Each August, Arrington, Virginia, is transformed into jam band paradise when LOCKN' Festival brings the music.

The Interlocking Music Festival — or LOCKN', as it’s known — launched in 2013 when Dave Frey and Peter Shapiro decided they wanted to create an event embodying this theme: “When something ends, another begins.” And every year since, the festival has fiercely adhered to this freewheeling motto.

True to the founders’ theme, there are just two main stages set up mere steps away from one another, so fans never have to make a choice as to which artist they want to see. The music is uninterrupted, and the performances are indeed interlocking. Similar to fests like Newport Folk Festival, artists are constantly popping up and surprising fans, and a laid-back vibe permeates—it’s all about the music. LOCKN' also offers meaningful nods toward artists who have shaped much of contemporary music. Guests who came for the fifth year saw a fair bit of collaboration, some of it as advertised (such as The Avett Brothers playing with Bob Weir, or Phil Lesh with moe.), some of it purely serendipitous (like Bob Weir and My Morning Jacket's Jim James surprising audiences during Joe Russo’s Almost Dead set).

Also on the 2017 lineup were LOCKN' first-timers Disco Biscuits, LOCKN' vets String Cheese Incident, Widespread Panic, Gov't Mule with special guest Ann Wilson of Heart, Umphrey's McGee, and many more.

Enjoy photos of this jam band paradise below!