Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival - May 12 - 15



The Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival kicks of its 62nd semi-annual edition at the Granite Hill Campground just outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on Thursday, May 12 and runs for four days of fine bluegrass music.  The lineup (below) is so strong there's no need to highlight any particular performers.  Suffice it to say that there's something for nearly every bluegrass fan during this weekend, ranging from the most traditional to some pretty cutting edge bands.  Old favorites and some bands appearing here for the first time make Gettysburg desirable for all.  
  
Eric Gibson, Rhonda Vincent, Leigh Gibson

Thursday
2:00 – Nothin’ Fancy
2:55 – Darin & Brooke Aldridge
3:50 – Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
4:45 – Larry Stephenson Band
5:40 – Mountain Heart
6:35 – Nothin’ Fancy
7:30 – Darin & Brooke Aldridge
8:25 – Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
9:20 – Larry Stephenson Band
10:15 – Mountain Heart

Bill Emerson

Friday
11:00 – Don Rigsby & Pete & Joan Wernick
11:45 – Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie Band
12:40 – Steep Canyon Rangers
1:35 – Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
2:30 – Rhonda Vincent & the Rage
3:25 – Gibson Brothers
4:20 – Next Best Thing
5:00 – DINNER BREAK
6:00 – Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie Band
6:55 – Don Rigsby & Pete & Joan Wernick
7:50 – Steep Canyon Rangers
8:45 – Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
9:40 – Rhonda Vincent & the Rage
10:30 – The Gibson Brother
11:30 – Next Best Thing

Don Rigsby

Saturday
11:00 – Don Rigsby & Pete & Joan Wernick
11:45 – Dry Branch Fire Squad
12:40 – Dailey & Vincent
1:35 – JD Crowe & The New South
2:30 – The Grascals
3:25 – The Seldom Scene
4:20 – Mike Cleveland & Flamekeeper
5:00 – DINNER BREAK
6:00 – Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie Band
6:55 – Dry Branch Fire Squad
7:50 – Dailey & Vincent
8:45 – JD Crowe & The New South
9:40 – The Grascals
10:35 – The Seldom Scene
11:30 – Mike Cleveland & Flamekeeper

Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Sunday
10:00 – Dry Branch Fire Squad
11:15 – The Hillbenders
12:25 – Junior Sisk & Rambler’s Choice
1:40 – The Seldom Scene (75 minute set)
3:05 – David Parmley & Continental Divide
4:15 – TBA
5:30 – FAREWELL UNTIL AUGUST 18-21st!

Welcome To Granite Hill

Granite Hill Campground is a spacious full-service campground serving as home for two bluegrass festivals annually and as an important gateway to the Gettysburg battlefield for the rest of the summer season.    Featuring a new and beautifully designed stage with great sight-lines surrounded by a nearby large swimming pool, an historic bed and breakfast, snack bar, and miniature golf course, the campground spreads out through wooded areas, providing excellent sites for picking and enjoying the music from a distance.  The festival is preceded by a Pete Wernick Jam Camp and includes a wide variety of workshops as well as one of the strongest Kids Camps to be found. Directed by Ira Gitlin, the camp provides instruction for young pickers, who perform on Sunday before the entire festival.

The Pool

Kids Academy Practice

Gettysburg is highly kid friendly.  There's the pool, a fishing pond, and plenty of room to roam and discover the grounds.

Fish Pond




Vendors Supply a Good Variety of Food



And Granite Hill offers a full service snack bar as well. In addition to food vendors, there's a vendors' row with instruments, clothing, and other shopping opportunities. A large tent and a pavilion provide shade for those desiring cover from the sun.  People attending Gettysburg should come prepared for the occasional rain shower and the cool evenings of late spring.



The Campground





At the workshop tent you'll find some excellent instructional sessions as well as some unexpected jams as an all-star collection of members of different bands come together to strut their stuff.  Last year The Gibson Brothers did a song writing workshop featuring new material for their new CD.  Workshops have not yet been announced, but look here for an opportunity to explore with the performers some of the hows and whys of their art.  

The Workshop Tent

Audience for Super Jam

Information about tickets to the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival may be found HERE, as well as pertinent rules and regulations. Gettysburg is a major tourist attraction, so many other levels of accommodation may be found nearby.  Day parking is spacious and only a short walk from the main stage area. 

Kids Academy on Sunday
Kids Academy Director: Ira Gitlin

Bring Plenty of Sun Block

And Rain Gear

And come prepare to have a great time....

How to Get to Granite Hill

Josh Shilling & Russell Moore
Two Eras, Two Masters, Two Styles


 


3 comments:

  1. Ted, I read all about these great festivals here on your blog and I dream of retirement...can't happen too soon. I'm really looking forward to making some of these in the next two or three years. Until then, I'll experience them through your photos and write-ups. Thanks.

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  2. Always good to hear from you, Sam. I look forward to sharing a festival with you...soon.

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  3. Sam I wish you could come pick me up for this one LOL

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