Saturday Activities

General Info: Workshops, open stage and family activities will take place in Riverside Park, Main Street, by the Kickapoo River on Saturday, May 10th, from 12 - 5 pm.  The North Crawford National Honor Society will be selling food and beverages in the Lion’s Club Shelter during the day.  Cost for admission to the entire Saturday afternoon event is $5/adult, $2/child, or free with a weekend Festival Pass.  For more information, see the Folk Festival website: www.gaysmillsfolkfest.org, or call an organizer: 735-4031 (day), or 629-6250 (eve).  The Gays Mills Folk Festival is a project of the Kickapoo Cultural Exchange and is generously supported by Organic Valley Family of Farms of LaFarge, Wisconsin.

Workshops:

Bones: Percussionist Wil Kilkeary will lead an instructional workshop from 1 – 2 pm in the ancient percussion instrument that was originally made from animal rib bones.  Wil makes his own “bones” out of wood and will have extra sets available for those interested in learning some basic rhythms.  Although bones players are hard to find these days, the bones continue to be used especially in some Irish  and American traditional music.

Fiddle Styles:  From 2 – 3 pm, fiddlers Lynn “Chirps” Smith and Tim Foss of The New Bad Habits, Meghan Dudle of The Ditchlilies, and Tim Dekker of the Water Street Hot Shots will demonstrate their various musical styles, which include American styles such as hillbilly swing, honky tonk, old-time and blues.  Experience some of the great variety of American fiddle music that comes from the blending of cultures, as well as each player’s unique way of expressing him or herself.  These fiddlers are among some of the best in the Midwest!

Clogging:  Award winning flat foot (clogging) dancer Dot Kent of The New Bad Habits will teach beginning and intermediate steps for all ages and levels of experience from 2 –3 pm.  Clogging is an American percussive dance form that has its origins in the mixing of the Scotch-Irish, Irish, and also Native American and African American cultures that were present particularly in the American South and the Appalachian Mountains.  Clogging was often done improvisationally by solo dancers to the music of fiddle or banjo.  Choreographed clogging routines with multiple dancers were a later development. Dot is an experienced and fun-loving instructor who has gotten many students started making music with their feet.

Puppet Show:  Local puppeteers The Dolly Wagglers (Lindsey McCaw and Adam Cook) prove that puppet shows aren’t just kid’s stuff.  Many of their puppet shows include hand made artistic sets and figures and stories and allegoreis that speak to adults as well as children.  They will present a show at  3 pm.

Traditional Jug Band Instruments and Tunes:  From 3 – 4 pm Michael Lee Ammons and The Water Street Hot Shots will demonstrate, as well as get workshop participants playing, some of the instruments that would have been found in the jug bands of the 1920’s and 1930’s.  Jug bands were generally African American groups that formed in the citys of the South, such as Memphis and Louisville.  Musicians who could not afford expensive instruments substituted household items and still made phenomenal music.  The jug or washtub substituted for the string bass, washboards and spoons provided rhythm, the kazoo played solo and back-up parts similar to brass instruments.  Guitars, fiddles, banjos and mandolins were often incorporated into these ensembles as well.  Ammons and the Hot Shots are  becoming known in the region for their expert and fun-loving performances this music.  They will be headlining the Saturday evening concert.

Country Song Jam:  Bring your instrument and/or your voice and your favorite country songs to jam with The Ditchlilies from 4- 5 pm.  These women bring beautiful vocal harmonies and excellent instrumental musicianship together to present energetic and heartfelt renditions of classic country and more. 

Clawhammer Banjo:  From 4-5 pm Dave Landreth and Andy Gribble of the The New Bad Habits will provide instruction in the old-time clawhammer banjo style.  Both the banjo and the clawhammer style originated with African people brought to North America as slaves.  The banjo eventually came to be standardized, manufactured and incorporated into the music of  European Americans.  Andy makes his own banjos from gourds in the way they would have been made in the 1700s and early 1800s, and may have some to display and play at the workshop.

Family Activities:  Family activities wil begin at noon with May crown making.  Weave willow branches and flowers together with ribbons to create a pretty crown that celebrates spring.  At 1 pm dance instructors Tim Jenkins and Sue Hulsether will lead a May pole dance, a traditional English dance that also celebrates spring.  Dancers hold ribbons that are attached to a tall pole.  As dancers weave in and out and between each other, the ribbons becomne interlaced in intricate patterns. From 2 –3 pm musicians Dave Fox and Will Branch will give a concert especially for kids.  Dave and Will have been presenting concerts for kids for many years at the Folk Festival and are always a big hit with children and adults alike.  From 3 – 4 pm Tim Jenkins and Sue Hulsether will lead a family dance that will include special dances and play party games for kids, as well as easy circle, square and contra dances for all ages and levels of experience. 

Open Stage:  The Saturday stage under the big shelter will open at 12 pm with some featured local performers.  The Pie City Ramblers, Carl Schlecht, and Lindsey McCaw & Adam Cook will present their “Cardboard Radio Variety Show”, which will showcase a variety of music from these local folks.  From 1 – 4 pm the stage opens up to anyone who would like to sign up and perform for a 20 minute set.  Bring your acoustic instrument and/or your voice and share your talents with other festival-goers.  Sign-ups are accepted the day of.  At 4:00 pm, the Fiddle Bee begins.  15 slots are available for anyone who would like to perform 2 fiddle tunes.  Anyone of any age or level of experience is welcome.  There is no judging and all entrants come away with a $5 prize!  Sign up the on the day of.