(8/7) The Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival now in its 26th year is widely recognized as one of the world’s premier bluegrass music events. This August marks the 53rd Festival to be held at scenic Granite Hill Camping Resort and will once again showcase four full days of music from the 24th through the 27th. With a combination of legendary performers and a variety of hot up-and-comers, 30 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 17th at a reduced price. Single or multi-day tickets are also available at the gate during the festival, which opens daily at 8AM. Ample free day parking is available on site and all ticketed attendees may come and go as they 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

After more than 55 years in the music industry, Ralph Stanley, age 79, and his accompanying band, The Clinch Mountain Boys, will kick off the Festival with Thursday’s headlining performance. With the May release of Ralph Stanley: A Distant Land To Roam – Songs of the Carter Family, presented by DMZ/Columbia Records, Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys will present some of the infamous Carter Family classics featured on the new album. And, the band will be sure to play an assortment of the old fan favorites as well.

The festival will kick into high gear on Friday as Rhonda Vincent & THE RAGE return to the Festival’s main stage for the second time this year. The International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IMBA) reigning Emerging Artist of the Year winners, The Grascals, will follow Vincent’s performance Friday evening. As Vincent and her band present some of the songs from her new album, All American Bluegrass Girl Rhonda & the Rage will certainly show fans in Gettysburg that she is just that. And, with their highly anticipated second album, Long List of Heartaches, featuring guest performers, Dierks Bentley, George Jones, the Jordanaires and Stever Wariner just days away from its release, The Grascals are sure to have a great show in store for their Gettysburg fans.

A stylistic medley of acts will be presented on Saturday while music plays from 11:00 am to until midnight. The Festival is pleased to announce The U.S. Navy Bluegrass Band as a recent patriotic addition to the lineup. This band is the Navy’s premier country music ensemble. In 2004, they performed at the G-8 Summit in Sea Island, GA, hosted by President George W. Bush. They have performed at several Congressional Barbecues and served as international ambassadors of goodwill. The Lonesome River Band, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Gibson Brothers, The Seldom Scene, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver are among the many other talented groups to perform on Saturday! Lonesome River Band, led by Sammy Shelor, has been on the festival circuit since 1991. The band recently had a major restructuring after three former members left the band (Brandon Rickman, Mike Hartgrove and John Wade). Jeff Parker stayed on board and Shelor and Parker picked up Barry Berrier on bass and Shannon Slaughter on guitar. The band didn’t waste any time recovering from the shake-up and have since been featured on the cover of Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine. They are still performing with the infamous high-energy drive that Lonesome River Band fan’s love. 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 Tomason (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 52 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. Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver will close the night with their smooth vocal harmonies showcased in their beautiful bluegrass gospel tunes.

Sunday the 27th, which marks the final day of the Festival, is not one to be missed. Packed full of bluegrass music until 4:30 pm fans will have a second chance to hear their favorites, Dry Branch Fire Squad and The Seldom Scene, play a second set. And, the band that truly cannot be missed is the hot up-and-coming family band, Cherryholmes, who has taken the bluegrass world by storm since their emergence in 2002. With a performance on the Grand Ole Opry, a host of awards including the IBMA award for "Entertainer of the Year," and a 2006 Grammy nomination for "Best Bluegrass Album," these parents and their phenomenally talented four children undoubtedly impressed fans at the May Festival and are selling out Sunday’s show this August.

The Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, hosted by Rich and Cyndie Winkelmann and Joe and Lil Cornett is held at Granite Hill Camping Resort. The internationally acclaimed bluegrass festival has taken place twice a year since 1979. With a new format initiated this past May, each festival now features 30 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 late summer Festival; Granite Hill will also host the Fifth Annual Gettysburg Bluegrass Academy for Kids. Bluegrass musicians from kindergarten age through 12th grade are accepted. The academy features instruction on all six primary bluegrass instruments by dedicated instructors. Cost of tuition is only $35, call 717-642-8749 for registration. The Festival will 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 800.642.TENT