Summer sizzles with sounds.....

Summer is officially here, so I can now slide into summer music mode. It might mean a visit to the Old Songs Festival in Altamont, New York on the weekend of the 27th, 28th, 29th to see Le Vent du Nord, Si Kahn, Debra Cowan or one of my true favorites, Priscilla Herdman. They feature 8 stages plus in-depth classes, an instrument exchange and an opportunity to join in shape-note and choral singing and contra dancing, too. Of course there’s the usual food, jamming and vendors, but the thing that I think will be the highlight is that sense of folk community that happens annually for festival goers. On July 3rd I’ll be paying a visit to Tanglewood where James Taylor will serenade me on the lawn. Well, okay, he won’t be just serenading me, but I’ll close my eyes after a picnic dinner and let his smooth tones soothe my soul. (Of course rain might put a damper on the picnic, but that’s the chance you take when you’re not under the roof!) The New Bedford Whaling Historical Park is the sight for the popular Greater New Bedford Summerfest. Deb, from the Peterborough Folk Music Society raves about this festival that will feature Richard Shindell, Chris Smither, Brooks Williams, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, The Kennedys, Malinky and Lucy Kaplansky along with many others. On July 5th our neighbors in Brattleboro, Vermont are launching the first annual BRATTSTOCK, a half-day free outdoor concert from 1 to 5 p.m. on the grounds of the New England Youth Theater and featuring artists Lisa McCormick, the Clayton Sabine Band, Lissa Schneckenberger, the Stockwell Brothers, Rose Gerber, and others with a little bit of everything to suit a broad musical palate.

Just over the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border the Green River Festival will be happening on July 17th-19th with Lucinda Williams, Crooked Still, Richard Shindell and Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. It’s held on the campus of Greenfield Community College. They’ve made it an annual event in Greenfield. They also feature hot air balloons and rides at this festival which is celebrating its 22nd year. The same weekend hosts the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival which will be moving to a new location this year. The festival, once located in Ancramdale, New York and formerly known as the Berkshire Mountain Bluegrass Festival and the Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival will move to the Walsh Farm in Oak Hill New York this year. They’ll feature top notch musicians like David Grisman, Del McCoury, the Sparrow Quartet (with Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn), Uncle Earl, and a special Hot Rize reunion planned as well. One of the coolest things they have going on is the Bluegrass Academy for Kids. Kids are allowed an opportunity during the festival to learn how to play and sing bluegrass music. The festival then features these young musicians with a show on the main stage near the festival’s end. I understand that the fiddle and guitar classes are closed, but there are still openings in banjo, mandolin, dobro and bass. Then, there’s the Grey Fox Bill Vernon Memorial Scholarship named after the late Bill Vernon who was a radio personality, writer, bluegrass aficionado, and long-time emcee and friend of the festival. It’s awarded annually to talented and motivated students who (a) are involved in bluegrass music and (b) demonstrate a need for financial assistance. Past recipients of the scholarship include Casey Henry, Bill Evans, Kristin Scott, Meredith McCoury, Jamie Stone, Rushad Eggleston, Amanda Kowalski, and many others. I love how this festival continues to give to young performers. The festival runs from Thursday to Sunday, July 17th through July 20th. The dance stage is a huge hit for contra, swing and, zydeco dancers. The family stage has a great lineup, too. For me, though, the Master’s Stage is where it’s at and where I’ve had the honor of emceeing for many years. That’s where I saw Hazel Dickens, David Grisman, Sam Bush, Tim O’Brien and the late John Hartford up close and personal in an intimate workshop type setting. I can’t wait to see the new set up in Oak Hill. Check out the footprint of this new (and flatter) location which looks like it is shaped like a mandolin!

Prescott Park in Portsmouth will be the site of a one day festival on July 19th featuring the Jason Spooner Trio, Cheryl Wheeler, and Chris Smither. Located in the beautiful Strawberry Banke district of Portsmouth it’s an intimate place to see any show throughout the summer. I especially love walking through the gardens and always make it a point to browse through the nearby shops in the oldest part of this harbor city.

The following weekend, July 25 through the 27th in beautiful Wolfeboro, New Hampshire the Great Waters Folk Festival will happen on the shores of Lake Winnepesaukee. This festival has become a summer tradition under the huge acoustic tent on the campus of Brewster Academy. They set up workshop sites during the day at various indoor locations around Wolfeboro and then in the evening the main stage will feature Jonathan Edwards, Cheryl Wheeler, Catie Curtis, The Waybacks, Pure Prairie League and David Olney and Anais Mitchell to name just a few. Rain or shine, this festival is the place to be on a New Hampshire summer evening. Last year I bumped into French President Nicholas Sarkozy on one of the walking trails in Wolfeboro and had an amazing (albeit hair raising) boat ride across the lake. In the past, the festival has featured such greats as Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Arlo Guthrie and Richie Havens. It’s great for new songwriters, too, who will have a chance to compete in a songwriting contest. If you’re an emerging songwriter visit their website to find out how to enter. Speaking of emerging songwriters, that same weekend the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival happens in Hillsdale, New York. They have an Emerging Artist Showcase Stage and will also host John Gorka, Eddie from Ohio, Lori McKenna, Martin Sexton, David Massengill and many more on the Dodds Farm. They’ll have a Friday evening song swap with festival favorites John Gorka, Patty Larkin, Eliza Gilkyson and Vance Gilbert. The Falcon Ridge dance stage and family stages are also very popular at this site at the foot of the Berkshires. I bet many a song has been written around a camp circle at this festival!

Another popular festival is the Podunk Bluegrass Festival in Connecticut. It’s their 13th annual festival in East Hartford July 31st through August 3rd which will feature Tony Trischka, Dale Ann Bradley, Cherryholmes, Spectacular (Noam Pickelny, Alan Munde, Bill Keith, Pete Wernick, Ron Block, Joe Mullins, Mark Johnson), the Infamous Stringdusters and Cadillac Sky. The truth is that you can probably hit a bluegrass festival every weekend of the summer and never leave New England.

Friday, August 1st through the 3rd at the Kingsland Bay State Park on Lake Champlain in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, the Champlain Valley Folk Festival will feature the MacArthurs, Si Kahn, the Gypsy Wranglers, the Guy Mendilow Band, Genticorum, the Sevens, Dan Gellert with Debbie Posey, plus collaborative programming with the Vermont Folklife Center. Celebrate diverse folk and ethnic musical traditions in the beautiful setting of Lake Champlain. The Boston Globe calls it “one of the front-porch friendliest festivals in the region.”

Dianne, our Folk Show calendar devotee will surely have more festivals to add to our listings in the near future. I know there are some great festivals coming up including an Irish Festival on August 9th in Dover featuring AOH Pipes and Drums, O'hAleigh of VT, Reaganta, Mac Talla Mor, Matt & Shannon Heaton and Eugene Byrne. Also on August 9th, Prescott Park will host a Rhythm and Roots festival featuring Elsa Cross, Mainesqueeze and Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul. Looking ahead to Labor Day weekend there’s the Thomas Point Bluegrass Festival in Maine and the Rhythm and Roots Festival in Rhode Island. We’ll look at those festivals later on. Please, if you have a festival we should know about, let us know!
I love outdoor festivals. Most of all I love the freedom of moving around from workshops and dance tents, to jamming around campsites whether it’s near a lake, mountain or in a hayfield somewhere. I enjoy seeing some of the same faces year after year and rekindling old friendships made through music. I have many fond memories of the festival-ling I’ve done around New England. Do you have a favorite festival memory you’d like to share?

Tune in to The Folk Show Sunday, July 6th for a sample of the music you’ll find at festivals this summer during our “Festival Feature”. The Folk Show airs on NHPR from 7 to 10 p.m. each Sunday. This Sunday, June 29th our guest will be Dover musician, Dan Walker.
www.oldsongs.org
www.tanglewood.org
www.newbedfordsummerfest.com
www.brattstock.com
www.greenriverfestival.com
www.greyfoxbluegrass.com
www.prescottpark.org
www.greatwaters.org
www.falconridgefolk.com
www.podunkbluegrass.net
www.cvfest.org
www.rhythmandroots.com
www.thomaspointbeach.com