“The Ozark Holler Hootenanny was the time Jude Brothers, Dylan Earl and Willi Carlisle came together to perform at Black Deer Festival 2022. All three were terrific and clearly having a ball, as were the audience members who were being richly rewarded for having eschewed the larger areas of the festival in favour of something fun… an absolute riot of fun, in fact, and some damned fine music. A brilliant way to end the first day and a genuine festival highlight…”
– Americana UK
 
Black Deer Festival and Visit Arkansas joined forces in 2022 to bring The Natural State to England’s oldest deer park. To say the partnership was a hit with festival goers would be an understatement, as reviews from punters and the media alike were overwhelming in their praise of The Arkansas Porch Sessions and The Ozark Holler Hootenanny. “The music of Arkansas is synonymous with the music of America,” declared Holler Country in their review of the third edition of Black Deer. “Festival goers experienced a taste of Arkansas at this year’s Black Deer, as they offered up the authentic Americana of The Natural State with Willi Carlisle, Dylan Earl and Jude Brothers.”

 
 
It’s not just the music that makes Arkansas and Black Deer perfect partners. The spirit and aesthetic of both runs parallel and Arkansas artists, such as Willi Carlisle, are starting to think of our Americana playground as home away from home. “While I wasn’t born in Arkansas, I’ve been proud to call Arkansas home for the last 12 years or so,” reveals Carlisle. “There’s something about the place that makes me a perpetual visitor. I’m always listening closely, hearing the marvellous stories and histories the place has hidden away.”
 

 
 
We’re proud to announce that Visit Arkansas, The Arkansas Porch Sessions and the Ozark Holler Hootenanny will all be back at Black Deer for 2023… so get ready for more dancing, more stories and more great music back in the deer park.
 
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