COVINGTON, Ky. (February 3, 2026) – Fans of bourbon and bluegrass are invited to attend the third-annual Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival, a five-day celebration of the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act, a bourbon purity law that passed in March of that year and was advocated for by Covington’s own John G. Carlisle, and was the first consumer protection act implemented in American History.
The New Riff Bonded Spirit COV Crawl
Tuesday, March 3 – Thursday, March 5
Music from 6 – 9 p.m.
Beginning on Tuesday, March 3, bars and taverns across Covington will be filled with music and serving Bottled-in-Bond cocktails from B-Line Distillery, New Riff Distilling. The three-day pub crawl will take place across the COV to celebrate Covington Bourbon Heritage Week, with a map of participating establishments available at BondedSpirit.com.
- Tuesday, March 3: Central Business District
o Festival opens at 4 p.m. with Ceremonial Barrel Tap at Wenzel Whiskey.
o From 5 to 7 p.m., the Happy Hour & History guided stroll will take place down Madison Avenue, telling the story of Covington’s bourbon roots.
o Participating Establishments: Braxton Brewing, Knowledge Bar and Social Room, Libby’s Southern Comfort, Revival Vintage Bottle Shop and Bar, Second Story, The Globe, The Hannaford, The Olde Towne Tavern, and The Well.
- Wednesday, March 4: On the River, including Roebling Point District and the riverfront.
o From 5 to 7 p.m., Happy Hour & History will highlight neighborhood displays celebrating Covington’s bourbon heritage.
o Participating Establishments: By Golly’s, Covington Yard, Molly Malone’s, Smoke Justis, The Gruff, and The Works Pizza Co.
- Thursday, March 5: Village of Mainstrasse
o Happy Hour & History from 5 to 7 p.m.
o Participating Establishments: Cock & Bull, Village Pub, Crafts & Vines, Up Over, The Standard, Gypsy’s, OKBB, Doubt It, Juniper’s, and Wise Guys.
The B-Line® Community Concert
Concert begins at 4 p.m.
On Friday, March 6, The B-Line®, Northern Kentucky’s self-guided bourbon experience, is hosting a concert inside the Republic Bank Rickhaus, a heated tent built on Court Street for the festival and frames the John A. Roebling Bridge in the background. Free tickets for Friday’s concert will be available in limited quantities at specific B-Line stops in the days prior to the concert. Fans can visit thebline.com to find their sipping point. Those who have purchased tickets to Saturday night’s main lineup will gain free access to the Republic Bank Rickhaus for Friday’s concert.
The lineup of artists includes:
meetNKY Main Event
Concert begins at 5 p.m.
On Saturday, March 7, nationally recognized Bluegrass acts Bourbon Revival, Dan Tyminski, and The SteelDrivers will take over the Republic Bank Rickhaus. This 21+ ticketed event offers attendees locally and nationally acclaimed musical acts, flavor, and plenty of bourbon. SamJam Productions, which hosts their own Bluegrass festivals, partnered with the event to curate the musical acts for the Bonded Spirit Bluegrass Festival this year.
Bourbon Revival is Kentucky’s own bluegrass-rock cover band, blending the raw spirit of bluegrass with the energy of plugged-in rock to deliver full-throttle performances that hit like a smooth, strong pour, tight, loud, and built to keep crowds moving. Formed by friends bonded over bourbon, bluegrass, and the songs that shaped them, the band grew from backyard pickin’ circles into a regional live favorite, fueled by late nights, empty glasses, and a shared urge to reimagine classic rock, pop, and country songs through a bluegrass-driven lens. From festival stages to bourbon halls, every show is a celebration, every note a toast to the music that came before, and every performance a plugged-in bluegrass party that keeps the night burning late.
Dan Tyminski grew up immersed in live music, attending fiddle contests and bluegrass festivals across New England from the age of six, an early foundation that shaped one of the most influential careers in modern bluegrass and sparked a lifelong draw to the energy of live performance over records. Across a 30-plus-year career, Tyminski has left fingerprints far beyond bluegrass, from being the voice behind George Clooney’s performance of “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow” in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which introduced traditional American music to a massive global audience, to co-writing and singing on Avicii’s “Hey Brother,” a worldwide hit streamed over a billion times that bridged roots music with modern pop culture. In addition to acclaimed solo releases, he spent three decades as a core member of Alison Krauss and Union Station, contributing to some of the most decorated recordings in the genre, while his recent live shows with the Dan Tyminski Band have become must-see events captured on the Grammy-nominated 2024 album Live From the Ryman. A 14-time Grammy winner and four-time IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year, Tyminski stands as one of the most important and far-reaching figures in contemporary American music.
The SteelDrivers are a band of seasoned veterans, born in Nashville, each distinguished in their own right within the city’s commercial music community, who came together to follow their hearts and braid deep bluegrass roots with threads of country, soul, blues, and contemporary influences, creating an unapologetic hybrid that feels as old as the hills yet fresh as the morning dew. Specializing in a sound often described as bluegrass soul, the band has been a leading force in progressive bluegrass since their 2005 debut, balancing strong traditional foundations with passionate delivery and a gritty edge that sets them apart, a fusion Vince Gill has called “an incredible combination.” The SteelDrivers have earned five Grammy nominations, including a 2025 nod for Best Bluegrass Album, won the Americana Music Association’s New Artist of the Year and IBMA’s 2009 Emerging Artist of the Year, and took home the Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Recording in 2015 for The Muscle Shoals Recordings. In 2025, the quintet signed with Sun Records and released the Grammy-nominated album Outrun to widespread critical acclaim.
Main Stage Ticket Details
Tickets to see Bourbon Revival, Dan Tyminski, and The SteelDrivers are available at BondedSpirit.com. Early bird pricing is available now through February 14 for $75, plus fees.
General Admission includes:
- Entry to the Republic Bank Rickhaus, starting at 4 p.m.
- Access to purchase food, beer, and cocktails
- Standing room only, must be 21+ to attend
To learn more about the festival, purchase tickets, or for event updates, visit BondedSpirit.com.
