The 25th Anniversary edition of the world famous Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival set for May 20-23 at Granite Hill Camping & RV Resort will feature Ricky Skaggs, Ralph Stanley, Rhonda Voncent and Doyle Lawson. The festival starts on Thursday, May 20, featuring the legendary Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, plus four more bands. Each band plays two 45-minute sets between 2pm and 11pm. Other bands on the Thursday lineup are The Gibson Brothers, from upstate New York, known for their tight harmony singing reminiscent of the Louvin Brothers. Wildfire, a fine young band from Kentucky, Jimmy Bowen & Santa Fe from Nashville, and Patent Pending from West Virginia will also play on Thursday.

The classic Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mt. Boys will present a feature show at 8pm on Friday, May 21. Ralph stands alone as the top first generation bluegrass artist still performing on a regular schedule. He has been dubbed the "King of Mountain Soul" and the "Elder Statesman of Bluegrass Music" and his long list of awards and prestigious venues is impressive. He won the 2003 Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album "Lost in the Lonesome Pines", two 2002 Grammys for Best Male Country Vocal

Performance of "Oh Death" and Album of the Year for his part on "O Brother Where Art Thou?" and a 2003 Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Folk Alliance. Ralph’s noteworthy appearances include the CBS Grammy Awards Show, Carnegie Hall, The David Letterman Show, Good Morning America, The Tonight Show, The Kennedy Center, and The Library of Congress Bicentennial Celebration. He is a member of the Grand Ole Opry and has appeared many times at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival.

Headlining the Friday lineup is the current number one female bluegrass artist, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage. A three time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year, Rhonda brings many years of experience, professionalism, and excitement to the stage. She grew up performing with her Missouri based family bluegrass band, The Sally Mountain Show, recorded a pair of fine traditional country albums in Nashville, then returned to her bluegrass roots in 1999, literally taking the genre by storm. Her heartfelt soprano voice is augmented by superb mandolin playing that shows both finesse and drive, and she has one of the best bands in the business. Rhonda Vincent & The Rage will perform two sets at 3:00 and 9:40pm on Friday.

Other bands appearing Friday include IIIrd Tyme Out, Lou Reid & Carolina, The Rarely Herd, The Patuxent Partners, and Pete & Joan Wernick. Pete will also conduct the 3-day Pete Wernick Jam Camp earlier in the week at Granite Hill.

Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder will present the feature show on Saturday at 8pm. Without a doubt the number one bluegrass artist in the world today, Ricky brings a wealth of experience and new bluegrass material to the stage. His shows are dynamic yet traditional and true to the genre. A former CMA Entertainer of the Year, multiple Grammy winner, multiple IBMA winner, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, he simply does it all. This is a ‘don’t miss’ show set for Saturday.

Also appearing Saturday are the incredibly popular Seldom Scene and Dry Branch Fire Squad, the only two bands to have played every Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival since its inception in 1979. The Special Consensus from the Chicago area, and the Bluegrass Intentions from California will make their first ever Gettysburg appearances on Saturday. The ever-popular Gary Ferguson Band will return and Pete & Joan Wernick will also make a Saturday appearance.

Sunday shows will include appearances by the popular bluegrass gospel band, The Lewis Family. With Little Roy Lewis and his side-splitting antics, the Lewis Family is more than just bluegrass gospel music. They are real entertainers, and they perform twice on Sunday. The Dry Branch Fire Squad will kick off the Sunday show at 10 am, followed by the Seldom Scene plus a first time appearance at Gettysburg by Cherryholmes, an exciting family band from Colorado. The Sunday schedule runs 10am-5pm.

There will be nearly 40 hours of main stage performances, plus numerous events on the smaller ‘workshop stage’ including instructive and entertaining sessions by many top artists from the main stage schedule. The new Gettysburg Bluegrass Academy for kids ages 5-17, and The Pete Wernick Jam Camp, will be repeated again this year at both the Spring and Fall festivals.

Created, produced and managed since 1979 by Joe and Lil Cornett with the help of their daughters Chris and Cyndie, the festival has grown in size and stature over its 25-year history. Now that the Cornett’s daughter Cyndie and her husband Rich Winkelmann have taken over operations at Granite Hill, the festival is set to continue for years to come. The festival is perhaps best known for presenting one of the biggest lineups of top bluegrass musicians to be found in one location anywhere. Fans come from all over the United States and many foreign countries to relax and enjoy this quintessentially American form of music in a beautiful outdoor setting at Granite Hill.

Numerous food and craft vendors will be on hand to make the festival a fun and lively place for the entire family. Camping is available on site, but it isn’t necessary to camp to enjoy this festival. There is plenty of free day parking for non-campers, and the Gettysburg area has many accommodations and restaurants to meet everyone’s needs. Granite Hill will arrange tours of the Historic Gettysburg Battlefield for those seeking a diversion, and, of course, the campground welcomes campers to come a few days early or stay late to enjoy the many attractions available in the area.