2012 Festival Showcase: Bluegrass

Milwaukee Irish Fest, North America’s largest, four-day celebration of Irish music and culture, proudly announces a special tribute to bluegrass music at the 2012 festival. The bluegrass music showcase will be a central music theme during the annual festival taking place August 16-19 this year at Henry Maier Festival Park along the beautiful shore of Lake Michigan.

Each year, Milwaukee Irish Fest selects a different aspect of Irish music and culture as a special focus for the festival. This year’s tribute to bluegrass music will bring to life the music and culture surrounding this unique form of American Roots Music. Guests are invited to celebrate the genre’s rich past while renewing their appreciation of this style of music today.

It’s not widely known that bluegrass music evolved out of the folk music traditions of 18^th century immigrants who settled in the Appalachia region of the U.S. With origins in Irish, Scottish, English and Welsh ballads and tunes, the early music had a predominant string band format dominated by fiddle, and grew to include the iconic banjo, guitar, mandolin and autoharp. Called “mountain” or “Old Time” music, it frequently accompanied rural dancing styles.

As recordings and radio programs began to spread, the commercial “country music” industry was born. Over time, the center of country music was shifted to Nashville with the growing success of the Grand Ole Opry. The term “bluegrass” first came into to use in 1948 and is often credited to long-time Opry performer Bill Monroe and his Blue Grass Boys Band. Bluegrass has since continued to merge with jazz, gospel, country and Celtic music to produce the sound enjoyed around the world today.

Milwaukee Irish Fest’s bluegrass music showcase will come to life on the Celtic Roots stage, featuring several bluegrass musicians and a traveling museum display put on by the International Blue Grass Museum located in Owensboro, Kentucky. Guests will also find the sights and sounds of bluegrass on other stages and areas of the festival throughout the four-day run. Additional information about the bluegrass music showcase will be posted right here on IrishFest.com throughout the year, so check back often for entertainment updates and other surprises.

In addition to the special bluegrass music showcase, Milwaukee Irish Fest is bringing back all the festival favorites that fans have come to expect over the past 32 years. So mark your calendar for August 16-19 and get ready for all things Irish!