Music, community and conservation will come together along the banks of Dog River this spring as the 11th Annual MudBottom Revival Music Festival returns Sunday, April 19 at Bender Point.
Organized by Dog River Clearwater Revival, the fundraiser will run from 2 to 6 p.m. at 3619 Riviere Du Chien Road in Mobile a news release about the event said. Gates open at 1:30 p.m. The event features live music, family-friendly activities and efforts to raise awareness and funding for improved water quality and public access to Dog River and its tributaries.
Tickets are already on sale and historically sell out quickly. General admission is $35 and increases to $45 the week of the show. Children 12 and younger are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com/e/2026-mudbottom-revival-music-festival-tickets-1980762255226.
This year’s lineup is headlined by Willie Watson, an internationally known folk and Americana artist and a founding member of Old Crow Medicine Show. Watson, a singer-songwriter, guitarist and banjo player, spent years interpreting traditional American folk music before turning toward personal songwriting shaped by themes of loss, sobriety, faith and reflection. His self-titled album marks the first time he fully stepped forward as a songwriter, pairing his distinctive rural tenor with stories rooted in growth and redemption.
Joining the bill are The New Cahoots, a Pensacola-based acoustic and electric band blending bluegrass, folk and Americana. Formed in 2020, the five-piece group performs original music alongside energetic covers and has opened for acts including Old Crow Medicine Show, Railroad Earth, Town Mountain, Daniel Donato’s Cosmic Country and Dumpstaphunk.
Local performer Camm Lewis will also take the stage. Raised in Grand Bay, Lewis grew up surrounded by music played by family members at home and in local venues. Influenced by artists including Paul Overstreet, Merle Haggard and George Jones, his performances combine a soulful vocal style with a relaxed groove and audience sing-alongs.
“I write about my family and the way of life I love. I just want to be honest and genuine. Hopefully when you hear my music you can relate.”
Organizers say the festival continues to grow as both a community gathering and a key fundraiser supporting conservation efforts.
“Volunteering for Dog River Clearwater Revival has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of moving from ‘town’ to the river. I love the community building that DRCR fosters. Our work is environmentally important to ensure the health, beauty, and sustainability of Dog River, but it is also fun. The waterways of Mobile County are our biggest treasure so it’s imperative that we all work together for healthy waters,” said LaVada Raouf, DRCR vice president, MudBottom sponsor and active volunteer, in the release.
According to the festival committee, sponsorship support has helped the nonprofit expand its environmental work across the watershed.
“Thanks to our sponsors, DRCR — Dog River’s only improvement-focused nonprofit — now tests water monthly at 25+ sites; responded to 12 citizen complaints last year regarding runoff, sewage and vessel fuel leaks; relaunched the Great Drift float with 40+ participants taking trips of varying lengths, and so much more,” the committee said.
Sponsorship opportunities for the 2026 festival remain available, with levels ranging from $250 to $2500. March 1 was the deadline to guarantee inclusion in all promotional materials, though sponsorships will continue to be accepted with limited publicity options until the event date. Information about sponsorship benefits is available at https://dogriver.org/events/fundraisers/sponsor-info-mudbottom-revival-music-festival-2026/.
Sponsors already committed include several individuals, families and businesses from across the Mobile area.
Live Oak sponsors, contributing $2500 or more, include In Memory of River Coffey, MAWSS, Councilmember Ben Reynolds, Gulf Distributing, The Deaton Family, The Wagner Family, The Shropshire Family and Tonsmeire Properties.
Magnolia sponsors at the $1500 level include Lisa and Kennon Drew, Pamela Denham & Associates, Regional Steel Products Inc. and Willow Bridge Inc.
Cypress sponsors at $1000 include 251 Live, Ali and Nate Jones, In Memory of Dr. John Harsany, Mike and Heather Daniels, Osprey Initiative, Regions, Rock & Roll Offs, Susan C. Dees, Showbiz Theatrical Services and The Buckhaults Family.
Palmetto sponsors at the $500 level include Andy and Liz Terry, Animal Hospital of Mobile, dakinstreet architects, Island Fire Glass Studio, John and Rachel Hunter and The Mobile Rundown.
Groundsel sponsors at $250 include AdVenture Specialties, Bruce Coldsmith and Elise Labbe-Coldsmith, Crescent Theater, Hunter Counseling, In Memory of Roy Benton, Jefferies Family Law LLC, Strickland Companies, The Strain Family and Walt and Lillian Laughlin.
Dog River Clearwater Revival is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to improving water quality and expanding public access to Dog River and its tributaries. The organization relies on volunteers, partnerships and community support to carry out restoration, education and conservation initiatives.
Among its priorities for 2026 are shoreline restoration projects, development of a native plant and living shoreline initiative and a member duck house build.
Recent accomplishments highlight the group’s growing impact. In 2025, volunteer water quality monitors conducted monthly testing at more than 25 sites along the river system. The organization also responded to 12 citizen complaints involving runoff, sewage and leaking vessels and relaunched the Great Drift float event with more than 40 participants paddling 1.5, 3 and 5 miles along Dog River.
Additional efforts included the 10th Annual MudBottom Revival Music Festival with about 500 attendees and volunteers, the 14th Annual Dog River Fishing Tournament with 41 adult and youth anglers and the 39th Annual Coastal Cleanup at Dog River Park where more than 50 volunteers collected trash and marine debris.
The nonprofit also partnered with two local Scout troops for cleanup projects, visited third grade classrooms through its Discover Dog River youth program and received the Alabama Water Watch Water Monitor Group of the Year award for 2025.
In December 2025, Dog River Clearwater Revival launched a new Environmental Scholarship Program, awarding $2,000 to a University of South Alabama student who volunteered with the organization for a year.
The organization’s board of directors met six times during the year to advance conservation goals while general membership meetings were held in January and July to support outreach and planning.