If you’re looking for some toe-tapping bluegrass beats to carry you through this fine spring weekend, then look no further than the greater Gettysburg area as the May installment of the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival gets underway. A community tradition spanning more than four and a half decades, the festival has earned the claim as the most respected and longest-running bluegrass event in the nation. Scores of visitors are drawn to both the May event and the late-summer August run.
The Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival was founded in 1979 by Joe and Lil Cornett as a much humbler three-day affair. It now runs for four-day intervals biannually and offers loads of delights to visitors of all ages and interests.
Many have made attending Gettysburg Bluegrass a cherished yearly tradition. It’s the perfect warm-weather excuse for families and friends to come together and bask in fun follies and fellowship. In fact, many of today’s festival performers were attendees themselves as children.
In addition to locals, the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival has welcomed a host of world-class, world-renowned artists and musicians to its stages over the years. The legendary Bill Monroe even performed here multiple times. This is where he made his sensational 75th birthday appearance in 1986, in fact. John Duffey also performed here regularly from 1979 until his passing in 1996. Grammy-winning Allison Krauss took to the stage all the way back in her high school heyday. Other notable names comprising the legendary musical resume include Ralph Stanley, Rhonda Vincent, Ricky Skaggs, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Del McCoury, Doyle Lawson, The Seldom Scene, J.D. Crowe, and Tony Rice.
In addition to the main performances, it’s also worth noting that the Festival’s Workshop Stage played its part in bluegrass history. It was here that the original Dobro Summit occurred, famous for being the first-ever on-stage collaboration of Josh Graves, Mike Auldridge, and Jerry Douglas.
With its premium location along the rolling hills of Granite Hill Camping Resort, the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival boasts a most befitting backdrop, blending perfectly with the bucolic ambiance of nature, camping, and hearty, American-spirited music at its finest. And the fact that it all takes place in greater Gettysburg is just the icing on the cake!
Granite Hill features modern facilities and a multitude of onsite amenities to make your attending experience both optimal and exceptional. Some of the perks to check out include playgrounds, a game room, a stocked trout pond, Adventure Golf, a boating lake, a swimming pool, and more. As always, camping packages are available both separately and as part of the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival. Click here to read more.
Today’s Festival continues as a mainstay tradition, with Rich and Cyndie Cornett Winkelmann running the show, along with a devoted team. The May installment begins today, May 14, and will run through 17, featuring the following performers: Dan Tyminski, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Seldom Scene, Larry Sparks, and The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, along with many others. Most performances will take place on the Timber Frame Main Stage, while the Workshop Stage will play host to instructional sessions, band showcases, meet-and-greets, and jam sessions. In addition to music, the Festival features a vibrant vendor area with arts, crafts, merchandise, and delicious food.
The August event runs from August 13 through 16. For tickets and all other information and details about both events, visit the website at www.gettysburgbluegrass.com.