LITCHFIELD — Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Festival is celebrating the 51st festival on Sunday, Aug. 19, with camping starting three days early at the Litchfield Fairgrounds, 30 Plains Road. The gates will open at 8 a.m. and directions are on the website.

The festival grounds have a big stage that was built in 2010, indoor bathroom facilities, four free hot showers and numerous water hookups throughout the grounds, and electrical hookups. There will be an array of vendors on the grounds and field picking throughout the festival.

The Blistered Fingers Kids Academy will be there. Blistered Fingers has a free, relaxed, informative three-day music program for children for ages 6-18. The focus is how to play, sing and perform bluegrass music. Students can bring their own instruments to the program. Kids all get a free T-shirt and perform a couple of songs as a group on main stage. 

Early Bird Camping begins three days prior to the festival; weekend tickets for each festival will cover four days of music and camping from Wednesday to Saturday, with Sunday morning gospel sing-along and jam. Day tickets are also available at the gate.

An extra large tent for coverage will be on the festival grounds. Just bring your lawn chairs and come have a great time.

Performers

The Gibson Brothers — Saturday

Ralph Stanley II & The Clinch Mountain Boys — Thursday

Nothin’ Fancy — Thursday and Friday

The Bluegrass Brothers — Wednesday and Thursday

Bluegrass Diamonds — Friday and Saturday

Remington Ryde — Saturday

Zink & Company — Friday and Saturday

Aaron Foster & Dreamcatcher — Friday

The Feinberg Brothers — Wednesday

Phat Burger Deluxe — Friday

Bluegrass Gospel Sing & Jam — Sunday

Blistered Fingers, host band — Saturday

Prices per person:

Earl Bird Camping (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before festival) — $10/day per camper. All four days with free camping — $90

Children 16 and under free with paying adult — Wednesday only, $15; Thursday only, $20; Friday only, $35, after 5 p.m., $25; Saturday only, $35, after 5 p.m., $25; Sunday, free with weekend pass.

Dogs — $10

Power — $35 for the entire stay

Tickets are available at the gate. For additional information, visit the website at BlisteredFingers.com, contact Sandy Cormier at blist-f@blisteredfingers.com or call 207-873-6539.

The Bluegrass Festival takes place twice every year and brings thousands of music lovers from all over the world to Litchfield to hear banjos, fiddles and high, lonesome harmonies. This event features many worldwide and local bands. This festival has something for all ages and has occurred every June and August since 1991.