Blue Sky Folk Festival
www.blueskyfolkfest.com
August 25, 2018 – 11:30am-6:30pm, gates open 11am. Held at East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, 10848 Chillicothe Rd. (Route 306), Kirtland, Ohio 44094. (440) 417-2796.
Admission $15, online $12, kids 12 and under free. Bring an instrument to jam for $3 off admission. Food, beer & wine available for purchase.
Blue Sky Folk Festival returns to Kirtland August 25
The Blue Sky Folk Festival celebrates its eighth year – a gem of an event that brings musicians and folk music fans from all over Northeast Ohio to Kirtland for a day of jamming, performance and learning.
On Saturday, August 25,the eighth annual Blue Sky Folk Festivalplays in Kirtland at East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church, 10848 Chillicothe Road (Route 306), Kirtland 44094 from 11:30am to 6:30pm. Gates open 11am. See the schedule at blueskyfolkfest.com.
Admission is $15, online $12 at blueskyfolkfest.com, kids 12 and under free. Bring an instrument to jam for $3 off admission. Food, beer & wine are available for purchase.
An outstanding lineup includes all-original music from the Bill Lestock Trio(Anthony Taddeo on rhythm, Bill Lestock on mandolin and Andrew Bonnis, bass); the Vicki Chew Band;Matt Watroba; the popular blues-roots-country band Rachel & the Beatnik Playboys; and noted songwriter J. Scott Franklinwith blues/jazz guitarist Michael Bay. We’ll also be hearing from the student group Benjamin Franklin Strings.
Bill Lestock plays original mandolin music that is a compelling blend of bluegrass, old time, baroque and blues perhaps best defined as New Acoustic or Modern Acoustic music. Lestock, a Cleveland firefighter for 26 years, incorporates melodies and imagery from a life and culture of firefighting. His accompanying musicians are Anthony Taddeo, percussionist and Andrew Bonnis, upright bass.
Rachel & the Beatnik Playboys is Rachel Brown (vocals, piano), Bill Watson (bass), Dave Huddleston (guitar) and Roy King (drums). Rachel’s soaring voice and bold musicality pack a wonderful punch with her longtime band. You’ll get a two-fer as Dave Huddleston will also play with Vicki Chew.
Take part in twenty-plus jams, workshops and classes led by professional musicians – many also appearing on the Main Stage. There are also kids’ activities and a playground.
The festival is presented by the Northeast Ohio Musical Heritage Association (www.neomha.org), a nonprofit group which seeks to support live folk music and provide venues and opportunities for folk musicians.
The Blue Sky is funded in part by a grant from The Lake County Visitors Bureau Arts and Culture Fund to further participation in, and awareness of, arts and culture in Lake County.