Bluegrass Returns to Gettysburg

Festival begins Thursday at Granite Hill Camping Resort.

By HEATHER FAULHEFER


The Evening Sun
Posted: 08/15/2010 01:00:00 AM EDT



The best-kept secret of the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival in May came to light during the last performance of the festival.



When Alison Krauss and Union Station with Jerry Douglas took the stage to close out the four-day festival, no one expected legendary flatpicking guitarist Tony Rice to get on stage with them.



And on the heels of his surprise performance, Rice will be returning to the August festival, backed by contemporary bluegrass band, Mountain Heart.



He will join more than 20 bluegrass bands at Granite Hill Camping Resort for more than 40 performances when the 61st Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival kicks off on Thursday.



The music will start at 2 p.m. and run through Sunday, Aug. 22 until 4:45 p.m.



Today marks the traditional "chair drop," when festivalgoers take their lawn chairs to the stage area of the campground and reserve their spot on the grass or under a tent.



Once they're in those seats, they can expect to see great performances from some of the top bands in bluegrass, said Rich Winklemann, who owns the festival and campground with his wife Cyndie.



"There is going to be a slew of fantastic artists," he added.



The audience can expect to see regulars to the festival like Rhonda Vincent and The Rage, the Seldom Scene and Dry Branch Fire Squad, as well as newcomers, like The Dixie Bee-liners and The Hillbilly Gypsies and new configurations of artists like Rice and Mountain Heart and Darin and Brooke Aldridge.

Full story.