Hi everyone,

I am a volunteer helping to get out the word about the Greenwood Furnace Folk Gathering in Pennsylvania. Below is an article. I tried to put a link up top. The url is spelled out later in the article.

I'm looking forward to going. If any of you plan to go too, please send me a message at bfolkemer@yahoo.com.

Thanks for reading this message!

Beth Folkemer

FOLK MUSIC GATHERING AT GREENWOOD FURNACE STATE PARK Greenwood Furnace Folk Gathering (814) 643-6220

The first annual Greenwood Furnace Folk Gathering will take place July 16-18 at Greenwood Furnace State Park, a gorgeous location about midway between State College and Huntingdon, PA. Participants will be welcomed to a weekend of music with plenty of opportunities to share, jam, dance, and learn. Musicians of all levels as well as non-musicians who wish to listen or experiment, or pick up a dance step or two, are invited to participate in workshops designed and led by professional musicians. Saturday evening's highlight will be a concert with "Simple Gifts" followed by an old fashioned square dance.

Greenwood Furnace State Park, on the Mifflin County border, Rte 305, is nestled on the western edge of the Central Pennsylvania area known as the Seven Mountains. The park features outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities, such as swimming in a spring fed lake as well as miles of hiking and mountain biking trails. The state park also offers historic exhibits and summertime programs. Considering the park's amenities, and the event's activities for non-musicians, the festival provides an opportunity for families to share a weekend of recreation.

In addition to Simple Gifts, staff includes Kitchen Chair, Howard & Jodi Blumenthal, Curtis Rockwell, Carl Rahkonen, Tina Czajkowski, Steve Buckalew, Dolores Heagy, Todd Clewell, Clark Parry, and Cindy Durkee.

Camping is available in the park, but planners anticipate the campground will fill, so make reservations as soon as possible. Call the park at 814/667-1800 and indicate that you are a festival participant. Hotel accommodations are available within 15 miles in Huntingdon, Lewistown, or State College. There are also bed & breakfast accommodations; call 877/568-9739 for info. Shavers Creek Recreational Facility (10 miles from the park, 814/863-0762) has cabins available.

The cost of the weekend is a first-year special of $55. The fee includes all workshops, concerts, and jams, plus the Saturday night square dance (participants can either play or dance). A meal package is available for $25 and includes all meals on Saturday plus breakfast Sunday. A vegetarian menu is available.

For more information or to register, see http://www.simplegiftsmusic.com/gffg/ or contact the Huntingdon County Arts Council at hcac@pennswoods.net or 814/643-6220. Register and look forward to a fun, relaxed weekend of music making.

This program is partially funded by a grant from Pennsylvania Performing Arts on Tour, developed by the Vira I. Heinz Endowment; the William Penn Foundation; the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency; and the Pew Charitable Trusts; and administered by Mid Atlantic Arts Fund.