favorite folk festivals which I've attended

Subject: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Sharon
Date: 24 Jun 97 - 09:59 AM

Just returned from the Southern Michigan Dulcimer Festival at Parma, Mi. Lots of professional workshop leaders: Judy Morningstar - one of my favorites. Rick Thum - wonderful on hammered dulcimer. I plan to go to Fiddlers Gathering at Battleground, IN. Have you been there? Coming up in August is Celtic Fest. in Goderich, Ontario.. I went 2 years ago and have heard that it has grown since then..

Subject: favorite folk festivalss which I've attended
From: Sharon
Date: 24 Jun 97 - 10:01 AM

Just returned from the Southern Michigan Dulcimer Festival at Parma, Mi. Lots of professional workshop leaders: Judy Morningstar - one of my favorites. Rick Thum - wonderful on hammered dulcimer. I plan to go to Fiddlers Gathering at Battleground, IN. Have you been there? Coming up in August is Celtic Fest. in Goderich, Ontario.. I went 2 years ago and have heard that it has grown since then..

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From:
Date: 24 Jun 97 - 02:21 PM

I'm afraid that I've never been to those festivals, though I would like to go at some point in the future.. I have a slight transportation problem. There was word of a festival somewhere in NJ in the next month or so, but I can't for the life of me remember where it was. *sigh*

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Angus McSweeney
Date: 24 Jun 97 - 03:50 PM

SingOut! Homepage has a search for performers and their concert dates. It might help you locate that festival in New Jersey. (I won't make any New Jersey jokes - it might start a new thread.) They can be found at www.libertynet.org/~singout/ Good Luck.

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Susan of DT
Date: 24 Jun 97 - 07:14 PM

Dick and I try to get to some festivals every year; Mystic Sea Music Festival, Mystic CT 2nd weekend in June; Champlain Folk Festival, Burlington VT Aug 2 or 9; Eisteddfod, No. Dartmouth MA, Sept 27

We often go to Old Songs in Altamont NY (Schnectady area), it this weekend, i think.

And we have been to others less often, between VA and Ontario, mostly east coast

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 25 Jun 97 - 04:39 AM

The 2 letter abbreviations for American states are mostly meaningless to me. Does anyone want to enlighten me? It would make threads like this much more meaningful.

Thanks,Alan

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Sharon
Date: 25 Jun 97 - 08:17 AM

I absolutely hate this predicament: I misspelled "festivals" when I started this thread and now I am sentenced to look at that word "festivils" each time another response comes in. Such self-inflicted torture!!

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Sharon
Date: 25 Jun 97 - 08:17 AM

I absolutely hate this predicament: I misspelled "festivals" when I started this thread and now I am sentenced to look at that word "festivils" each time another response comes in. Such self-inflicted torture!!

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: LaMarca
Date: 25 Jun 97 - 01:31 PM

While looking for info on the Champlain Valley Festival in Vermont, their site linked to another neat site being compiled about music festival of all sorts of different genres:

http://www.festivalfinder.com/

It doesn't have a lot of folk festivals yet, but seems to be growing.

I work on crew for several festivals co-sponsored by the National Council for the Traditional Arts; two of their biggies are:
The Washington Irish Festival at Wolf Trap, Virginia, on the Sunday before Memorial Day. This is a great Irish festival featuring some of the best traditional musicians and dancers from the Irish-American communities around the US, Ireland and related musics from Cape Breton, Quebec and more.
The National Folk Festival - this one moves to different spots in the US every three years, and features a mix of nationally known acts and performers from the local area. There's always a mix of a lot of different knds of music; this year in Dayton, Ohio, we had Don Walser and his Pure Texas Band (country/honky-tonk), Bruce Daigrepont (Cajun), Samba Ngo (African), Sabor Latino (salsa/merengue), Valahia (Roumanian dance band) and lots more - you get the picture. Next year's will be in Dayton again, then on to a new city.
The NCTA sponsored festivals and tours tend to concentrate on "Roots" music from particular ethnic/regional communities, both acoustic and electric, so you get to hear a different mix from the performers that do the "Folk circuit" of Old Songs, Mystic, Eisteddfodd, etc. Not saying one is better than the other; I like being able to hear both!

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Mountain Dog
Date: 26 Jun 97 - 01:47 PM

I've always liked the Winfield (Kansas) Bluegrass Festival, though I haven't been able to attend in many an aeon. Features a wide variety of folk music and musicians (I've seen Bryan Bowers, De Dannan, David Grisman, Marc O'Connor, Norman Blake and Hot Rize in the course of a single day, for example). Winfield is also home to national flatpicking and fiddle championships. It's a summer event, 3 or 4 days in duration and well worth the trip to the hot, dry plains of Kansas.

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: RS
Date: 26 Jun 97 - 06:21 PM

Right next to my "Mudcat Discussion Forum" bookmark is my "Canadian Folk Festivals" bookmark, at: http://www.interlog.com/~ufojoe/ , with "information on over fifty Canadian Folk Festivals".

[and they also link back to DT from their home page].

I've been to festivals in Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, Barrie, Picton, Owen Sound, Winnipeg, and out in Nova Scotia. They all have their own unique characters, but I have never been disappointed!

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Susan of DT
Date: 26 Jun 97 - 06:46 PM

Sorry Alan, I guess we get a little parochial, but I don't suppose you will get to any of them.

CT = Connecticut VT = Vermont MA = Massachusetts NY = New York VA = Virginia

Most are self explanitory if you know all the states, at least until you get into the popular first letters:

ME = Maine, MO = Missouri, MS = Mississippi, MI = Michigan, etc.

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Bill D
Date: 26 Jun 97 - 08:33 PM

Mountain Dog is right about Winfield...I used to live in Wichita...30 minutes away and I attended the first 12 festivals and 3 since...it has a WIDE variety of good music, and the best campground/parking lot picking to be found anywhere

Here in the Wash DC area there are several nice festivals each year, including a free festival each June(except this year!!*sniff*) at Glen Echo Park just north of DC....We have 400-500 performers in ethnic catagories you wouldn't believe-- as well as traditional American & British Isles...bookmark this page
WFF
and check it out....also there are other festivals including the Smithsonian Folk Festival, which is happening right now...Other DC area festivals

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Sharon Day
Date: 26 Jun 97 - 10:51 PM

Eagle Creek FolK Festival in Indianapolis, IN. Go to http://www.iupui.edu/~dsilk/dulsoc.html

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: RS
Date: 28 Jun 97 - 09:26 AM

To Bill D: How did you get your thread message to *link* "WFF" and "Other DC area festivals" ???

This is the first time, on this forum, that I have been able to click directly on a web site indicator in a message to go to the site referred to ... usually I have to cut & paste, or type in, which is much less convenient than simply clicking.

My own e-mail program automatically links anything that I receive that starts out with http:// , but my browser does not do this with messages on these threads!

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Jun 97 - 10:05 AM

I did this with the only 'html' code I know...and I don't really 'know' that! In a file in my Windows 'cardfile' program, I have this bit of code I copy and paste into this window:
first I paste it so it looks like this
(a href="http://xxx.yyy.zzz")Sightname(/a)
except that the ( ) are really < > and thre are no " " in it..making it look like this
Sitename (move your mouse over the blue text without clicking and see if this shows at the bottom of the screen)
then I get the actual address I want and backspace over the "http://xxx.yyy.zzz" part so that it looks like this (a href=)Sitename(/a) --still with <> instead of ( ).Then I put my cursor between the = and the > and paste in the address.
The last step is to replace the word 'sitename' with some word or phrase I want to to appear in blue for you to click on(no real limit here).....mind you, you CAN type the thing out in one step, if you can keep it all in your head...I just dont trust my typing.

There are various ways to do the cutting and pasting....like pasting both the address and the code here...then 'cutting' the address back out and re-pasting it when you are sure you have the code right....whatever works for you...when you are done it looks something like this....(a href=http://www.chepd.mq.edu.au/boomerang/songNet/songnet.html )Australian songs(/a)...or, with the ( ) replaced by <>, like this Australian songs

This can look intimidating, but after a couple times, you may have a more elegant way than I do...

Boy I hope I got all that right...I guess I'll see after I push the button!!

By the way...the xxx.yyy.zzz and the word sitename are just placeholders so I can visualize the finished code...one can use just (a href=)(/a) with the ( ) replaced by <>if you can keep it clear in your head...

Have fun!

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: RS
Date: 28 Jun 97 - 06:30 PM

Thanks Bill, I was hoping it would be less complicated than this (i.e. like my e-mail program that makes a link automatically!) but I'll give it a try when I have something to post.

To the site managers ... can you figure out another way to post linked URLs, that might be less complicated, for html novices to use?

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Alan of Oz
Date: 28 Jun 97 - 09:51 PM

Thanks Susan, no need to apologise for my ignorance. I just seem to get a better feel for what I read if I know roughly what locations I'm reading about.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 28 Jun 97 - 10:20 PM

That was interesting Bill. In my caseAustralian songs shows up with the colour change indicating I've been to that site before.

Actually this reply is really just a trial to see what happens.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Bill D
Date: 28 Jun 97 - 11:07 PM

*smile* yep, Alan....I used that site because when I get rich, I'm going to visit Australia and collect Australian songs and wood..(my other life being a woodturner).I already have a song about woodturning written by someone named Phyll Sobel... of Sydney...perhaps I'll type it up soon and see if anyone recognizes it or can tell me anything else about him...

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Jun 97 - 12:24 AM

*smile* yep, Alan....I used that site because when I get rich, I'm going to visit Australia and collect Australian songs and wood..(my other life being a woodturner).I already have a song about woodturning written by someone named Phyll Sobel... of Sydney...perhaps I'll type it up soon and see if anyone recognizes it or can tell me anything else about him...

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Alison
Date: 29 Jun 97 - 05:50 AM

Hi

Bill, do you mean Phyl Lobl? If so I think she's a woman. She's appearing in one of our local folk clubs in August. So if you need any info let us know and either myself or Alan of Australia will probably be able to find it out for you.

Slainte

Alison

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Frank in the swamps
Date: 29 Jun 97 - 06:59 AM

Alan of AU.

You'll find the first letter of the state followed by the second letter, unless two states have a commonality in their spelling, then we just start shooting at differences (pun aknowledged). For example, Alaska and Alabama are AK. & AL. The great state of Arkansas is AR. ( with apologies for it's most infamouspants droppin' "you make my knees knockin," finger in the the wind to figure out what i think,he's too ordinary to be shockin' excuse for a social parasite el presidente). Arizona would be AZ. And all the "New's" are pretty clear. We have a North & South Dakota, but Virginians are only West and Virginian, no Easts (W.V.& VA.). You oughta check out our slang names, Ohioans are "Buckeyes" for example, and if you tell A "Razorback" that "Buckeyes" rule..... well, be prepared.

I live in "Crackerland" myself, where the jumbucks wouldn't be so jolly on account of the heat, humidity, gators, and goddamn snowbirds running all over the place.

Cheers,

Frank.

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Alan of Oz
Date: 29 Jun 97 - 07:37 AM

Thanks Frank, that's much clearer now.....I think. Actually our jumbucks are used to heat & humidity but the gators might be a problem.

Talking of gators I'm heading for crocodile country (Darwin) tomorrow for a week. At least they keep the sharks away from the beaches.

Bill,
As Alison said Pyl Lobl is definitely a woman, I wondered if she was the one you meant. Our paths don't cross very much but we should see her later this year.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From:
Date: 29 Jun 97 - 09:44 PM

Alan & Alison..well!! You live & learn!! The song I have is written from a mans point of view and I had only 2nd hand info...I'm sure you are right...the name is too unusual for there to be 2 people involved...thank you for the help... I hope to find out more about it.(both singer & song)!

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Bill D
Date: 29 Jun 97 - 09:54 PM

well...after getting the spelling right...I got several hits in Alta Vista for Phyl Lobl....ain't research fun!!

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From:
Date: 30 Jun 97 - 12:04 AM

The best festival of ALL FESTIVALS is the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas as a few have mentioned. The festival is always the 3rd weekend in September and you have to be prepared to camp as no motels are available that weekend. I've been three times, and would have attended more if I could've gotten away. I'm an Elementary Music teacher and most generally my principals have let me off to attend because the workshops and concerts are just great and something I can use and bring back to my students. I play several folk instruments and enjoy getting with others who play as well. So my biased opinion of favorite festivals is Winfield with my favorite folk performers being John McCutcheon and Tom Chapin who perform at this wonderful festival. Viv from Oklahoma.

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Sharon
Date: 30 Jun 97 - 12:25 PM

Has anyone been to the CMN (childrens music network) gathering. I'm heading there in a couple weeks and wonder what I have in store.

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Sharon
Date: 30 Jun 97 - 12:25 PM

Has anyone been to the CMN (childrens music network) gathering. I'm heading there in a couple weeks and wonder what I have in store.

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Rick
Date: 01 Jul 97 - 03:08 AM

Over in Europe we have a few festivils of note too - next weekend is one of the best in Germany, at Rudolstadt.

Check out Rudolstadt for the programme - featured instrument is Saxophone. featured country is India.

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: alan B - England
Date: 01 Jul 97 - 11:51 AM

UK Festivals?

Interested to see how popular US festivals are reported, Anyone been to festivals in the UK? Chester & Beverley are my favourites, with plenty of informal music in the pubs & on the streets, as well as the concerts & workshops.

A significant part of UK festivals (at least as far as I'm concerned) is imbibing of the ale. Is this a world wide phenomenon, or are we thirstier than most?

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Charlie Baum
Date: 02 Jul 97 - 12:41 AM

Imbibing ale is something that is offered at the Old Songs Festival in Altamont, New York. (I was just there this past weekend.) They have a truck--it used to be Newman's Ale of Albany, NY until the brewery went out of business, but now Bill Newman works with Saranac Brewery. Every year, they come up with a special brew or two for the festival. Yet, while many people try a pint, I've never seen anybody drunk there, or even mildly sloshoed (with the exception of a few British performers who shall remain nameless).

In contrast to that Festival is the Philadephia Folk Festival in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, where many people, especially the ones who camp out, imbibe to the point of rowdiness. At times in the past (and perhaps present) alcohol is not the only intoxicant of choice. All this despite clear rules posted everywhere that alcohol will not be permitted, a rule that is honored ONLY in the breach.

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Laoise
Date: 02 Jul 97 - 10:39 AM

I don't know when I'm going to be able to go to the States, but now I have a list of most of the best Folk Festivals over there. - Cool, guys!

Ireland has some pretty mean festivals. Check out Miltown Malbay during the first two weeks of July, County Clare, (CE) is the abbreviation Alan! This one's also known as Willie Clancy week. A couple of years ago Capital Radio announced it in London describing it as a New Age festival, so in addition to the folk and traditional players you get a mad crowd of new age hippies and performers doing breathtaking things with fire and hoops, and as you walk down tickling the soles of your feet.

There are many others, the Fleadh Cheol being the most famous. It moves around the Counties each year. This year it's on in Ballina, Co Mayo, the last two weeks of August. Lots of music sessions, singing session and drinking sessions. See ya there, *%#&£ hiccup.

Tciofaigh me thu

Laoise.

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From:
Date: 02 Jul 97 - 02:29 PM

The Miltown Malbay festival sounds good. Can't get there this year - prior commitments. Cna you say how I can get details for next year? Is there a festival address or email address I can write to?

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Rick
Date: 07 Jul 97 - 03:31 AM

Just back from Rudolstadt, Germany. Can confirm it is still one of the best European Festivals of Dance and Folk Music.

Full report of personal experiences will be made available here or by e-mail if anyone interested.

See you there next year, 1st weekend in July.

Rick.

[e-mail]

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Laoise, Belfast
Date: 07 Jul 97 - 06:08 AM

Correction to my last message, a line was omitted, it was "the throbbing of the diggeridoos" that tickle the soles of your feet, just in case youse thought I'd lost it.

Alan, there are no particular addresses to book into the Miltown Malbay festival. You can just turn up with tent and instruments etc. If you want to live it up, you can book into a B&B, however you would need to book this well in advance. Contact Bord Failte Na hEireann or for direct information about B&B's look up this page: http://www.commerce.ie/qa/index.html.

Ticofaidh me thu

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Henrik W
Date: 08 Jul 97 - 02:46 PM

Toender Festival in the small Danish town of Toender, (nearly on the German border) is well worth visiting. It has been running for more than 20 years, and always features great names. This years acts include The Oyster Band, Wolfstone, Donal Lunny Band w/Sharon Shannon etc. and the festival (as always) is in the last weekend of August. Great beer, great people, fantastic atmos, well organized etc.

The festival has a homepage at http://www.tf.dk - it isn't fancy but you could get further directions from there.

Regards,

Henrik

Subject: RE: favorite folk festivils which I've attended
From: Suzy
Date: 10 Jul 97 - 08:37 AM

Eagle Creek Folk Festival in Indianapolis is coming up on the 19th ant 20th of this month. See Sharon's earlier posting for website info.