Billy Strings Hosts Ionia Freak Fair in Hometown

Billy Strings is coming home for two shows at the Ionia County Fairgrounds with his own two-day festival called the “Ionia Freak Fair.”

Grammy Award Winning Billy Strings

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Billy Strings was born William Lee Apostol on October 3, 1992, in Lansing, Michigan. Strings spent his childhood in Morehead, Kentucky, and Ionia, Michigan. He has grown into a guitarist, singer, songwriter, and one of the biggest bluegrass musicians in the world.

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Strings has gone on to win three Grammy's for Best Bluegrass Album of the Year. His first was in 2021 for his album Home, his second was for the album Live Vol 1 in 2025, and his latest for his album Highway Prayers in 2026.

Stings has been selling out arenas across the country including two shows at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids in 2025. His current tour in 2026 is nearly sold out and now two big shows will be coming to his hometown of Ionia.

Get Ready: Billy Strings' Freak Fair in Ionia

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Billy Strings is bringing his Ionia Freak Fair to the Ionia County Fairgrounds on August 28, and 29. Strings has put together a two-day festival and he has invited several of his friends bands to perform. Many of the bands are from Michigan.

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Joining Strings for the Ionia Freak Fair are Greensky Bluegrass, Sierra Hull, Leftover Salmon, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Lindsay Lou and Full Cord in addition to a Pyramid Scheme Pinball & Metal Tent.

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Tickets for the Ionia Freak Fair are on sale now. There is also camping available. For tickets and all information click here.

979 GRDs Tommy Carroll had a great conversation with Billy Strings about the Ionia Freak Fair. Plus, the two cover a lot of Strings career, artists he's performed with and his passion for bringing these two shows to his hometown of Ionia. Both parts of the interview are below:

Part 1

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Part 2 👇BELOW: Top 10 Billy Strings Songs👇

Top 10 Billy Strings Songs

Billy Strings is one of those once-in-a-generation artists who revitalize their genre with the scope of their talent and original perspective.

While to some, it may have seemed like Strings appeared on the bluegrass scene suddenly, his connection to the genre was far from new. Strings began playing guitar at five years old, thanks to the influence of his father, Terry Barber. Strings learned the bluegrass songs that were the soundtrack to his rowdy family's life, along with metal and classic rock favorites.

Born and raised in a small town in Michigan, Strings' childhood was marked by difficult losses and hard times as his parents struggled with meth addiction. As a young adult, Strings dealt with his own addiction issues but was later able to find sobriety.

He eventually left home and found his way to Nashville, where he gained his first exposure playing with mandolin player Don Julin. After four years with Julin, Strings went solo. Critical acclaim quickly followed.

From 2016 to 2022, Strings released one EP and four albums. Two of his records, 2019's Home and 2021's Renewal, have been nominated for Grammy Awards, with Home earning the top prize. He has also won an Americana Music Award and numerous International Bluegrass Music Awards, among other significant accolades.

At the young age of 30, Strings has created a remarkable legacy, and we can't wait to see where he goes from here.