On October 17, Country-Soul singer-songwriter Drake White will welcome fans to the first-ever Loblolly Fest — a homegrown festival with a heavy dose of Southern hospitality. Taking over The Bluff Amphitheater in his hometown of Hokes Bluff, AL, Loblolly Fest will feature performances from White, Southern Rock legends The Marshall Tucker Band, Country powerhouse Randy Houser, boundary-pushing Country singer/songwriter Kassi Ashton, and more. All tickets are on sale now; visit loblollyfest.com for more information.
Bringing together the sounds and traditions that shaped him, Loblolly Fest takes place on a piece of land with deep ties to White’s childhood. Raised in a home just behind what is now The Bluff Amphitheater, he first stumbled across the property while exploring the woods as a kid. Today, he’s a co-owner of the newly revived venue with dreams of transforming it into a destination centered on music, community, and connection.
“I grew up in the shadows of Muscle Shoals, ’90s Country, and the music that played in my mama’s beauty shop. That music has always been in my soul, and, miraculously, in my backyard,” says White. “After spending years in the music business, I realized that if there wasn’t a festival that felt like home to me, I wanted to build one. So my team and I decided to make our own.”
Named for the loblolly pines that blanket the Appalachian foothills of Northeast Alabama, Loblolly Fest is built to channel the easygoing atmosphere of a fall weekend in the South. Adding another layer to that experience, the festival will feature The Grove — an all-new outdoor sports-bar area where TVs will play that day’s college football games all throughout the afternoon and evening.
“Loblolly Fest is bonfires, bourbon, flannel, cold beer, dancing, and good music. But more than anything, it’s community,” says White. “I want Loblolly to have that wide-open, come-as-you-are spirit: no judgment, everybody’s welcome. If you love music, love people, and want to have a damn good time, come on. We’re building something here that we hope becomes a tradition — a place where we can come back year after year, and make memories worth repeating.”
That sense of community extends to a cause profoundly personal to White, with a portion of proceeds from Loblolly Fest supporting The Benefit For The Brain: a nonprofit he founded to raise funds and awareness for charitable organizations devoted to mental and brain health. Four years after suffering an onstage stroke that led to his diagnosis with arteriovenous malformation (AVM), White presented the inaugural “Benefit For The Brain” — a 2023 concert that sold out the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville and raised over $250,000, with a top-tier lineup including Riley Green, Randy Houser, Jamey Johnson, and Colbie Caillat.
Fiercely committed to advancing the conversation around mental and brain health, White will host the third installment of “Benefit For The Brain” on November 16, once again bringing the highly celebrated charity concert to the Ryman. With the full lineup to be announced soon, all proceeds will be distributed to select organizations working across three areas particularly meaningful to White: mental wellness for military members and veterans (especially those affected by PTSD), brain health in children and adolescents, and innovative approaches to stroke recovery and neurological treatment. For more information, visit benefitforthebrain.com.
