ABOUT
Grass Roots and Nudie Suits is a free, family-friendly music and arts festival celebrating Madison’s rich legacy in roots and country music while spotlighting the vibrant community of local artists and creatives who call the neighborhood home today. Held along the beautifully redeveloped Madison Station Boulevard—including historic Amqui Station and Harken Hall—the festival will feature live performances, food and artisan vendors.
Rooted in heritage and looking to the future, the festival takes its name from both the grassroots spirit of community and the iconic Nudie Suits once worn by Madison legends like Hank Snow and Patsy Cline.
With activities for all ages and a culminating ticketed evening concert at Harken Hall, this annual celebration aims to build pride of place while connecting new and longtime residents through music, art, and shared history.
Nudie Suits
The Nudie Suit is a highly influential garment in the history of country western music. It was pioneered by Nudie Cohn, the son of a bootmaker who immigrated from Kiev in 1913 at the age of eleven. Upon arriving at Ellis Island, he adopted the name Nudie Cohn—an Americanized version of his given name, Nuta Kotlyarenko, which he was unable to spell in English.
Cohn brought with him the tailoring skills he had acquired as a young apprentice. These skills would later shape his legacy as the creator of the Nudie Suit—a flamboyant outfit adorned with rhinestones and intricate embroidery. His bold, theatrical designs quickly became iconic, worn by some of the most legendary country western performers of the time. Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, and Gene Autry were just a few of the many stars known for donning Nudie Suits, helping to establish the look as a defining element of country western culture, particularly in Nashville and the Madison District.
In recent years, the Nudie Suit has experienced a resurgence alongside the revival of country western music and fashion. Modern artists such as Lil Nas X, Post Malone, and Orville Peck have embraced the style, reintroducing its flair to a new generation of fans. The Madison District—home to country music legends like Mother Maybelle Carter, June and Johnny Cash, Carlene Carter, Hank Snow, John Hartford, Kitty Wells, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Johnny Wright, and the Everly Brothers—remains central to this cultural legacy.
As more people discover and move into the area, Grassroots and Nudie Suits pays tribute to Nudie Cohn’s timeless designs and the enduring influence of the artists who helped shape the rich heritage of country western music in Madison.
