It's that time again! The Alaska Folk Festival held in Alaska's capital city, Juneau will run from April 6 through the 12th.

This year's Guest Artist(s) is Byron Berline and his band. According to AFF's website: "Playing their own brand of traditional bluegrass and Western swing music, Berline is a three time national fiddle champion and country/bluegrass legend backed by an all-star band including Billy Perry, Jim Fish, Richard Sharp, Greg Burgress, and Steve Short."

This is the 41st Folk Festival. In that time we have had a wild variety of Guest Artists. Among them that you may recognize: Merle Travis (the first GA, presented in 1977. The first three Festivals didn't have a guest artist); 1987 Peggy Seeger and Ewan McColl; 1991 Cephas & Wiggins; 1996 Brave New World (Klezmer. Wonderful!); 2004 Hot Club of Cowtown; 2007 Carolina Chocolate Drops. Last year's Guest Artists were a Cajun group. Which I missed entirely due to PEWmonia, my first miss in 27 years.

My little dog is being shipped to a friend's home for the duration, leaving me free to enjoy the festival to the fullest degree.

It really is a magic time. It starts Monday and is weeklong, every evening running from 7 o'clock to 11:00 or so. On Saturday and Sunday daytime concerts and workshops are added. Jamming is ubiquitous and takes place at dozens of corners and in stores and shops and bars and in people's homes; if the weather is clear people gather in parking lots and on grassy lawns.

People come from all over Alaska and from the 'lower 48', as we say. This year we have entries from at least 8 other states, and of course, from Canada. All performers, except for Guest Artists, are unpaid; each gets 15 minutes on stage. We always have a standby list but eventually, due to attrition and cancellations, almost all of them
get on. In actuality, jamming and socializing is the draw.

Oh. I forgot the dancing. Beginning on Thursday night, there are 4 hours of 45 minute dance bands, with a wide variety of styles.

We don't have an actual Performing Arts Center. Our auditorium is used for a lot of different things from lectures to - one year they covered the floor with sheathing and straw and presented Lippazaner Stallions. Marvelous.

Our auditorium holds about 1200 seats, and the sound is good. I wish it were tiered but it isn't so there is a scramble for good seats. Every year little kids dance in the aisles and to the sides of the stadium.

OK. That's enough. Just keep next year in mind. :)

http://www.akfolkfest.org/41/41GA.php