The third annual DelFest at the Allegany County Fairgrounds in Cumberland, Maryland does not take place until next Memorial Day Weekend. But bluegrass patriarch and nine-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Entertainer of the Year Del McCoury joined IBMA Broadcaster of the Year Katy Daley yesterday on WAMU’s “Bluegrass Country” to announce the initial lineup for the event and take calls from fans. Daley also played cuts from the Del McCoury Band’s new album, Family Circle.

Del McCoury Band

Del McCoury Band

Joining the Del McCoury Band and Del’s sons’ spin-off, The Travelin’ McCourys, next May 27-30 at the fairgrounds, nestled along the Potomac River in the Appalachian Mountains, 2.5 hours from Baltimore and Washington, D.C., will be The Avett Brothers, Joe Craven, Dailey & Vincent, Greensky Bluegrass, David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, The Hillbilly Gypsies, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Mountain Heart, Railroad Earth, Keller Williams & Friends (with Jeff Austin and Keith Moseley), Yonder Mountain String Band, and more artists to be announced.

McCoury, 70, a guitarist and vocalist, currently marking 50 years of making music, teamed with High Sierra Music in 2008 to create a family-friendly music festival celebrating his family’s musical legacy, fostering opportunities for top-notch musical collaborations, and showcasing new talent.

Early-bird weekend passes for the festival, priced at $110 for four days and $99 for three days, are available through January 11. To order tickets and for more information on the festival and a three-day Music Academy hosted by The Travelin’ McCourys that will precede it, visit www.delfest.com.