Published: April 28, 2008 09:44 am         

Del McCoury finalizes plans for inaugural DelFest

CUMBERLAND - Bluegrass master Del McCoury has finalized plans for his inaugural DelFest, scheduled for May 23 through 25 at the Allegany County Fairgrounds.

The complete DelFest lineup includes The Del McCoury Band, Vince Gill, Dierks Bentley, Keller Williams and The Keels, David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, Abigail Washburn and The Sparrow Quartet, Bela Fleck, Sam Bush, Punch Brothers, Chris Thile, Railroad Earth and David Bromberg, with special guest The Angel Band, Emmitt-Nershi Band and Great American Taxi.

Also slated to perform are Vince Herman, Jon Fishman, Steep Canyon Rangers, Adrienne Young, The Lee Boys, Dre's Rude Awakening, Ronnie Bowman, Dan Paisley and the Southern Grass, Mike Garris and Area 51 and the Davisson Brothers Band.

Three three-day, three-night shows will feature one-of-a-kind collaborations, tributes to McCoury, intimate playshops, food, a craft fair featuring regional and international artisans and children's programs.

Tickets are now on sale at www.delfest.com.

At the age of 69, McCoury is at the height of his game, and has become a major bridge in bringing bluegrass to a wider audience. DelFest was born from the desire to create a family-friendly music festival celebrating the rich legacy of McCoury music while creating a forum for world-class musical collaborations and to showcase fresh new talent. McCoury - along with his band - has now won more International Bluegrass Music Association awards than any other artist, including nine Entertainer of the Year awards, has won a Grammy, along with seven total nominations, and has even had a top 10 video on CMT. He joined the Grand Ole Opry in 2003 and now divides his time between traditional bluegrass festivals, jam gatherings - recently playing with such bands as Phish, Leftover Salmon, and Yonder Mountain String Band, and prestigious venues such as the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall.

Produced in association with High Sierra Music, DelFest will offer a quality festival experience stamped with the unique McCoury touch. With Del's easygoing yet uncompromising commitment to quality combined with his experience at the High Sierra Music Festival (whose 18th annual High Sierra Music Festival takes place July 3 through 6 in Quincy, Calif.) McCoury has created a world-class event with a down-home feeling.

"I've had opportunities to host a festival before but I always thought that if I was going to do it, I'd want to make sure that it was done right," said McCoury.

Rounding out the program, DelFest will include a bluegrass band competition, with the winners invited to return for a regular set at the following year's gathering.

For detailed information and to purchase tickets, visit www.delfest.com.