The inaugural DelFest Academy will take place from May 18-21, 2009.

The Academy, which will take place at the DelFest venue – the Allegany County Fairgrounds, Cumberland, Maryland – provides two levels of instruction: Level 1 (novice to intermediate) and Level 2 (intermediate to advanced) for guitar, banjo, fiddle, mandolin and bass during the four days immediately preceding DelFest itself. Members of the Del McCoury Band and others will provide instruction.

The academic week will begin with a meet and greet for students and instructors and end on Thursday night with a Question & Answer session with the Del McCoury Band, followed by a wrap party.

There is a very limited number of places available for the 2009 Academy. For more information about the Academy visit the DelFest website.

Each Academy ticket includes an Adult 3-day pass for DelFest itself. If you are planning to attend the Academy with a family member or friend who does not wish to attend, a limited number of guest passes are also available. Guest passes allow your guest to camp with you on the DelFest site and enjoy the Monday and Thursday evening events in addition to attending DelFest. Details regarding the purchase of tickets for the Academy and DelFest are available at the DelFest website also.

DelFest itself takes place during Memorial Day Weekend, May 22-24, 2009.

In addition to multiple appearances by the Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush, Railroad Earth, Peter Rowan and The Free Mexican Air Force, J.D. Crowe and The New South, Tim O’Brien, The Infamous Stringdusters, The Lee Boys, Joe Craven, Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass, the Davisson Brothers Band and 2008 DelFest band competition winners Vinegar Creek Constituency are among those already confirmed.