A number of concerts in the Innovation Quarter are becoming household names. If you’ve lived in the city for any length of time, you’ve probably attended–or at least heard of–Phuzz Phest, Gears & Guitars, Coal Pit Live, and SummerLark.
These concerts cross genres and appeal to a variety of different kinds of concert-goers, from nostalgic grunge bands to the latest experimental acts blazing new paths in the music scene. This year, local bands, regional favorites, and globally-recognized talent are converging to take part in a collection of up-and-coming concerts in the Innovation Quarter.
The growth in Winston-Salem’s music scene signals a reenergizing of the city, a push toward togetherness, and none of it would happen without the work of local creatives orchestrating these events.
Philip Pledger, (R)evolution of Phuzz Phest
For years, Phuzz Phest brought an eclectic combination of local, regional, and national bands to concert venues in downtown Winston-Salem. After a ten year hiatus, Phuzz Phest made a return to Winston-Salem in 2026, under the direction of original founder, Philip Pledger.
Pledger started organizing concerts years ago when he was a barista at Krankies. In 2011, he founded Phuzz Phest somewhat by accident.
Pledger and Anthony Petrovic, Pledger’s friend and fellow show promoter, were booking shows for places like Krankies, The Garage, and Reanimator Records. When they realized they had booked four shows back-to-back on a single weekend, they decided to market the shows as a single festival. Crowds poured in for that happenstance festival, and the momentum made Phuzz Phest an annual occurrence.
“By the third or fourth installation of Phuzz Phest, I remember seeing tons of strangers having a blast. We realized we had reached well beyond friends and family and tapped into an energy beyond just our circles,” Pledger says.
Pledger has always been heavily plugged into the Winston-Salem community from his time at Krankies, to working at Airtype, a creative studio with locations in Winston-Salem and Portland, Oregon, to now working on marketing team at North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) Winston-Salem. His work history and creative drive keep him close to the cultural pulse of Winston-Salem, and he’s never short on ideas nor connections to keep the city’s concert scene moving.
To pull together Phuzz Phest, there’s a rotating door of logistics. From booking local to national bands, there is travel coordination, gear rentals, set up, tear down, and many other details that cannot slip through the cracks. Pledger attributes the success of Phuzz Phest to a strong team, general support from sponsors and community volunteers, and a healthy dose of elbow grease.
Pledger’s motivation to handle all that wrangling is community connection. According to Pledger, an active music scene is a barometer of a city’s health. A thriving city continually builds a cultural infrastructure that feeds into a city’s personality and reputation and, for Pledger, bringing back Phuzz Phest was a way to help Winston-Salem flourish.
“Relaunching the festival, especially after the isolation of the pandemic, we felt like it was time to draw people out of their regular routines and comfort zones again. We can’t call ourselves The City of Arts and Innovation without a strong music scene. We hope the festival can help build momentum,” Pledger says.
The Innovation Quarter has always played an integral role in Phuzz Phest, being the birthplace of the first festival and then growing alongside it. When the initial festival began, Bailey Park was nonexistent, and now it’s a prominent venue. Fair Witness, another venue for Phuzz Phest on the Krankies block, was new on the scene this year and hosted bands in their back room, a lowkey space for intimate sets. Krankies also made a comeback this year hosting a one-night-only party in the space above their cafe, harkening back to early concerts in Winston-Salem.
“It’s been amazing to witness the growth and momentum of the iQ. Yes, the festival looks different now than it did in 2011, but so does our community. We’re all evolving together,” Pledger says.
Ray Boden, Transforming a Musical Trifecta
Ray Boden is a driving force behind some of the premiere concerts in the Innovation Quarter, including Gears & Guitars, SummerLark, and Coalpit Live.
However, Boden got his start in sports management, overseeing everything from financial decisions to marketing placements for the Super Bowl. After his company was acquired by a conglomerate, Boden began splitting his time between sports marketing and musical endeavors like the Dave Matthews Band tour or Elton John’s Oscars party.
Ultimately, the Winston-Salem Open, an international tennis event, drew Boden to the city. There, he was approached by Rick Rauck, faculty at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and founder of Carolinas Pain Institute, to begin a cycling race, the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic.
Boden partnered with Rauk to manage the entertainment for the race, forming the music festival Gears & Guitars in 2013. This year’s competition and festival are especially meaningful for Boden as they’re being held in memoriam of Rauck after his passing in 2025.
“Over time, people have come to know the Cycling Classic and festival as only Gears & Guitars, and I think that speaks to the success of how this thing has progressed beyond what I thought it would be originally,” Boden says.
Bailey Park hosts the main stage for Gears & Guitars and provides a community concert that takes place during the race. Having live entertainment coexist alongside an active cycling race is rare and makes the Winston-Salem Cycling Classic a highly sought-after setting for cyclists.
SummerLark is Boden’s youngest project, and enters its fifth year in 2026. The event is hosted by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and benefits their Cancer Patient Support Program. This year, The Fray is headlining the SummerLark concert in the Innovation Quarter.
“When we had [The Fray] for Gears & Guitars a few years back, the crowd was so thick it was hard to even walk through the park. Ticket sales are already flying, and we anticipate a really good year,” Boden says.
While coordinating The Fray’s appearance at Gears & Guitars, Boden formed a friendship with the band and was able to approach them directly to headline SummerLark. Even Boden’s dog, Lotti, holds a tight knit bond with the band and attended one of their concerts as an honorary guest in 2026.
Coalpit Live is Boden’s more hands-on project, started alongside Brandon Branscome and John Bacon from Incendiary Brewing. Incendiary had been garnering large crowds for their annual anniversary parties, and the owners and Boden decided to activate the Coal Pit behind Bailey Power Plant with a summer concert series.
The trio oversees everything from booking bands to physically building the stage for each show. The summer series concludes each year with a widely-known band playing in Bailey Park celebrating Incendiary’s anniversary.
For Boden, prioritizing events that appeal to a larger part of the Winston-Salem community is at the forefront of his mind when he’s booking.
“My ROI is just seeing people have a good time at these events. Maybe it’s families being present with one another, strangers meeting for the first time, or a cute dog that I get to pet, but that sense of togetherness is what we’re after,” Boden says.
Katie Cranford, From House Hangs to Park Hangs
Katie Cranford has a favorite concert concept, and it’s finding a new home this year in Bailey Park.
Cranford, who is Curator of Music & Experiential Arts for NCMA Winston-Salem, holds an impressive track record in North Carolina’s music scene dating back to when she was a teenager. For eight years, she worked with the University of North Carolina Greensboro’s radio station, running a show dedicated to North Carolina-based musicians. She also honed her knowledge about the music scene as a culture writer for YES! Weekly.
“With my background, I’m always keeping my eye and ear out for curating talent. I’m going to shows constantly and writing frequent notes on what works well and what doesn’t,” Cranford says.
One of Cranford’s projects that she works on at NCMA Winston-Salem is House Hangs, a concert series that takes place on the James G. Hanes estate, the Winston-Salem location of the non-profit visual arts organization. House Hangs was developed coming out of the pandemic when the community was craving an opportunity to gather. The event proved that museums can function as a third space for the Winston-Salem community.
The NCMA Winston-Salem campus (formerly SECCA) is currently closed to the public as construction takes place to improve accessibility and usher in a new era of exciting art on the historic museum grounds. While the campus remains closed, NCMA Winston-Salem has relocated their galleries to a temporary home on Fourth Street.
Concerts like House Hangs, which is one of the museum’s most popular events, also needed a new Winston-Salem home. Cranford is eager to launch the concerts in the Innovation Quarter to gain more visibility.
“House Hangs has always been a laidback, choose-your-own-adventure style event that is a great way to end your week or jumpstart your weekend. Bailey Park seemed like the perfect match for that spirit,” Cranford says.
Cranford knows the difference between events that make guests feel seen and events that make them feel like a low priority. While there’s not a foolproof blueprint for planning an event that feels naturally hospitable, success is embedded into each part of the detailed process from concept until fruition.
“I want to program things that I would personally attend myself, and most of the time that hinges on good music, good art, and good people,” Cranford says.
Cranford spends a fair amount of time managing logistics and administrative efforts to execute each concert to create that feeling of hospitality. Whether she’s weeding through a jungle of emails or tacking event posters around town, Cranford takes a hands-on approach.
“With every step there are fifteen microsteps, so I do find myself herding cats quite often. Paying attention matters, because every detail weighs into the overall feel of the event,” Cranford says.
Park Hangs is built around flexibility, allowing guests to be casually social and enjoy the show at their own pace, wandering through the park, sipping beer from Incendiary Brewing, and meeting new people.
“Music is an approachable, universal language, and it touches something primal within allowing them to be present with themselves and others even amidst a world that is frenzied,” Cranford says.
Get More Information about Concerts in the Innovation Quarter
Whatever your musical preferences, one of these concert series probably has something to your taste. Don’t make it through the summer without attending at least one of the musical events in Winston-Salem.
For more information about these concerts in the Innovation Quarter and a full list of the events and happenings in the innovation district, browse the event calendar here.
