For the Press
A.J. Lee
Rhiannon Giddens
The Infamous Stringdusters, photo by Daniel Milchev
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival to Celebrate Ron Thomason’s Farewell Performances Dry Branch Fire Squad veteran member to retire after 50 years on the road |
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June 29, 2026 (Oak Hill, NY) –– After fifty years on the road with Dry Branch Fire Squad, Ron Thomason has chosen the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival for his farewell performances. This July, Grey Fox will celebrate the extraordinary career of one of bluegrass music’s most beloved performers. For generations of Grey Fox audiences, Thomason’s unique blend of traditional bluegrass, masterful storytelling, quick wit, and musicianship has been one of the defining experiences of the festival. Throughout the weekend, fans will have multiple opportunities to celebrate his remarkable career, including Dry Branch Fire Squad performances; a special conversation with Ron, his bandmates and guests; his beloved Hambone Workshop; and the band’s traditional Sunday Gospel Set. Mary Tyler Doub, founder of Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, said, “Very few people become part of a festival’s identity. Ron Thomason is one of them. For decades, his music, wit, and friendship have helped define Grey Fox. I’m so grateful to have shared this journey together, and I hope everyone joins us in celebrating this remarkable man.” Raised in the mountains of Russell County, Virginia, above the Clinch River, Thomason began performing professionally at age 13 and developed the deep appreciation for traditional Appalachian music and storytelling that has defined his career. Along the way, he also distinguished himself as an athlete, teacher, farmer, and horseman. Thomason founded Dry Branch Fire Squad in 1976, creating one of bluegrass music’s most enduring bands. Since 1985, the band has served as host band for the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival while also hosting Colorado’s High Mountain Hay Fever Bluegrass Festival. Dry Branch Fire Squad has toured throughout the United States and internationally, serving as a musical ambassador through U.S. cultural exchange programs, recording more than 25 albums, and earning a reputation for its uncompromising dedication to traditional bluegrass. Thomason has also performed and recorded with bluegrass legends including Ralph Stanley, Hazel Dickens, Ricky Skaggs, Keith Whitley, Joe Isaacs, and The Clinch Mountain Boys. Beyond his musical career, Thomason is widely regarded as a true renaissance man. An award-winning educator, he taught mathematics and English for three decades and still finds former students thanking him for the difference he made in their lives. He has also trained champion Arabian horses, advocated for conservation, helped produce major bluegrass festivals, and mentored countless musicians and students. Festival attendees are invited to join in celebrating Thomason’s remarkable career and thanking him for the joy, laughter, and unforgettable performances he has shared over the decades. Fans will have a number of opportunities to celebrate Ron throughout the festival:
Festival schedules and ticket information are available at GreyFoxBluegrass.com. About the Grey Fox Bluegrass FestivalNow in its fourth decade, the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival is one of North America’s premier bluegrass and roots music festivals, bringing together internationally acclaimed performers, emerging artists, workshops, dancing, family programming, and thousands of music lovers each summer in New York’s scenic northern Catskill Mountains. Hosted by Dry Branch Fire Squad with AJ Lee as Artist-in-Residence, the 2026 lineup is led by Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue, Del McCoury Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, The SteelDrivers, Darrell Scott String Band featuring Rob Ickes, Della Mae, The Brothers Comatose, Amy Helm, and East Nash Grass, and more national and international bluegrass and roots music artists. WHAT: Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival Press Contact: Victory Lap Media ————————– |
For Immediate Release
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival Welcomes Reggie “Guitaro 5000” Guillaume for First Stop of Sing with Me Live: The World Tour
Viral musician and creator begins a new musical chapter at Grey Fox, exploring bluegrass tradition through banjo, community, and unscripted collaboration
May 27, 2026 (Oak Hill, NY) –– Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival will become the first stop on an entirely new musical journey this summer as Reggie “Guitaro 5000” Guillaume launches Sing with Me Live: The World Tour with a challenge unlike anything he has done before: learning bluegrass from the inside out.
Known around the world for his spontaneous public singalongs and deeply human style of musical storytelling, Guillaume has spent years walking into unfamiliar places with a guitar, a camera, and a simple invitation: Will you sing a song with me? This summer, he is turning that same curiosity toward a world that is entirely new to him.
Ahead of Grey Fox, Guillaume, a guitarist and singer by trade, will pick up a banjo for the first time, diving headfirst into the traditions, sounds and community that have shaped bluegrass music for generations. Rather than arriving with a polished setlist or carefully scripted performance, Guillaume plans to approach Grey Fox the same way he approaches every city and community he visits: by listening first.
Throughout the festival, attendees can expect spontaneous musical encounters as Guillaume wanders the grounds documenting his experience, learning from musicians and festivalgoers alike, and inviting Grey Fox patrons to take part in his signature Sing with Me moments, this time with a bluegrass twist. Campground jams, impromptu collaborations, and first attempts at banjo tunes may all become part of the unfolding story.
For Grey Fox, where some of the festival’s most memorable moments happen outside of scheduled sets and deep within circles of musicians passing songs around, the collaboration feels like a natural fit.
“Bluegrass feels like community — families, jam sessions, stories, people making music together,” said Guillaume. “I’m honored by the invitation to learn from this culture and grateful for the chance to help Grey Fox grow the bluegrass community by sharing it with new audiences around the world.”
Born in the Catskill Mountains in the 1980s, Grey Fox has grown into one of the Northeast’s most cherished music gatherings. Each summer, the festival delivers an experience all its own –– drawing visitors from all corners of the world to celebrate with five days of standout performances, once-in-a-lifetime collaborations, late-night campground jams, dancing, artisan vendors, and reunions under wide open skies.
An annual who’s who of bluegrass, newgrass, and roots music, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival returns to Oak Hill, NY, July 15-19, 2026. For more information, to view the full schedule, and to purchase tickets, please visit GreyFoxBluegrass.com.
Press Contact: Victory Lap Media
Danielle Dror – [email protected]
Karaline Bailey – [email protected]
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About Reggie “Guitaro 5000” Guillaume
Reggie “Guitaro 5000” Guillaume makes music the old-fashioned way: with other people. His spontaneous public singalongs — filmed from city streets to festivals around the world — transform strangers into collaborators and crowds into temporary communities. Blending the spirit of folk tradition with modern live media, Guitaro has become known for creating participatory musical moments that feel equal parts street performance, cultural exchange, and documentary storytelling. Through Sing with Me Live and G5 Media, he continues to build a global audience around the simple act of singing together.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE —
GREY FOX BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Shares Lineup for July 15-19, 2026 Event
Featuring Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue, The Del McCoury Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, The SteelDrivers, and more.
Announcing Artist-in-Residence AJ Lee and Festival Host Dry Branch Fire Squad
Tickets and Camping Passes on Sale Now
February 16, 2026 (Oak Hill, NY) –– Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival returns to the idyllic grounds of Walsh Farm in Oak Hill, NY for another unforgettable retreat of bluegrass, newgrass, and roots music July 15-19 with headliners Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue, The Del McCoury Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, and The SteelDrivers. Dry Branch Fire Squad, the festival’s longtime host outfit, will once again deliver top-notch entertainment and storytelling throughout the weekend, while newly named artist-in-residence AJ Lee is poised for dozens of enthralling cameos across several stages. Also appearing at Grey Fox 2026 will be the GRAMMY-nominated, trailblazing all-woman ensemble Della Mae, powerhouse combo Darrell Scott String Band featuring Rob Ickes, and numerous others. Additionally, Grey Fox has always welcomed extraordinary artists from beyond the U.S., this year being no exception—with talent from Ireland, Norway, the UK, and Canada. View the complete lineup below.
Born in the Catskill Mountains in the 1980s, Grey Fox has grown into one of the Northeast’s most cherished music gatherings. Each summer, the festival delivers an experience all its own––drawing visitors from all corners of the world to celebrate with five days of standout performances, once-in-a-lifetime collaborations, late-night campground jams, dancing, artisan vendors, and reunions under wide open skies. Renowned for its vibrant mix of scheduled programming and spontaneous moments, the festival also features music and dance workshops, family-friendly activities, yoga and meditation sessions, and a diverse lineup of culinary offerings. Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival remains a can’t-miss destination for fans of all ages and backgrounds.
An annual who’s who of bluegrass, newgrass, and roots music, Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival returns to Oak Hill, NY, July 15–19, 2026. Passes are on sale now.
WHAT: Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival
WHEN: Wednesday, July 15–Sunday, July 19, 2026
WHERE: 1 Poultney Road, Oak Hill, NY 12460
TICKETS: Click Here to Purchase
FESTIVAL WEBSITE: GreyFoxBluegrass.com
Press Contact: Victory Lap Media
Danielle Dror – [email protected]
Karaline Bailey – [email protected]
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Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival 2026 Lineup
Hosted by Dry Branch Fire Squad
AJ Lee (Artist-in-Residence)
Rhiannon Giddens & The Old-Time Revue
The Del McCoury Band
The Infamous Stringdusters
The SteelDrivers
AJ Lee & Blue Summit
Darrell Scott String Band feat. Rob Ickes
The Travelin’ McCourys present The Grateful Ball
Jason Carter & Michael Cleveland
Della Mae
The Brothers Comatose
Amy Helm
East Nash Grass
Andy Falco & Travis Book Play Jerry Garcia
The Revelers
Darol Anger + Joe K. Walsh’s BLUR-GRASS
John Doyle
I Draw Slow
Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra
Shelby Means
Michael Daves & Jacob Jolliff
Le Vent du Nord
Dom Flemons & The Traveling Wildfires
Pine Leaf Boys
Kaia Kater & Tray Wellington
The Jacob Jolliff Band
The Often Herd
The Faux Paws
The Sentimental Gentlemen
John Hartford Fiddle Tune Project
Level Best
George Jackson & Brad Kolodner
Farayi
Mark Gamsjager & The Lustre Kings
Jim Gaudet & The Railroad Boys
Henry Ferland
John, Trish & Quickstep
The Burnett Sisters Band
J.M. Clifford
Northern Lights Reunion
Gentlemen’s Gambit
Grey Fox in the News
‘Tell Your Grey Fox Story’ Project
"Tell Your Grey Fox Story" Project Bluegrass BKLYN has been named 2026 Grey Fox Podcast-in-Residence, capturing the spirit of the festival through artist interviews, themed jam sessions in Fox Hollow, and the "Tell Your Grey Fox Story" project. Festival-goers are...
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival Welcomes Reggie “Guitaro 5000” Guillaume for First Stop of Sing with Me Live: The World Tour
For Immediate Release Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival Welcomes Reggie “Guitaro 5000” Guillaume for First Stop of Sing with Me Live: The World Tour Viral musician and creator begins a new musical chapter at Grey Fox, exploring bluegrass tradition through banjo, community,...
I ❤️ NY: 27 Summer Music Festivals You Don’t Want to Miss in New York State
Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival Dates: July 16-20Where: Oak Hill Dave Weiland, Grey Fox Staff Photographer Set on the grounds of bucolic Walsh Farm, this five-day festival is a who’s who of bluegrass, newgrass, and roots music. Headliners include Del McCoury, Sam Bush,...