Hubie Ashcraft Band is headlining act for the 15th “Homegrown Art & Music Festival,” which takes place Aug. 8 at Oaklawn Park in Sturgis.
Hubie Ashcraft, of Fort Wayne, Ind., is a singer-songwriter-guitarist known for performing a mix of country, rock ’n’ roll, Americana and pop.
In addition to Ashcraft, the group comprises Missy Burgess (bass, vocals), Travis Gow (fiddle, vocals), Derrick Dunn (piano, vocals), Seve Sullivan-Doyle (drums, vocals) and Logan Weber (saxophone, steel guitar).
The band formed in 2014 and each member brings a unique personality and style to the overall experience, Ashcraft said.
“Homegrown” originated in 2011, conceived by Eric Wynes and Scott Swihart. The festival has been held annually with the exception of 2020, when it was canceled due to the pandemic.
Wynes and Swihart continue as co-organizers, along with Steve Klingler and Tony Percival.
Wynes has known Ashcraft since before Homegrown “was even a thought,” Wynes told Sturgis Sentinel for a preview in the July 31 edition. Invitations to appear at Homegrown have been extended previously, but Ashcraft’s schedule didn’t mesh.
Ashcraft, who considers Wynes “a long-time friend,” said he’s glad the timeline clicked for ’26.
“We made it a point this year to clear our schedule for Homegrown Festival,” Ashcraft said. “We play nearly 200 dates a year and just returned from two nights in Nashville, Tennessee, at John Rich’s Redneck Riviera.”
Ashcraft said he appreciates how Homegrown gives local artists and musicians a place to showcase their talent.
“I enjoy the outdoor aspect of this festival,” he said. “There’s nothing better than an outdoor concert in the summer with your friends.”
Show attendees can expect country, rock and original music.
“Expect to hear Bob Seger, Ella Langley, Alabama, Charlie Daniels, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and more,” Ashcraft said.
The band recently released a full-length album of Ashcraft originals, recorded at Sweetwater Studios in Fort Wayne.
“There’s nothing more exciting as an artist than seeing people at the live shows singing the songs you have written,” Ashcraft said. “Music is the universal language.”
Ashcraft started playing guitar when he was 12. At age 15, he saw Bruce Springsteen perform live in Indianapolis. At that point, he knew he wanted to pursue music as a career.
Additional influences are Merle Haggard, Vince Gill, Van Morrison, Tom Petty, John Mellencamp and Willie Nelson.
He has shared the stage with the stage with several national recording artists including Luke Bryan, Frankie Ballard, The Band Perry, Kix Brooks, Trace Adkins, Kellie Pickler and Randy Travis.
Ashcraft says opening for George Jones (1931-2013) has been a career highlight. He considers Jones “the greatest voice to ever sing country music.”
“I’m drawn to artists who evoke emotion and sing from the heart, these are usually singer/songwriters,” Ashcraft said.
Ashcraft and the band look forward to the Sturgis spotlight.
“Music truly is the most powerful medicine on the planet and I’m very blessed to make music with friends and the opportunity to share it with others. Hope to see everyone at Homegrown!”
Festival details
Lineup and set schedule: Presentation of colors (Sturgis VFW Post 1355), Taps (Alan Carter) and national anthem (Isaac Harper), noon; Abyssal Zone, 12:05-12:35 p.m.; Snoshu, 1-2:15 p.m.; Drivin’ Blind, 2:30-3:45 p.m.; Off Topic, 4-5:15 p.m.; Phins Up, 5:30-7:30 p.m.; The Hubie Ashcraft Band, 8-10 p.m.; Isaac Harper and Friends will perform between main stage acts.
Additional highlights: Arts and crafts vendors; beer garden; concessions provided by United Way; and kid zone (hosted by Sturgis Academy of Martial Arts).
Sturgis High School all class reunion: The class of 1980 has won seven of 11 times since the competition began.
Organizing a tradition
As the festival date approached, Wynes answered some questions from Sturgis Sentinel
Sturgis Sentinel: It’s the 15th year for Homegrown. When it originated, would you have expected it to endure for this long?
Eric Wynes: We called it “the first annual” when we started to give the impression that it would carry on but we honestly didn’t know if it would. As we were packing up at the end of that first one, the late Gene “Mr. Sturgis” Curnow approached us and said, “You boys have started a legacy … keep it going.” So with that, I guess we knew we couldn’t and wouldn’t stop. There has been so much community support since the beginning it has kept us motivated to keep it going.
SS: In the view of co-organizers, what are some reasons the festival has endured?
Wynes: I would say that it is because the attendance and excitement grows more and more every year, so we keep doing it and trying to keep it fresh and make it better. I think it grows because people enjoy being entertained in person and seeing family and friends in a fun, free setting. Music and the arts have a way of bringing people together. It’s also one of Phins Ups’ favorite shows of the year.
SS: Homegrown’s basic structure has been consistent. Are there notable details that have changed since the first few years, and others that have stayed mostly intact? In what ways has it evolved?
Wynes: The structure of the day has remained fairly consistent over the years. The goal has always been to keep the live music going for 10 hours straight between the main stage and the tent stage. And keep it interactive with the arts and crafts on the rink. Kiwanis Club of Sturgis has been with us since the beginning to provide the beer garden. United Way has also been with us for a long time now providing food. Those two partnerships have been essential. The “kid zone” was pretty weak in the early days, with Scott and I doing what we could while running the show and playing in Phins Up. That area greatly improved when, for a time, Radiant Life and in recent years (including this year) Sturgis Academy of Martial Arts stepped up and have made that area legit with bounce houses and lots for kids to do.
SS: Of the six bands featured on the main stage for Homegrown 15, five are first-timers. Was there a plan to get first-time acts, or did it just unfold that way?
Wynes: We try our best to keep it fresh, but that is difficult with so many bands wanting to return and fan favorites. But new bands also mean exposing a new group of people to our festival which is the goal.
SS: Is it exciting to have a lot of fresh acts?
Wynes: Very, especially as an organizer, if we haven’t really heard them before or seen them perform. There have been a few times when we set them up and crossed our fingers. We usually try to scout new acts before offering them a slot. It’s not always possible, and it’s live music. It’s not supposed to be perfect.
SS: Which groups have performed the most times at Homegrown, other than Phins?
Wynes: 16th Avenue Band might be second. The band performing this year as Shoshu has had intertwining members under the name After Midnight and, originally, Violet Native. There have been a great number of bands/individuals that have played two or three times.
SS: Reflecting on 2025’s event, a major attraction was the return of SonaKofa. How was that received?
Wynes: Very well. It had been a long time since those guys played together, but there were still a lot of people around that remembered them and called for them. It was impressive to see the guys set their sights on the date and get show ready after a long time apart. You could really see the joy and enthusiasm in each of them when it was finally show time after all those years.
SS: What is the most challenging aspect of organizing the event each year, and what is most enjoyable?
Wynes: Keeping it on schedule is definitely the most stressful part. We don’t allow for much time between bands and moving one off, one on, sound check and go takes a lot of team work by the bands and the crews. For me, the most enjoyable (not counting the time we get to play) is standing back stage and seeing the backs of the bands and the smiling/dancing crowd. I think of Mr. Curnow, Kevin Gillette (who passed in 2021), others we’ve lost and all that show up every year to make it what it is. I’m proud of that.
SS: Are there specific years that stand out as “memorably successful”?
Wynes: The years kind of run together in my mind at this point, but definitely some performances and performers that do. Sammie Melchi played for the first time at Homegrown in 2016. He was 14 and the lead guitarist in has Dad’s Backroads Blues Band. He was phenomenal. He even played the national anthem to start the day. He returned a few times over the years in different variations of that band. Of course, having Davy Knowles and The Verve Pipe was special.
SS: The all-class reunion remains steady. Has that continued due to attendance, feedback from alumni, or maybe both? Class of 1980 has won the “competition” a lot, is it just a tighter unit, or more of them live closer to the area or have family/friends?
Wynes: Scott Swihart gets all the credit for this idea. It’s a lot of fun and adds some friendly competition to the day. I think it has helped grow the festival into what it is today, a place and time where people know they can come out, have some fun and enjoy some people they might not see much anymore. The day has really become a community reunion and that’s pretty cool.
