OK, folks! The Alaska Folk Festival begins this next Monday, April 11 at 7:00 PM and goes through Sunday, April 17. The 2005 Guest Artists are Bruce Molsky, Tony Trischka and Paula Bradley, in a configuration known as 'Jawbone'. They'll do 45 minutes on Thursday night, an hour on Sunday night and workshops and jams and a dance in between.

This is the time of year when we historically have our brightest, driest weather and when that holds true, there will be people playing on corners, in parking lots, at the back of stores, in schools and museums and retirement homes and wherever else two or more people run into each other. That's not even to mention the all-night venues. The Centennial Hall performances and the Songwriter Showcases are just the beginning.

"The Alaska Folk Festival is a unique event and can be compared more to a folk life festival then to the Folk Festivals that many of us have experienced. For the most part, no one gets paid. Performers on the main stage have 15 minute sets. Dance sets in the dance hall Thursday - Saturday nights are one hour in length. Applications come out in January and are usually due by the end of February. Performers come from all over Alaska and also from other Northwest States as well as from just about everywhere else. Performances range from school groups to professionals. Many come from hundreds or thousands of miles away, every year. The Festival is a non profit organization funded mostly from memberships. Admittance to the festival itself is free."

I must say, though, that this year's official poster reminds me of a hornet's nest...

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