NEWS / PRESS
Grey Fox 2011 Press Release (4/18/11)
For immediate release.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mary Burdette
W: 607.527.5070; C: 603.677.2178
GREY FOX BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL
Returns to the Catskill Mountains
EVENT: Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival
DATES: Thursday-Sunday, July 14-17, 2011
VENUE: Walsh Farm
LOCATION: 1 Poultney Road, Oak Hill, (Greene County) NY (map)
DESCRIPTION
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival is a Who’s Who of Bluegrass held each July in the Catskill Mountains that attracts approximately 20,000 bluegrass fans from 30+ states and over a dozen countries. The largest bluegrass festival in the Northeast and a recipient of the prestigious International Bluegrass Music Association’s Event of the Year Award, Grey Fox boasts a must-see lineup of Grammy, CMA, AMA and IBMA award winners and nominees each year as well as rising stars from around the country. The four-day outdoor festival takes place on the Walsh Farm in Oak Hill, a quaint rural community in Greene County, 40 minutes south of Albany and 3 hours north of NYC.
2011 ARTISTS
This summer’s all-star lineup features Sam Bush, Yonder Mountain String Band, O’Brien Party of Seven, J.D. Crowe and the New South, Chris Thile & Michael Daves, Del McCoury, Infamous Stringdusters, Peter Rowan, the SteelDrivers, Michael Cleveland, Claire Lynch, the Gibson Brothers, the Boxcars. Crooked Still, Tony Trischka Territory, Laurie Lewis & Tom Rozum, Greensky Bluegrass, the Spinney Brothers, Donna the Buffalo, Rockin’ Acoustic Circus, Hillbenders, Della Mae, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, Red Stick Ramblers, Dixie Bee-Liners, Monroeville, John Kirk & Trish Miller, Citigrass, Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys, Bill Keith, and many others. Host band (for three decades and counting) is Dry Branch Fire Squad.
STAGES, PROGRAMS, ETC.
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival presents world-class bluegrass, roots and dance bands at the Main Stage, Dance Pavilion, Masters Stage and Family Tent, with hands-on learning happening throughout the weekend at the Grass Roots Tent, Slow Jam Tent and Bluegrass Academy for Kids. Nightly showcases feature fresh, up-and-coming bands from around the country, while the Sunday Morning Gospel Set, led by Dry Branch Fire Squad, is a perennial favorite. Besides the stellar music on several stages, Grey Fox offers fresh ethnic and festive foods; handcrafted beers and Finger Lakes wines; unique vendors with handmade, domestic and imported goods; the finest quality stringed instruments; on-site camping; round-the-clock jam sessions and world-famous Grey Fox hospitality.
NEW THIS YEAR:
• Food Fight! What goes better together than music and food? The first ever friendly Cooking Throwdown between two outstanding cooks who also happen to be musicians performing at the festival. Linzay Young (Red Stick Ramblers) will be sparring with Frank Solivan (Dirty Kitchen). Linzay is expected to bring it on with some southern Louisiana dishes while Frank will be creating a specialty from the Eastern Shore. Friday, 4:00 pm at the Bluegrass Academy Tent.
• Songwriting Forum There wouldn’t be bluegrass without songwriters, and great songsmiths abound at Grey Fox each year. Several will be at this forum to showcase their latest tunes and to talk about their craft. Participants in the audience will be invited to sing one of their songs as well, with input from the panelists. Led by Caroline “Mother Judge” Isachsen. Friday, 11:00 am at the Masters Stage.
• Social Media for Independent Bands Brandi Hart (Dixie Bee-Liners), Malin Zergiebel and Steve Ide (Thirsty Lizards Web Development), and others will discuss how bands can grow their fan base and get more bookings be effective use of Facebook, Twitter and the web. Friday, 11:00 am at the Grass Roots Tent.
A DEEP SENSE OF COMMUNITY:
Grey Fox is all about community, evidenced by the sense of belonging that so many long-time patrons exude and many newcomers find so attractive. Walking around the grounds, it’s common to see tee shirts from many years ago; camps decked out in Grey Fox bling; batiked Grey Fox tapestries blowing in the breeze; and campers sporting a collection of festival parking stickers from ten years or more.
People watch out for each other at Grey Fox and lend a hand putting up tarps or securing belongings if the weather goes south. Fans have likened the small tent city that springs to life in Oak Hill each July to Brigadoon. Part of this is due to the nature of bluegrass and its ultimate accessibility. Artists are out camping and mingling and jamming with their fans. Several weddings have taken place during the festival often with Grey Fox friends in attendance outnumbering family members.
AWARDS & ACCOLLADES:
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival is the setting of the full-length Bluegrass Journey: A Documentary, which has aired on over 100 PBS stations around the country and at dozens of film festivals. BBC World filmed a portion of Destination Music, a series about the world’s leading music festivals, at Grey Fox and kicked off the series with that segment. In 2009, Grey Fox was awarded the “Bluegrass Event of the Year Award” by the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in Nashville, TN.
The festival’s producer, Mary Tyler Doub, is a founding member and past chairperson of IBMA; former chairperson of the International Bluegrass Music Museum (IBMM); and currently serves as vice-chairperson of the Foundation for Bluegrass Music. In 1997, Doub was awarded the IBMA Lifetime Achievement Award for excellence in event production.
2011 SPONSORS
Beard Guitars • Bluegrass Unlimited • Collings Guitars • D’Addario • Eastman Strings • Event Company • Flatpicking Guitar Magazine • Intellitouch Tuners • C.F. Martin • PenMar Industries • Sierra Nevada Brewing Company • SteelBridge • Stelling Banjo Works • Sugar Hill Records • Tanglewood Guitar Co. • Thirsty Lizards • Ticket Inspector • Verizon Wireless • WFDU 89.1 FM
TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Day and Full Festival Tickets are available online, by phone or mail. All shows and workshops are included in the price of the ticket. Day parking and shuttle buses are free. Day tickets from $20-$60; Full festival with camping tickets $180. Now available on line and by phone.
Web: http://www.greyfoxbluegrass.com
Email: office@greyfoxbluegrass.com
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For Immediate Release:
GREY FOX BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL
“A Who’s Who of Bluegrass Music”
JULY 15-18, 2010
WINNER of IBMA BLUEGRASS
EVENT OF THE YEAR AWARD
On the Walsh Farm, Oak Hill, NY 12460
In Greene County NY’s Beautiful Catskill Mountain Region
For the die-hard bluegrass fan, the thought of summer means making an annual pilgrimage to Oak Hill, NY where a normally quiet, out-of-the-way farm in rural Greene County is magically transformed into a community of world-class performers, exuberant fans, devoted volunteers, non-stop jamming, funky campsites, scrumptious food and booths filled with crafts, instruments and clothing. For the third week in July, the Walsh Farm is home to a colorful tent city of music, laughter, cooperation and good will!
Long-time Grey Fox fans say it is a homecoming: a cherished reunion of friends who may see each other just once a year. Newcomers are struck by how warm and welcoming everyone is as they are quickly befriended by fellow fans, volunteers, vendors and even artists. “There may be several thousand people in attendance, but it feels like a small town where you know everyone,” says Australian, Jason Nicholas, now planning his third year at Grey Fox.
The Northeast’s largest bluegrass festival moved to Oak Hill in 2008 after being held for decades in nearby Columbia County. To the new location, organizers brought all the components for which it is famous: multiple stages, hands-on learning workshops, festive foods, rustic camping, round-the-clock jamming and thousands of fans from all over the U.S., Canada, Europe and the Far East. In 2008, fans attended Grey Fox from 37 states and 14 countries.
These are the very characteristics that led Grey Fox to be named Bluegrass Event of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. The coveted award was presented to Grey Fox producer, Mary Tyler Doub in October 2009 during IBMA’s annual World of Bluegrass Conference in Nashville, TN.
Often referred to as a “Who’s Who of Bluegrass Music,” Grey Fox is a gathering of the best of the best in bluegrass, America’s fastest growing musical genre according to a recent Simmons Research study. Grammy and IBMA award winners abound each year. “It just doesn’t get any better than this. Everybody I want to see is there. I smile so much my face hurts!” beams Mark Granger, a long-time bluegrass fan and guitar picker from San Antonio, Texas.
Grey Fox is famous for presenting a wide range of bluegrass styles—from old time and traditional bluegrass to contemporary and new grass along with some of the best dance bands in the business. Performing on the Main Stage at this year’s event are such bluegrass luminaries as Sam Bush, the David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, the Del McCoury Band, Tim O’Brien, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, the Gibson Brothers and many more.
Hot, young, rising stars at Grey Fox 2010 include the Greencards, Crooked Still, The Greensky Boys, Josh Williams, Sarah Jarosz, Rockin’ Acoustic Circus and the Hillbenders. Rounder Recording traditionalists, Dry Branch Fire Squad will continue to hold court as host band, as they have for nearly thirty years.
In addition to the Main and Dance Stages, Grey Fox offers an intimate Masters Stage and a big grin-producing Family Stage for kids of all ages. Back by popular demand is a showcase series at the Masters Stage on Friday and Saturday evenings featuring talented emerging musicians from the Northeast including the Andrew and Noah VanNostrand Band.
The Dance Tent begins filled to the brim each day with a very popular morning yoga stretch to hip live music, and continues long into the night with music by several bands from the Main Stage including the world beat gurus, Donna the Buffalo; Kansas City’s award-winning honky tonk band, The Wilders; dance lessons and performances by John Kirk & Trish Miller and music by the old-timey band, Fiddlestyx.
In addition to performance venues, Grey Fox offers hands-on learning sessions at the Grass Roots Tent (with instructors such as six-time bass player of the year, Mike Bub; guitar wizard, Tony Watt; and banjoist and former Bluegrass Boy, Bill Keith). Catering to beginners, user-friendly Slow Jam Tent instructors slow down easy songs so that everyone can play along. Meanwhile, the Grey Fox Bluegrass Academy for Kids (a four-day music camp for kids age 8 and up) teaches kids to play, sing and perform bluegrass music. Pre-registration is strongly recommended for the kids’ academy. Class size is limited and some classes fill up quickly. To register a child (beginning on April 1), visit: www.greyfoxbluegrass.com.
One of the endearing qualities of bluegrass music is that it is so accessible. Surveys find that over 60% of Grey Fox fans play bluegrass instruments. With that many pickers, jam sessions happen all weekend and workshops are well attended.
Grey Fox full festival camping tickets and day passes are available on line and by phone. Camping opens Wednesday, July 14 at 9:00 am. Day gates open at 8:00 am Thursday thru Sunday. Main Stage music: 2:00 pm to midnight Thursday; 11:00 am to midnight Friday; 11:00 am to midnight Saturday; and 10:30 am to 3:00 pm on Sunday.
Grey Fox organizers are taking full advantage of current social media trends and are marketing this year’s event on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and many online blogs as well as on its newly designed web site. A drawing for a full festival ticket is being held at the end of each month from February through June on Facebook. Winners will be announced via the internet on the first day of each month. To be eligible for the drawings, become a fan at www.facebook.com/greyfoxbluegrass.
The entrance to Walsh Farm is located on Greene County Route 22, Oak Hill, NY. For door-to-door directions, google 1 Poultney Road, Oak Hill, NY 12460. Oak Hill is about 20 miles west of the NYS Thruway I-87 Exits 21 (Catskill) if coming from the south and 21B (Coxsackie) if approaching from the north.
DRIVING TIMES to OAK HILL, NY:
30 mins West of Catskill, NY
45 mins from Albany, NY
2.5 hours from NYC
2.5 hours from Hartford, CT
3.0 hours from Bridgeport, CT
3.25 hours from Boston, MA
3.25 hours from Providence, RI
5.0 hours from Buffalo, NY
5.5 hours from Baltimore, MD
Tickets and Information: Day and Full-festival tickets available on line: http://www.greyfoxbluegrass.com or by calling 888.946.8495.
Press Contact: Mary Burdette 607-330-1727; Email burdette AT greyfoxbluegrass DOT com
Additional photos upon request.
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