Western North Carolina loves bluegrass and the Bluegrass First Class event held at the Grand Ballroom of of the Crowne Plaza Resort in Asheville is a place for music fans to gather and hear some of the great artists of the genre. The music comes alive February 18-20.

Headliners for the weekend include Dailey & Vincent, which took the bluegrass world by storm when they took home seven International Bluegrass Music Awards in 2008, including being the only act in the history of the IBMA to be named Entertainer and Emerging Artist in the same year. The awards and accolades have continued to pile up for Dailey & Vincent.

The much-heralded Rhonda Vincent & the Rage will perform as will The Grascals, Lonesome River Band, The Seldom Scene, and Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, to name a few.

Musicians from the local and regional bluegrass scene also will be on hand for a weekend of acoustic music performances. In addition to the Grand Ballroom stage shows, many artists will entertain audiences in the cozy sunken lounge, providing fans with an opportunity to listen to the music of these musicians in a close, intimate setting.

The Crowne Plaza Resort is dedicating all of the hotel’s rooms to bluegrass fans; and all of the facility’s meeting rooms will be set aside for picking and jamming. There is a “quiet” block consisting of a few sleeping rooms that the hotel has set aside for those who wish to relax in a no-jamming zone.

Everyone staying at the Crowne Plaza Resort must purchase a minimum of two tickets per room (maximum of four) and have a minimum two-night stay of Friday and Saturday. All tickets associated with Crowne Plaza room reservations must be purchased before checking in (even if you have advance reservations).

You may order tickets online or you may contact Milton Harkey at 828.275.8650.  Ticket prices range from $90 per person for the weekend to free performances on Sunday. Visit the website for more information. For hotel reservations contact the Crowne Plaza Resort directly at 800.733.3211.