Top Names in Bluegrass Return to the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival

(8/20) The Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival now in it’s 27th year, is widely recognized as one of the world’s premier bluegrass music events. This August marks the 55th Festival to be held at scenic Granite Hill Camping Resort and will once again showcase four full days of music from the 23rd through the 26th. With a combination of legendary performers and variety of hot up-and-comers, over 20 exceptional artists on two stages, the festival lineup is truly world class! An extensive Workshop Stage schedule is planned for Thursday through Saturday, hosted by Mike and Gay Henderson. The workshop stage presents a wide variety of informative learning sessions presented by favorite performers in an up close informal setting. Tickets for the event start at $25 and can be purchased in advance until August 16th at a reduced price. Single or multi-day tickets are also available at the gate during the festival, which opens daily at 8 a.m. Ample free day parking is available on site and all ticketed attendees may come and go as the please throughout the course of the event. To purchase tickets in advance, at a discounted price, send a check or money order to Granite Hill Camping Resort, 3340 Fairfield Road, Gettysburg, PA 17325 or call 800.642.8368. Visa and Master Card are accepted for advance purchase only. Cash only will be accepted at the gate. For additional information and up-to-date schedules, please visit www.gettysburgbluegrass.com

The 55th Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival gets underway on Thursday with Jesse McReynolds and the Virginia Mountain Boys among the many highlights. After many years’ absence, the mandolin pioneer Jesse McReynolds celebrates 60 years of bluegrass with a return to the Gettysburg Main Stage. Award-winning Lou Reid & Carolina will appear on Thursday along with Kenny and Amanda Smith and Larry Cordle and Lonesome Standard Time. Rounding out Thursday’s lineup will be the newly formed but hardly inexperienced Grasstowne. Comprised of Steve Gulley, Phil Leadbetter and Alan Bibey, all Gettysburg veterans and joined by Jason Davis and Jamie Booher, Grasstowne will surely look to impress their many Gettysburg fans, old and new alike.

The festival will kick into high gear on Friday as Seven Time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year Rhonda Vincent & her amazing band, The Rage return to the Festival’s main stage for the second of two appearances at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival in 2007. Fans will struggle to keep up with the high energy performances of IBMA 2006 Fiddle Player of the Year Mike Cleveland and his band Flamekeeper, featuring Audie Blaylock who is a veteran of numerous Gettysburg appearances. Bluegrass super group, Blue Highway, 2005 IBMA Entertainers of the Year Cherryholmes Family, and the Gibson Brothers all return to Gettysburg and are sure to please the crowd once again. The Festival is equally pleased to welcome back Jimmy Bowen & Santa Fe and Tim Graves & Cherokee for two performances on Friday’s Main Stage. Finally, Gettysburg is quite pleased to announce the debut performance for Patent Pending, who hail from West Virginia, and will open the show.

A stylistic medley of acts will be presented on Saturday while music plays from 11:00 am to until midnight. Dry Branch Fire Squad, The Seldom Scene, The Grascals, Lonesome River Band, Nothin’ Fancy, Roadside Cafe, and Gary Ferguson Band are among the talented groups to perform on Saturday. Gary Ferguson Band will kick things off on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and return again to close out Saturday’s show at 11:10 p.m. Since 1991, Lonesome River Band, have wowed Gettysburg Fans with their hard driving style and return yet again in August. Next up will be Dry Branch Fire Squad (DBFS), one of Gettysburg’s true perennial fan favorites, who have played more sets on the Festival’s main stage than any other band. Joe Cornett, who founded the Festival in 1979, recently said, "Ron Thomason (of DBFS) is unquestionably the consummate bluegrass storyteller of our age and his band has been the most popular traditional bluegrass band we have ever presented." The Seldom Scene, another recurrent act, has performed at 54 of the 55 Festivals in Gettysburg, just one single performance fewer than DBFS. On the other end of the bluegrass spectrum though, The Seldom Scene presents razor sharp, cutting edge music that still manages to retain its tie to bluegrass roots. The International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IMBA) reigning Entertainers of the Year, The Grascals will once again grace the Main Stage at Gettysburg. And, 2006 Emerging Artists of the Year Steep Canyon Rangers will bring their fresh take and prodigious talent to Gettysburg for the second time in 2007, after their debut performance in August of 2006. Nothin’ Fancy, whose mix of fantastic music and on-stage comedy are always in demand, round out Saturday’s lineup.

Sunday the 26th marks the final day of the Festival and is not one to be missed. Packed full of music until 4:30 p.m. fans will have a second chance to hear their favorites, Dry Branch Fire Squad, The Seldom Scene and Nothin’ Fancy play for a second day. New Found Road and All4Hym round out Sunday’s performances while that absolute must see of Sunday’s schedule is the Kid’s Academy Performance followed by the giveaway of the Gettysburg 2007 Martin HD-28V Guitar, sure to bring one lucky fan to their feet in a hurry!

The Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, hosted by Rich and Cyndie Winkelmann, and held at the beautiful 150 acre Granite Hill Camping Resort, is an internationally acclaimed bluegrass festival that has taken place twice a year since 1979. Each semi-annual festival features over twenty of the top bluegrass and traditional country musicians performing on the main stage, presenting informative workshops and meeting and greeting fans from all over the world. During this August Festival, Granite Hill will also host the Gettysburg Bluegrass Academy for kids sponsored by Eastman Strings. Held concurrently with the festival and open to children of all ages. The Festival will also host numerous food, merchandise, and craft vendors throughout the event. There are also a number of other activities on-site to entertain the whole family such as fishing, swimming, boating, Adventure Golf and much, much, more. For the most current Festival information including main stage and workshop stage schedules please visit the website at www.gettysburgbluegrass.com. For additional information please call (717) 642-8749.

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