The South Florida Folk Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2014. Presented by the nonprofit Broward Folk Club, the festival returns as a two-day event in a park setting on Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 18-19. More than 40 musicians will perform on two stages at Fort Lauderdale’s Hugh Taylor Birch State Park over the weekend.
Gathering Time
A number of Florida-based musicians and other national touring acts also are slated to perform. These include Ellen Bukstel, Mickey Clark, Michelle & Scott Dalziel, James Durst, Dusty Road Rangers, Flagship Romance, Friction Farm, Tret Fure, Bing Futch, Ashley Gang, Marci Geller, Steve Greenberg, Jennings & Keller, Colleen Katau, Grant Livingston, Larry Mangum, Rod MacDonald, Austin Miller, Tal Naccarato, Marie Nofsinger, Bill & Eli Perras, Peters Road Swamp Blues Band, Roadside Revue, Matthew Sabatella & the Rambling String Band, Samuel & Caleb, Mindy Simmons, Doug Spears, 2 Guys (former members of the Highwaymen), Andy Wahlberg, Amy Carol Webb, Annie Wenz, Steve Wildey, Elizabeth & Lon Williamson, Valerie C. Wisecracker & The Walking Catfish, and Joel Zoss. Some of the performing artists also will lead workshops, while there also will be a jam area for those who enjoy playing traditional folk and other acoustic styles of music.
Kicking-off the weekend’s musical festivities on Saturday, Jan. 18, will be the 12 finalists in the 2014 South Florida Folk Festival’s singer-songwriter competition, each of whom will perform two songs. They are Ruth & Max Bloomquist, C. Daniel Boling, Steve Chizmadia, J.J. Crowne, Lou Dominguez, Spook Handy, Lauren Heintz, Paddy Mills, Heather Pierson, Carolann Solebello, Debbie Tassone & Gary Frost, and Joe Virga. Three winners selected by a panel of judges will each receive the Vic Heyman Songwriting Award – a $200 cash prize and an invitation to perform at next year’s festival. In addition, all winners and runners-up will be afforded the opportunity to play ‘in-the-round’ during the festival’s second day on Sunday, Jan. 19.
The songwriting competition is co-presented by Reba Heyman. Along with her late husband, Vic, Reba has been an integral part of the folk community in South Florida and nationally for many years. The couple has been known for decades for their generous financial backing of folk festivals and artists. They formerly ran a concert series in Rockville, Maryland known as Vic’s Music Corner, have established scholarship funds for artists, and served on the boards for several music festivals.
For more information and a complete festival schedule, and to order tickets in advance, visit www.southfloridafolkfest.net.
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