Ira Dean To Headline Pickin' In The Panhandle

Martinsburg, WV (Top40 Charts/ Platinum PR) Pickin' in the Panhandle is pleased to announce the addition of Ira Dean and Volume Five to their 2012 lineup. The festival, slated for September 7, 8, and 9 at the Lazy A Campground in Hedgesville, West Virginia, is one of the area's premier tourism events, attracting upwards of 10,000 attendees. "We are thrilled to have just added additional talent to our festival," said Andrea Ball, festival director. "Our goal is to provide a great weekend that will attract visitors to Berkeley County. We feel that the enhancements to the schedule will make the festival even more of a tourism draw!"

Formerly part of the country trio Trick Pony, Dean is a singer/songwriter known as "the wildman with the headlights in his chrome stand-up bass." As part of Trick Pony, Dean and his band mates received the American Music Awards (AMA's) Top New Artist and the Country Music Association's (CMA's) Artist of the Year. Touring as a solo artist in 2012, Dean will be performing at Pickin' in the Panhandle on Saturday, September 8 in place of Colt Prather. "Due to family commitments, I have had to cancel my upcoming gigs," said Prather. "I'm disappointed to be missing Pickin' in the Panhandle, but I know my good buddy Ira Dean will bring the house down!"

Bluegrass band Volume Five has also been added to the schedule. With a new twist on traditional bluegrass music, Volume Five has been receiving a great deal of buzz recently and were shortlisted by the International Bluegrass Music Association for Emerging Artist of the Year in 2012. Their first two albums met with critical acclaim, and the band is currently in studio working on their third project. Volume Five will be performing on Pickin's Main Stage and Pickin' Porch on Saturday, September 8.

Pickin' in the Panhandle, the West Virginia State BBQ & Bluegrass (and more!) festival, will be held September 7, 8, and 9 at Lazy A Campground in Hedgesville, West Virginia. The weekend will feature 32 bluegrass and country bands on three stages, the KCBS West Virginia State BBQ Championship, a backyard BBQ cookoff, bluegrass band competition, arts and crafts, Kids Korner, Beer Garden (for guests age 21 and older), camping and more. Sponsored by the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Convention and Visitors Bureau along with several area businesses and organizations, Pickin' in the Panhandle is a great family event and draws tourists from several states to the bucolic Back Creek Valley. Tickets are available online at https://www.PanhandlePickin.com, at the CVB Visitors Center located at 115 North Queen Street in downtown Martinsburg, at Outdoor Express RV in Falling Waters, at Daily Grind in Martinsburg, and at all three Cell Page Communications locations (Ranson, Hedgesville, and Martinsburg Mall.) Please visit the website https://www.PanhandlePickin.com or call 1-800-4WVA-FUN [498-2386] for the complete music lineup and other information about the festival. For a glimpse of Pickin', visit their YouTube channel.