OAK HILL — “Spirit of Grey Fox 2020” will take place entirely online Thursday through Sunday, July 16 through July 19 on nugs.tv. It is this year’s version of the four-day festival that (prior to the pandemic) is home to thousands of fans, artists, vendors, and volunteers each summer in Oak Hill. The online version will be filled with special performances created just for this event by the artists who were scheduled to perform live at Grey Fox 2020, plus archival sets from over the years. “Spirit of Grey Fox 2020” is a fundraiser for the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Trust Fund for COVID-19 Relief. Donations by viewers will help bluegrass musicians, and others who make their living in the world of bluegrass, who have been hard hit by the pandemic. Donations to the trust fund may be made at ibma.org.
The four-day show will be hosted by 9-time Grammy winner, Jerry Douglas, along with Ron Thomason, Sierra Hull, and Joe Newberry. They’ll lead viewers through the weekend while social distancing from their homes in Nashville, Raleigh, and the Colorado Rockies.
The producers of “Spirit of Grey Fox 2020” have been overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of this year’s artists to participate in the event. The festival will include one-of-kind 2020 performances by The Infamous Stringdusters, Yonder Mountain String Band, The Travelin’ McCourys, Sam Bush, Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy, Steep Canyon Rangers, Della Mae, Peter Rowan, Sierra Hull, Michael Cleveland, We Banjo 3, Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, Alison Brown Quintet, Che Apalache, Charm City Junction, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, Compton and Newberry, Fireside Collective, U.S. Navy Band Country Current, Mark Schatz and Bryan McDowell, Stillhouse Junkies, The Wildmans, Circus No. 9., Giri and Uma Peters with Jerry Douglas, Barbaro, Crying Uncle, Grain Thief, Serene Green and more. Bios, music, and videos of these artists can be found on www.GreyFoxBluegrass.com
Full archival sets from past years will include The Del McCoury Band, Tommy Emmanuel, Nickel Creek, I’m With Her, The Infamous Stringdusters, Greensky Bluegrass, The Wood Brothers, Hot Rize, The Earls of Leicester, Sam Bush Band, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Sierra Hull, The HillBenders, Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band, We Banjo 3, and A Grateful Ball with The Travelin’ McCourys and The Larry Keel Experience. Each year, hundreds of kids attend Grey Fox with their families and enjoy the Family Stage and/or the Bluegrass Academy for Kids. To entertain young music fans, the festival will stream several Family Stage musicians, puppeteers, and a ventriloquist, as well as the Grey Fox Bluegrass Academy for Kids Class of 2020 with their director, Mark Panfil, all beginning at 11:00 a.m. Sunday. After the family portion of the day, Sunday will conclude with three archival sets from Dry Branch Fire Squad, The Gibson Brothers, and Michael Daves and Friends featuring Tony Trischka. The complete day-by-day schedule is posted at www.greyfoxbluegrass.com.
Viewing the event is free and available through nugs.tv, Facebook, and YouTube. facebook.com/greyfoxbluegrass, and the Grey Fox YouTube channel.
For a fee, Drive-In32 in Greenville, is presenting the event on Friday and Saturday. “Spirit of Grey Fox 2020” is sponsored by Great Northern Catskills of Greene County, ArtistWorks, and Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. More information visit GreyFoxBluegrass.com.
