Suwannee Springfest Announces 2008 Lineup

12th Annual Florida music festival features top talents in Americana, Bluegrass & Folk. Commander Cody & the Lost Planet Airmen slated to appear.

The holiday season means that the 2008 music festival season is right around the corner. The 12th Annual Suwannee Springfest marks the season by making its initial lineup announcement. Over 8,000 dedicated music lovers from across the nation are expected to be on hand when the festival takes place March 27-30, 2008, at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, FL. The eclectic list of over 40 acts includes many of the finest performers in Americana, Bluegrass, Folk, and Roots Rock music including the David Grisman Quintet, Commander Cody & the Lost Planet Airmen, Donna the Buffalo, Peter Rowan, Railroad Earth, Guy Clark, Jim Lauderdale, Infamous Stringdusters, Steep Canyon Rangers, the Greencards, the Lee Boys, the Waybacks, Red Stick Ramblers, Claire Lynch & the Front Porch Stringband, Blueground Undergrass, Acoustic Syndicate, and Larry Keel & Natural Bridge.

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For more than 40 years, mandolinist/composer David Grisman and his Quintet have been busy creating "dawg" music, a unique blend of many stylistic influences including swing, bluegrass, latin, jazz and gypsy. In doing so, Grisman has inspired a whole new genre of acoustic string instrumental music with style and virtuosity while creating a notable niche for himself in the world of contemporary music. Praised for his mastery of the mandolin as well as his talents as a composer, bandleader, teacher and record producer by the New York Times, David’s role as an acoustic innovator continues to grow. After recording for several major and independent labels, Grisman founded his own record company, Acoustic Disc, which he runs from his studio in northern California. After launching the label in 1990, he entered the most prolific period of his distinguished career, producing over 50 critically -acclaimed recordings of acoustic music, five of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards. Suwannee Springfest is proud to present the David Grisman Quintet for an afternoon mandolin workshop and an evening Amphitheatre Stage performance on Saturday, March 29, 2008.

With over 100 sets of music scheduled, Suwannee Springfest also gives music festival fans the chance to get intimate with the performers, too. Many artists participate in music workshops that present attendees the opportunity to interact with and learn from these master musicians in a way not often found at most festivals. Fans can even play along with some of the festival’s performers, many of whom appear at impromptu campground stages and jam sessions that seem to pop up under the trees. The festival has a children’s area with supervised activities for kids and the young at heart. A colorful vending village offers handmade arts & crafts and a variety of healthy and fun food & beverage choices. Free yoga classes are scheduled each day.

Suwannee Springfest is a music festival experience unlike any other. Besides presenting 4 full days of first-class music on 5 stages, the festival also offers a spectacular location that is second to none anywhere. Nestled along the oak-shaded, moss-draped banks of the historic Suwannee River, the festival site offers over 600 acres of prime wooded camping. Accommodations range from fully-equipped cabins to deluxe RV campsites with water, electric, and cable hookups, as well as 4 bath & shower houses and plenty of shaded space for tent & vehicle campers. Other campground amenities include a canoe outpost, horse stables, swimming pool, and over 12 miles of hiking trails.

Suwannee Springfest was featured in the critically-acclaimed PBS documentary film Music Farmers: Sowing the Seeds of Americana, which aired nationwide in the Spring of 2007. The film focused on the music, performers, spirit, and camaraderie at Suwannee Springfest along with its sister music festival MagnoliaFest, held each fall at the same location.

For complete information and to purchase tickets for Suwannee Springfest, visit the festival website or call 904-249-7990.

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