Blistered Fingers Bluegrass Festival is one of the largest family musical events in New England. The festival takes place twice a year, bringing thousands of music lovers from all over the world to Litchfield, Maine. The banjos and fiddles will play Wednesday, June 18 through Saturday, June 21 at the Litchfield Fairgrounds.

Blistered Fingers is a traditional bluegrass band from central Maine that travels extensively around the northeast and eastern Canada. This festival has something for all ages, and has been around in June and August since 1991.

Blistered Fingers and the Bluegrass Music Association of Maine have gotten together to create a free, relaxed, informative three day music program for children for ages 6-18 with the Blistered Fingers Kids Academy. The focus is how to play and sing bluegrass music. Students will bring their own instruments and will commit to the three day program. All the kids get a Free T-shirt and the group will perform a couple of songs on the Main stage on Saturday.

This event features many worldwide and local bands. June performers on Wednesday, June 18 are The Roys (Tennessee) and The Kevin Prater Band (Kentucky); Thursday, June 19: The Kevin Prater Band and Lonesome Will Mullins (Virginia); Friday, June 20: Lonesome Will returns with Blue Around The Edges (Rhode Island); Saturday night only: The Gibson Brothers (New York), Little Roy & Lizzy Long (Georgia and Tennessee) and Maine's Blistered Fingers' mix of original material, soulful ballads and hard driving traditional bluegrass music with a little good humor thrown in.

Playing on Friday, June 20 and Saturday, June 21, Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, the Maine-based Wilf Clark & Misty Mountaineers, Zink & Company (Massachusetts) and The Baker Family (Missouri) take the stage.

On Sunday, June 22 it's the Robinson Gospel Sing Along & Jam (Massachusetts).

The gates will open at 8 a.m. on Sunday, June 15, 2014 for early birds. Weekend tickets for each festival will cover four days of great music and camping from Wednesday to Saturday and Sunday Morning Gospel Sing Along and Jam.

Tickets available at gate (prices are per person): Early Bird camping (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday before festival) costs $10/day per camper; all four days with free camping is $80; children 12 and under are free with a paying adult; Wednesday and Thursday only, $15; Friday only, $30 (after 5 p.m./$20); Saturday only, $30 (after 5 p.m./$20); Sunday is free with weekend pass.

If camping, electical power costs $20 for your entire stay. Dogs are welcome and get through the gate for $10.

The festival grounds have a big stage that was built in 2010, 18 indoor restroom facilities for women and 18 for men, four free hot showers, numerous water locations throughout the grounds, as well as electrical hookups. There will be several food and craft vendors to select from.

Our festival location has a “Welcome Home” country atmosphere and flat, solid grounds and is located at 30 Plains Road in Litchfield.

For directions and other information, visit www.blisteredfingers.com, or contact Sandy Cormier at blist-f@blisteredfingers.com or 207-873-6539.