watching him perform, is transcendent for kids of all ages. He was nominated for a GRAMMY for his work and it’s obvious why – he connects in a soulful, fun way – and surrounds himself with artists who together make Lil’ Pilgrims a ‘must-see element of Pilgrimage.’ Now everyone wants to hang out at our Lil’ Pilgrims Village!"
There will be a private changing and nursing station located in the Lil’ Pilgrims Village for parents to utilize. Children 10 years old and under are FREE when accompanied by an adult GA ticket holder, and children 2 years old and under are admitted to VIP areas FREE when accompanied by an adult VIP ticket holder. Tier 2-priced two-day GA tickets are currently on sale for $209, and two-day VIP passes for $999. Available at PilgrimageFestival.com, a layaway plan option is offered as well, to lock in passes and spread the purchase across multiple payments.
Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival will serve up 50+ acts across five stages with Dave Matthews Band, The Black Keys, Maren Morris, and Cage The Elephant amping up as headliners. The celebration of art, culture, and diverse music donates a portion of every ticket sale to help members of the music community in need through its direct partnership with the Recording Academy’s nonprofit MusiCares, in addition to Friends of Franklin Parks for capital projects at The Park at Harlinsdale Farm. The 200-acre property will also support local favorites with a curated VIP Village – 70 booths stocked with handcrafted works, wares, and wearables; 35 local restaurants and cafes serving their most popular dishes; the Farm to Turntable Food Truck Park – 16 of the area’s best food trucks; and a Craft Beer Hall that’s complete with an array of libations like craft beers, local whiskeys, hard seltzers, specialty drinks, and frozen treats, plus games on the big screens.
Produced by Better Than Ezra frontman and Franklin resident Kevin Griffin, alongside Wood and Michael Whelan, Griffin is next set to host a Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival-themed Power Hour on Lightning 100 at 1 p.m. CT on July 14, with more appearances slated for August 18 and September 15. Tune in here, as he’ll give away a pair of tickets during each show.
