Bob Childers’ Gypsy Café, Oklahoma’s largest homegrown songwriter festival, announces the 2025 lineup for Sunday, May 4th in Stillwater, Okla. Seventy Oklahoma songwriters will play acoustic song swap sets on stages at four local music venues, starting with Bluegrass Brunch by rising talent, Johnny Mullenax Band, at noon. The main festival grounds and venues open starting at 12:30pm with a lineup that includes festival staples like John Fullbright, Carter Sampson, Red Dirt Rangers and Mike Hosty, while adding 15 new voices as well as the winner of the Jimmy LaFave Songwriting Contest. The festival benefits Red Dirt Relief Fund, the nonprofit that provided aid to more than half the artists in the lineup during the pandemic, and more than $950,000 in emergency financial assistance to music professionals in all genres statewide since 2012.
The Lineup
This year’s lineup includes additional songwriters hailing from across Oklahoma: Aaron Gibson, Amber Watson, Anya Jackson, Ben Brock, Ben McKenzie, Bo Phillips, Brad James, Brandon Clark, Brandon Jackson, Bryon White, Buffalo Rogers, Cale Lester, Caroline Grace, Cassie Latshaw, Chris Bo Jones, Chuck Dunlap, Cody Brewer, Colton Blake, Connor Harris, Dan Martin, Dustin Perkins, Dylan Moss, Dylan Stewart, Emily Hollingshed, Gib Stones, Greg Jacobs, Gus Burns, Hoss Miller, Jacob Tovar, Jake Marlin, Jared Tyler, Jayson Starkey, Jim Bachmann, John Ferrell, John Tyler Perry, Joleen Brown, JRod Wald, Justin Bloss, Kalyn Fay, Kayla Ray, Kierston White, Tequila Kim Reynolds, Krislyn Arthurs, Kyle Ross, Monica Taylor, Noah Bowman, Randy Crouch, Rick Reiley, RR Williams, Scott Evans, Slaid Cross, Steve Hamby, Travis Fite, Travis Kidd, Zac Wenzel and more. The full schedule with artist sets by stage will be released in late April.
Festival Highlights
To kick off the festival, Tulsa-based Johnny Mullenax will bring his famed Bluegrass Brunch show to the Strip’s newest live music venue, The Dirty Rooster. Presented by Cove Environmental, brunch includes general admission to the festival, buffet from Bad Brad’s BBQ and two drink tickets. Mullenax signed with Crossover Touring late last year and is billed on festivals nationwide in 2025. Claiming wide-ranging influences from AC/DC and The Ramones to John Coltrane and Parliament, Mullenax’s style is reminiscent of Billy Strings — a sound he calls a funky country bluegrass good time for working folks. Brunch tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance.
Grand Casino Main Stage at Eskimo Joe’s will include the presentation and performance by the 2025 Jimmy LaFave Song Contest winner, presentation of the Restless Spirit Award in memory of Don Morris, a live auction of a Gypsy Cafe guitar signed by the entire lineup, as well as a hand-painted guitar depicting Morris by local artist, Nathan McCray. The day will end with an all-lineup family jam finale as the sun goes down. Fans can also shop festival merchandise, regional vendors and a silent auction of one-of-a-kind music experiences and memorabilia.
The festival will provide a free shuttle running a loop around the general admission venues from noon-7pm.
Venues include:
- Eskimo Joe’s Main Stage (all ages, outdoor weather permitting, 501 W. Elm St.)
- Dirty Rooster (21+, 319 S. Washington St.)
- Salty Bronc (21+, 911 W. 5th Ave.)
- George’s Stables (21+, 502 W. Elm St.)
General Admission tickets good for entry to all festival venues are $35 advance, $40 day-of and $30 for students with ID. Reserved seating add-ons and a limited number of brunch tickets range from $60-$150. Tickets and more info at https://www.reddirtrelieffund.org/gypsycafe/.
The Cause
Red Dirt Relief Fund was founded in 2012 using the ticket proceeds of the very first Gypsy Café festival held in Stillwater in 2011. Since then, the nonprofit has granted more than $950,000 in emergency assistance to more than 800 music professionals in all genres and jobs statewide, including more than $300,000 to those facing venue closings and gig cancellations during the pandemic. This aid helps music people pay personal bills and expenses while they recover from medical conditions, accidents, mental health and rehabilitation and other unavoidable emergencies. The organization also connects Oklahoma music creators to affordable health insurance and other health and wellness services.
Now in its fourteenth year, Bob Childers’ Gypsy Café is the organization’s largest annual fundraiser thanks to support from sponsors Grand Casino, Cove Environmental, Oklahoma Film + Music Office, Tito’s, Pope Distributing, Cardinal Rule Insurance, Home2Suites, Kicker, Visit Stillwater, KOSU, Peak Pest Control, Rockin’ A Ranch and other community partners.
For more information, visit reddirtrelieffund.org or contact Katie Dale at reddirtrelieffund@gmail.com.
