Black Hawk Folk Society’s 34rd Annual Folk Music Festival Line-up
Black Hawk Folk Society’s 34th annual folk music festival will be held Saturday, July 9 in Mt. Morris Town Park, N3847 County Highway G in Mount Morris. An open mic, from 10:30 – 11:45, will kick off the morning. Musicians are invited to share a set of some of their favorite tunes.
Please contact Guy at 715-228-3662 or gk500@yahoo.com or gk500@uniontel.net with your questions about the open mic or to be added to the roster.
Bill Kehl, emcee extraordinaire and festival favorite, will be back to keep the music flowing. Bill is a talented musician, with a broad and deep knowledge of music. He also owns a diverse collection of instruments from throughout the world. Expect tunes, demos of these instruments, and tales between sets!
LJ Booth and Chris Kokesh are up at noon for an hour-long set. This multi-talented singer-songwriter duo have performed and toured nationally for over a decade. They are known for a colorful blend of guitar, fiddle, and vocals. Black Hawk welcomes their return to our stage. The Squirrel Gravy Bluegrass Band, hailing from Madison, Wisconsin, is up next. These five guys promise great music and a lot of energy! (They’re so good, they’ve already been booked for an encore of their trademark traditional and progressive bluegrass to wrap the festival up for a second set at 4:30!) Spook Handy takes the stage at 2:10. If you like Pete Seeger, you will love Spook. The two performed 50 plus concerts together and Spook’s repertoire includes many musical tributes to that legend. He is a gifted singer-songwriter who also teaches guitar. Door County’s treasure Katie Dahl, just back from a national tour, is up 3:20. She is known and loved for expert guitar picking, poetic lyrics, and beautiful melodies. Special bonus: Rich Higden will join Katie for her festival performance!
Festival tickets may be purchased in advance at Black Hawk Folk Society’s webpage, blackhawkfolk.org or by contacting Tom at tomstraydog@ aim.com. Tickets may also be purchased day of festival at the gate. Mt. Morris Pioneers 4-H Club will provide concessions. The festival also includes a raffle and an arts and crafts fair. If you are an artisan or crafter, visit Black Hawk Folk Society’s website to view and download a registration form; or contact Betty at 920-295-0385 or trowbridgeb@yahoo.com. Your $36 registration fee includes admission for two adults to the festival.
This is an outdoor event--pack your blankets or lawn chairs, sunscreen, hats, and insect repellant. Festival organizers ask the audience to please observe Covid precautions. Mt. Morris Park features playground equipment and a swimming beach—making this a wonderful family event! (Sorry, pets are not allowed.) Parking is free and on site; the park is handicap friendly. (Rain site is Mountain View Community Center, located at N3137 21st Lane, at the intersection of 21st Lane and Highway 152, just south of Mt. Morris.)
Black Hawk Folk Society is a 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer-driven organization dedicated to bringing quality music to central Wisconsin. Speaking of volunteers, if you are available to help at this event, please contact Betty at 920-295-0385. For more information about the festival, or to learn how to become a sponsor or how you can support Black Hawk in other ways, check out the webpage, or like and follow Black Hawk on the society’s Facebook page.
Cutline: Mt. Morris Town Park and new band shell will see (and hear) a lot of action during Black Hawk Folk Society’s 34th annual folk music festival on Saturday, July 9. The festival kicks off with an open mic at 10:30. The line-up, running from noon to 6, includes LJ Booth and Chris Kokesh; The Squirrel Gravy Gluegrass Band (2 sets); Spook Handy; and Katie Dahl. Tickets will be available at the gate. Rain site: Mountain View Community Center.
