Bluegrass Festival This Weekend at El Rancho Manana

RICHMOND (WJON News) - The 43rd Annual Minnesota Bluegrass Festival tunes up this weekend at the El Rancho Manana in Richmond.

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Nominated several times as the Event of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association, more than 30 hours of live music are planned over the four-day event.

Event Manager Dale Gruber says everyone is ready for a big show.

This is a very big deal. We're excited about this year; we've got Rhonda Vincent, who's a Grand Ole Opry member coming in. Larry Sparks has been around for 50 years. Larry Carter, who wrote “Highway 40 Blues” for Ricky Skaggs and wrote “Murder on Music Row” for George Strait and Alan Jackson. We've got a great lineup this year.

The festival features three stages of music, including an open mic stage at the Ranch House that Gruber says gives everyone a chance to bring their instruments and play, or learn new techniques from others.

Photo: Minnesota Bluegrass Festival

If you go – here’s what you need to know:

Come for a day or camp all weekend.
Non-utility camping is included in the price of all multi-day tickets.
Admission: Adults $50-150 (single to 4-day), 17 & under free (Non-utility camping is included with multi-day ticket purchase.)
Admission hours: Admission hours are Thursday-Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 pm, and Sunday 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Festival is held at El Rancho Mañana (27302 Ranch Rd., Richmond, MN). The campground has 1208 acres of fields and woods and 25 miles of trails. A free tractor-drawn trolley service runs between the main stage area and the extensive campgrounds.