Gamble Rogers Folk Festival at St. Augustine

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. October 14, 2008

ST AUGUSTINE, FL. April 17, 2007. On May 4-6, the very best in folk music will be presented in a three-day extravaganza of entertainment, food and fun when the Gamble Rogers Folk Festival returns to the beautifully-renovated St. Augustine Amphitheatre. One of the nation's most popular folk music events, the festival showcases great performers as a tribute to Gamble Rogers, a local resident and folk music icon whose outstanding guitar picking and storytelling made him a national treasure.

In 1991, Gamble Rogers had just attained the peak of his career when he perished while trying to save a drowning stranger in the surf. Often described as the "resurrection of Will Rogers and Mark Twain," the Atlanta Journal Constitution called Gamble Rogers "an American treasure worthy of inclusion in the Smithsonian." Today, the festival along with Gamble Rogers Middle School and Gamble Rogers State Park serve as lasting reminders of a man who gave so much to this beautiful part of the Sunshine State.

The festival's six stages will present continuous music from such performers as the Burns Sister Band, the Lovell Sisters, Caroline Herring, David Jacobs-Strain, Michael Smith, Mark Johnston/Emory Lester, Josh Pinkham and the Pinkham Family Band, Wishing Chair, Peter Lang, Amy Carol Webb, VTW and The Cook Trio. In addition, many of the area's finest musicians will be performing on the festival's stages.

In addition to the live performances, the festival features music workshops for aspiring guitar, fiddle and banjo players. There will also be special activities for children, storytelling and great food. As always, two of the highlights of the festival will be the "I Remember Gamble Rogers" contest at 11 a.m. on Sunday and the "Finger-style Guitar Championship" at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Winners of each receive a $500 prize and the finger-style guitar competition winner also receives a booking to appear at the 2008 version of the festival.

The festival kicks off at 7 p.m. on Friday night with performances by five bands included in the $25 ticket price. Saturday afternoon and evening features a full slate of 14 performances available for a special combination ticket of $40 (tickets to either the afternoon or evening performance are $25 each). Sunday is also a full day of folk music and fun from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with eight main stage concerts included in the $25 admission. A special weekend pass to all of the festival's concerts and activities is available for $60 in advance or $75 at the door.

Children under 12 accompanied by a paid adult are admitted free except for the Saturday night concert when children's tickets are $10. Tickets are available in St. Augustine from Graphics Ink Design Studio, 825 Anastasia Boulevard; Music Matters, 196 SR 312 (in the Albertson Plaza); Simple Gestures, Anastasia Boulevard and White Street; and Black Fly Outfitters and Fine Art Gallery, 11 Aviles Street. In addition, tickets may be purchased online from the festival's website that also provides full festival details. Go to www.gamblefest.com. For additional information, call (904)794.0222.

The Gamble Rogers Folk Festival is funded in part by a grant from the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council. For more information on upcoming events and vacation opportunities in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, go to the Visitor and Convention Bureau's website www.getaway4florida.com or call 1.800.653.2489.