BROWN COUNTY – Brown County will welcome fingerstyle guitar players for the Indiana State Fingerstyle guitar Festial.

Kicking off the festival from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Friday, July 31, is the Friday Night Party at the Pine Room Tavern. A large tent plus outdoor and indoor stages will provide platforms for acoustic musicians from all over the country.

Along with performances by Cari Ray & The Loaners, Maxwell Hughes and other well-known guitarists, the Gnawbone Tenderloin Food Truck will be on site. Admission to the Friday Night Party is free with open seating in the outdoor tent. Reservations are recommended for inside seating.

The music will continue at 11 a.m. Saturday with the fourth annual fingerstyle competition at the Brown County Playhouse, when 40 guitarists compete for the grand prize – a handmade, $5,500 OC Bear guitar.

Guests are encouraged to stick around for the evening concert, where winners of the competition will be announced and the top three finishers will show off their skills.

Featured performers Jack Wilson, Jonathan Brown, Tim and Myles Thompson and Michael Kelsey will then perform. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Brown County Playhouse.

Tickets for Saturday’s competition and evening concert are available at the Brown County Playhouse or online. An all-day pass, including admission to both the competition and concert, will be available for $22.50. Tickets to only the evening concert are $17.50.

To round out the weekend, guitar workshops for both beginners and advanced players will take place Sunday, Aug. 2, at the Brown County Inn. From songwriting and strumming to hand tapping and everything in between, fingerstyle experts will teach participants how to perfect their pickin’ game.

Those interested in the workshops can pre-register online. Registration the day of the event will still be available, though pre-registration is preferred. Workshop descriptions and prices can be found here.

For more information on the Indiana State Fingerstyle Guitar Festival, visit indianastringfest.com or call (812) 750-0257.