Alison Krauss and Union Station among Wide Open Bluegrass performers

Krauss will be among the performers hitting the stage at Red Hat Amphitheater as part of the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival this October. The bill, which was announced during a press conference held at the Raleigh Convention Center Thursday, also includes the Sam Bush Band, Jerry Douglas Presents Earls of Leicester, The Gibson Brothers, Blue Highway and O'Connor Family Band.

Krauss was set to perform at the 2013 event but had to cancel her appearance after being diagnosed with a vocal condition called dysphonia.

Wide Open Bluegrass, which also features a free street festival in downtown Raleigh, is Oct. 2-3. Performers for the free festival will be announced later this summer.

Tickets are required for all Red Hat Amphitheater shows. A portion of proceeds go to the Bluegrass Trust Fund, a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to individuals in the bluegrass music community in times of emergency need.

For the third year, the North Carolina Pork Council will present the Whole Hog Barbecue Championship during the festival.

In addition to the slate of performers, local officials announced that Wide Open Bluegrass will remain in Raleigh through 2018. The original agreement had the festival remaining in the city through 2015.

More than 180,000 people attended last year's World of Bluegrass event. It generated $10.8 million in direct visitor spending, according to the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.