National Finger Style Guitar Champion Pete Huttlinger will give a workshop during Winfield.

Winfield, KS — Throughout its 37 year history, the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS has been known for attracting the finest acoustic musicians and performers from all over the world. The talent on the festival stages keeps audiences returning to Winfield year after year.

Since 1999, music lovers have had a chance to tap into the expertise of some performers at the Walnut Valley Festival’s Pre-Festival Workshops. Held this year on September 17th, the Wednesday prior to the start of the festival, musicians of various ages and levels get a chance to enroll in day-long workshops led by some of the top musicians in the acoustic music world. These workshops are limited in size, which increases the contact participants receive with the workshop leader. All workshops are hands on. The workshop leaders know that the best way to learn is to experience the techniques for yourself, so bringing your instrument is encouraged.

This year’s workshop line-up features a Who’s Who of internationally known musicians, all of whom will be featured performers on the stages of the Walnut Valley Festival. Presenters include two-time National Flat Pick Guitar champion Robert Shafer, who will be performing with Mandolin workshop presenter Johnny Staats. Also presenting is National Finger Style Guitar Champion Pete Huttlinger, who will share a workshop with award winning Australian Nick Charles.

Carnegie Hall performer and Grand Champion Guitarist of the Union Grove Fiddler’s Convention, Andy May returns to lead his extremely popular Porch Pickers series workshop. Award winning bluegrass singer, songwriter, performer and Sirius radio DJ Chris Jones will lead a bluegrass vocals workshop, and Jones’ banjo player Ned Luberecki, also a Sirius radio DJ who holds his own list of accolades, will share his knowledge and skills in a banjo workshop.

Andy May’s Porch Pickers series workshop returns to Walnut Valley.

Rounding out this year’s workshops are featured performer Linda Thomas of the Thomas/DeLancey Trio, who will be leading a hammered dulcimer workshop; and Michael Reno Harrell, award winning songwriter and storyteller who will be leading the Songwriter’s workshop.

All of the workshop instructors encourage full participation in the classes. Participants can tap the knowledge stream of the leaders as they improve their own ability. The limited numbers in each workshop allows the sessions to become family-style learning, with each participant having the same goal – becoming better musicians while learning from the best performers in the business.

The workshops are filling up quickly, but there is still room in each workshop. For more information, head to www.wvfest.com, and on the left menu, click on “Special Events” and then “Workshops.” This will show you registration information as well as workshop descriptions for this year’s Pre-Festival Workshops.

Advance tickets are currently available for the Walnut Valley Festival set to begin on September 17th at the Winfield Fairgrounds. Additional information can be found on the World Wide Web at wvfest.com. Advance priced tickets are still available and may be purchased at the 918 Main Street office through 5:00 pm. September16.