Lee County Alabama Opelika Songwriters Festival
On a spring weekend, the storefronts, pubs, and coffee shops of historic downtown Opelika become listening rooms, and the songwriters themselves are close enough to touch. The Opelika Songwriters Festival is an intimate, multi-day event that brings more than 40 singer-songwriters from across the country to play over 80 shows in seven walkable venues, all within a few blocks of one another.
Lee County sits in east-central Alabama, and Opelika is its county seat and railroad heart. That setting is part of the festival’s charm: instead of a single large stage, the music happens in small rooms where the audience sits near the performer and hears the stories behind the songs. It is a festival for people who care about the craft of songwriting as much as the performance.
Founded in 2019, the festival has grown into one of the region’s signature cultural events, drawing dedicated music fans from across the Southeast. Its model, many artists, many small venues, one downtown, has earned it a reputation as a festival unlike any other.
| Festival name | Opelika Songwriters Festival |
| Location | Historic downtown Opelika, Lee County, Alabama |
| Typical timing | Spring (often March or April) |
| Format | Multi-day festival with 80+ shows across seven venues |
| Artists | 40+ singer-songwriters from around the country |
| Admission | Ticketed; multi-day and single-day options |
| Founders | Rob and Jen Slocumb of the duo Martha’s Trouble |
| Signature features | Intimate listening rooms, walkable venues, songwriters’ rounds |
About the Opelika Songwriters Festival
The festival is built on intimacy. Rather than gathering everyone in one arena, it spreads performances across restaurants, coffee shops, a distillery, pubs, and galleries in historic downtown Opelika. Each venue becomes a curated listening room, and because the rooms are small, audiences get an up-close experience that large festivals cannot offer.
Over a long weekend, more than 40 songwriters play more than 80 shows. The schedule spans a Thursday kickoff, a full Friday evening, a packed Saturday with a main stage and evening shows, and a Sunday brunch that winds the festival down. Artists travel from across the country, and many play in several venues over the weekend.
The festival is produced by The Sound Wall Music Initiative and co-produced with an Atlanta artist-management firm that also books a well-known songwriters festival in Florida. That partnership gives the Opelika event national reach while keeping its heart in a small Southern railroad town. Readers who want a sense of the county’s broader festival culture can start with the Lee County Alabama Oysterfest Festival, which brings a different kind of winter gathering to the same area.
How the Festival Began
The festival was founded in 2019 by Rob and Jen Slocumb, the husband-and-wife duo behind the band Martha’s Trouble, who had moved to Opelika and wanted to build something around the songwriting they loved. Their idea was simple: bring world-class songwriters to a small town and let audiences hear them in rooms where the music could breathe.
The concept caught on. Since its first year, the festival has brought more than 90 artists to Opelika stages, and its lineup announcements have become a fall tradition for fans. Each edition has widened the venue list and deepened the programming, and the event now anchors a spring weekend in the city’s cultural calendar.
- Founded in 2019 by Rob and Jen Slocumb
- Grew from a local idea into a regional destination
- Has brought more than 90 artists to Opelika stages
- Expanded to more than 80 shows per festival
- Continues as an annual spring event
Lee County’s Songwriter Tradition
Lee County’s musical roots run deep. The Auburn-Opelika area sits near the Shoals and the broader Southern music corridor, and its college-town energy has long attracted performers and writers. The festival draws on that tradition by putting songwriting, rather than stardom, at the center of the experience.
Opelika’s own story adds to the atmosphere. The city grew up around the railroad, and its downtown still holds the commercial buildings of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Turning those storefronts and gathering places into music venues connects the festival to the town’s history in a way a purpose-built amphitheater never could.
What to Expect at the Festival
Intimate listening rooms
The heart of the festival is its listening rooms. Venues range from a coffee shop that holds a few dozen people to a distillery and a restored bottling plant that can seat a few hundred. Because the rooms are small, the audience hears every lyric, and the performers often talk between songs about how the material came together.
A schedule built for discovery
The weekend unfolds in phases. Thursday opens with a kickoff dinner, Friday runs late into the evening, and Saturday pairs a midday main stage with evening shows that continue past midnight. Sunday slows down with brunch and music until mid-afternoon, giving the weekend a relaxed finish.
Genres and performers
The lineup leans toward Americana, folk, country, and roots music, but it is not confined to a single style. Past headliners have included nationally known acts, and the roster always mixes established names with emerging writers. Many shows are structured as songwriters’ rounds, where several artists trade songs and stories on the same stage.
Walkable venues
Because every venue sits within walking distance of the others, attendees move easily from one show to the next. That walkability is central to the experience: guests can sample a set at a pub, walk a block to a gallery, and catch another artist without ever moving a car.
Planning Your Visit
Getting to Opelika
Opelika is reached by Interstate 85 and U.S. Highways 280 and 431, roughly midway between Montgomery and Atlanta. Downtown is compact and walkable, so once you park, you can leave the car for the weekend and move between venues on foot.
Where to stay
The festival’s official hotel is a resort and spa on the Robert Trent Jones golf trail at Grand National, with pools, tennis and pickleball courts, and an award-winning spa. Staying there lets guests relax between sets and stay where many of the artists stay. Downtown inns and interstate hotels offer additional options.
Tickets and logistics
The festival is ticketed, with multi-day passes and single-day options. Some venues fill quickly, and a few rooms reach capacity during popular sets, so it helps to plan a loose schedule and arrive early for the artists you most want to see. Lineups are announced in the fall ahead of the spring festival.
A Festival Weekend
A full weekend gives attendees time to settle into the rhythm of the festival. Thursday evening’s kickoff dinner is a chance to ease in, with food and an early set. Friday is the first deep dive, with music running from late afternoon until well past midnight across the downtown rooms.
Saturday is the busiest day. Music begins in the morning, the main stage runs through the afternoon, and evening shows carry on into the night. Attendees often map out a route through two or three venues, catching part of one set before walking to the next.
Sunday is gentler. Brunch and music start mid-morning and continue until late afternoon, closing the weekend on a relaxed note. Many guests use the final hours to revisit a favorite artist or discover one they missed earlier in the weekend.
How It Compares to Nearby Events
Lee County hosts several annual festivals, and each one has a distinct identity. The table below places the Songwriters Festival alongside a few others in the area.
| Festival | Focus | Typical season |
| Opelika Songwriters Festival | Original songwriters in intimate downtown venues | Spring |
| Opelika Book Festival | Authors, workshops, and a local author fair | Late February |
| Oysterfest | Gulf oysters, live music, and games | January |
| Lee County Water Festival | Water science for fourth-graders | May |
A Festival Checklist
- Buy a multi-day pass if you want the full experience
- Check the schedule and map a walking route between venues
- Arrive early for popular sets, as some rooms reach capacity
- Wear comfortable shoes for walking between downtown venues
- Book lodging early, especially at the festival hotel
Beyond the Festival
Opelika rewards time between sets. The downtown core along Railroad Avenue is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its restored storefronts now hold shops, galleries, bakeries, and several breweries. The city’s murals, including the “Greetings from Opelika” wall, make easy stops on a walk between venues.
Nearby, Auburn University and the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art add a campus-and-culture dimension, while Chewacla State Park offers trails and a lake south of Auburn. The festival’s spring timing means the weather is usually pleasant for exploring on foot between shows.
Why the Festival Matters
The Opelika Songwriters Festival matters because it puts the writer, not just the performer, at the center of the experience. In an era of large, loud festivals, its small listening rooms give audiences a rare chance to hear how songs are made and to talk with the people who make them.
It also brings real benefits to the city. The festival fills downtown venues, supports local restaurants and shops, and draws visitors from across the Southeast who might otherwise never stop in Opelika. For a small railroad town, hosting a nationally regarded music event is a point of pride and a boost to the local economy.
Festival Area Map
The festival takes place across seven walkable venues in historic downtown Opelika, in Lee County, Alabama, a short drive from the Interstate 85 corridor and the city’s Railroad Avenue district.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many artists and shows are there?
Each festival features more than 40 singer-songwriters who perform over 80 shows across seven venues in downtown Opelika. Many artists play multiple sets over the weekend, so there is plenty of opportunity to see a favorite more than once.
When is the festival held?
It is held in the spring, often in March or April. The festival spans a Thursday through Sunday, with a kickoff dinner, full days of music, and a Sunday brunch. The exact dates are announced each year.
Where does the music take place?
Performances happen in seven venues across historic downtown Opelika, including restaurants, coffee shops, a distillery, pubs, and galleries. All of the venues are within walking distance of one another.
Do I need tickets in advance?
Tickets are required, and multi-day passes are available alongside single-day options. Because some venues are small and reach capacity during popular sets, buying early and planning your route is a good idea.
What kind of music will I hear?
The lineup leans toward Americana, folk, country, and roots music, with a mix of established and emerging writers. Many sets are songwriters’ rounds, where artists take turns playing and telling the stories behind their songs.
Is the festival good for out-of-town visitors?
Yes. The festival has an official resort hotel with a spa and golf, and downtown is compact and walkable, so visitors can park once and enjoy the weekend on foot. Lineups are announced in the fall, giving travelers time to plan.
What to Expect From the Next Songwriters Festival
The festival has been held every year since 2019 and continues to grow, with each edition adding artists and refining its venue lineup. Organizers announce the following year’s dates and roster in the fall.
How often is the Opelika Songwriters Festival held?
It is held annually, once each spring, spanning a Thursday through Sunday.
When is the next Opelika Songwriters Festival?
The next edition is expected the following spring, following the pattern of recent years. The exact dates and the artist lineup are announced in the fall before the festival.
Will the venues change?
The venue list can shift from year to year as new downtown spaces join the festival, but the walkable, downtown format has stayed consistent. Check the festival’s schedule for the current lineup of venues.
Last updated: October 2026
The Opelika Songwriters Festival turns a small Alabama downtown into a weekend of intimate music, with the people who write the songs close enough to hear. By trading big stages for listening rooms and cars for sidewalks, it gives music fans an experience that larger festivals simply cannot match. For anyone who loves a good song and a good story, it is a spring weekend worth planning around.
