As the summer of 2007 winds down, a spate of music festivals across the U.S. are planned over Labor Day Weekend and the ensuing two weekends.  Information on more than three dozen of them follows.

 

32nd National Old Time Country & Bluegrass Music Festival

August 27-September 2, 2007

Harrison County Fairgrounds in Missouri Valley, Iowa

www.oldtimemusic.bigstep.com/

Now in its 32nd year, this week-long festival, held in conjunction with an agricultural exposition, features old-time and traditional acoustic music performed on 10 stages.  This year’s ‘special guest’ artists include Bobby Atkins of the Country Gentlemen, Johnny Bellar, Jim Ed Brown ,Stonewall Jackson, Rio Grande Valley singer Red Johnson, harmonica player Charlie McCoy, Mel McDaniels (whose baby wears blue jeans), Georgia’s Morris Brothers, Jim Murphy, Jim Owen, Jimmy Payne, Shawn Pittman (Moe Bandy’s fiddler), Bobby G. Rice, Terry Smith and Red Steagall, one of America’s favorite living cowboys. 

Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival

August 30-September 2, 2007

Thomas Point Beach in Brunswick, Maine

207-725-6009 or 877-TPB-4321

www.thomaspointbeach.com

Like the Blistered Fingers Family Bluegrass Festival in Sidney, Maine, August 23-26, this festival is now marking its 29th year.  Held on the southern coast of Maine, “where the music meets the sea,” it will feature more than 50 hours of bluegrass by such acts as Marty Raybon & Full Circle, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, Dan Paisley & Southern Grass, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, The Lewis Family, Tennessee Mafia Jug Band, Sierra Hull, Randy Waller & The Country Gentlemen, The Abrams Brothers, Loretta & Mo, No Speed Limit, Carolina Sonshine, Evergreen, The Doerfel Family, Pine Hill Ramblers, White Mountain Bluegrass Band, and more.  There’ll also be off-stage field pickin’ throughout the weekend, workshops under a beachfront tent and children’s activities.  Daily, two, three and four-day tickets are available, and in-the-rough camping is free for multi-day ticket holders. 

Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival

August 31-September 2, 2007

Salem County Fairgrounds in Woodstown, New Jersey

www.brandywinefriends.org/dvbgf/

Now in its 36th year, this festival is presented by The Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music.  This year’s impressive lineup includes Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, The Grascals, Cherryholmes, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, Nashville Bluegrass Band, Dan Paisley & The Southern Grass, Seneca Rocks, Lost Highway, John Reischman & The Jaybirds, James Reams & The Barnstormers, Foghorn String Band, Tuesday Mountain Boys and April Verch. 

Four Corners Folk Festival

August 31-September 2, 2007

Reservoir Hill Park in Pagosa Springs, Colorado

www.folkwest.com/index2.htm

Although not strictly a bluegrass festival, this Labor Day Weekend event, now in its 12th year, will feature performances by the Jerry Douglas Band, The Infamous Stringdusters, Nickel Creek, Sweet Sunny South and The Wilders, as well as an array of instrumental workshops.  Advance ticket prices range from $30 for Friday only to $100 for a three-day pass with on-site camping.  Ticket prices are $5-$10 more at the gate. 

Johnstown Folkfest

August 31-September 2, 2007

Johnstown, Pennsylvania (about 60 miles SE of Pittsburgh)

www.johnstownfolkfest.org

Featured performers at this free festival include A.J. Croce, Bill Kirchen, Eric Lindell Band, Scott Miller & the Commonwealth, Slavic Soul Party, The Tossers, Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers, and more than a dozen other artists.

Kansas City Irish Festival

August 31-September 2, 2007

Crown Center Square in Kansas City, MO

www.kcirishfest.com 

Billed as “A Celebration of Celtic pride in Cowtown,” this festival, just south of downtown, features some two-dozen traditional music and Celtic rock acts on five stages, Irish dance competitions, stand-up comedy, heritage displays and workshops.  Notable performers include Kansas City’s own The Elders, Gaelic Storm, The Glengarry Bhoys, The Prodigals, The Saw Doctors, Solas and The Young Dubliners.  Admission is $10 daily; children under 12 will be admitted free.  Bring lawn chairs and blankets.

16th Annual Kerrville Wine & Music Festival

August 31-September 2, 2007

Quiet Valley Ranch, nine miles south of Kerrville, Texas

www.kerrvillefolkfestival.com

Although not as well-known as — and smaller in scale than — the annual Kerrville Folk Festival, this three-day festival in the Texas Hill Country features some fine music.  Among the more than two dozen songwriters performing this year are Caren Armstrong, Jay Boy Adams, Sally Barris, The Belleville Outfit, SONiA & Disappear Fear, Tret Fure, David Jacobs-Strain, Zoe Lewis, Los Texmaniacs, Kate McDonnell, David Olney, Ellis Paul and Jack Williams.   While three six-hour evening concerts and two two-hour afternoon concerts anchor the festival, other musical offerings include Ballad tree song-sharing, after-hours song circles and jam sessions in the campground, and, new this year, a one and one-half day songwriters’ guitar workshop with instruction by Jack Williams, Tom Prasada Rao and Tena Moyer (for an extra fee).  In addition, one dozen Texas winemakers will offer tastes, glasses and bottles of their current vintage wines, and there also will be late afternoon wine seminars on Saturday and Sunday.  Advance discount three-day tickets, including free tent camping on the ranch, are $70 for adults.  There’s also a $3 daily parking fee.  

MooGrass Bluegrass/Acoustic Festival

August 31-September 2, 2007

Tillamook County Fairgrounds in Tillamook, Oregon

www.moograss.com

Tillamook, on the Oregon coast, may be primarily known for its cheese, but it is also home to this family-friendly festival.  Among the artists in this year’s lineup are Central Creek Connection, Dewgrass, Zach Driscoll & Three Quarter Time, The Goldman Family, Matt Gray & Jeff Shippy, The Hakanson Family, In the Grove, Misty Mamas, Old Creek, Pacific Rim and Prairie Flyer.  Workshops, a band scramble, and plenty of informal pickin’ and jammin’ also are slated. Daily tickets are $9-$18, while children under age 12 will be admitted free.  Camping is $15/night. 

Rhythm & Roots Festival

August 31-September 2, 2007

Ninigret Park in Charlestown, Rhode Island

www.rhythmandroots.com

Some 10,000 people are drawn to this oceanfront community each Labor Day weekend to listen and/or dance to an array of roots music on four stages during this festive Mardi Gras-style celebration.  The sounds of zydeco, Cajun, New Orleans rhythm & blues, swing, Americana, folk and roots music will emanate from four stages.  Louisiana’s acclaimed Savoy Family Cajun Band hosts the Main Stage, where David Bromberg and the Angel Band will get things going on Friday night, while barrelhouse blues pianist Marcia Ball, 2006 Blues Award winner for best piano player of the year, is a featured performer on Saturday.  Others slated to perform on the Main Stage include Dr. John, Los Lobos, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Tim O’Brien & Cornbread Nation, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, James Hunter, Rosie Ledet & the Zydeco Playboys, The John Jorgenson Quintet, The Red Stick Ramblers, The Horseflies, Curly Taylor & Zydeco Trouble, James Hand, Magnolia, Jeremy Lyons & the Deltabilly Boys, Li’l Anne & Hot Cayenne, & Hot Tamale Brass Band.  There’ll be two dance floors and  late-night “fais do do” dances that annually draw capacity crowds., as well as a workshop tent providing a more intimate and relaxed atmosphere.  A swimming pond and playground are located on the grounds, while children ages 8-17 also can register in advance to take part in a Cajun Fiddle Academy, during which instruction will be offered in guitar and accordion, as well as fiddle.  Ticket prices (which are discounted through August 15) range from $25-$160, while children under 12 will be admitted free.  Laissez les bonne temps roulez!

Strawberry Fall Music Festival

August 31-September 2, 2007

Camp Mather near Yosemite National Park, California

www.strawberrymusic.com

All adult tickets are sold out for this festival that features such acts as Dr. John, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Jimmy LaFave, Harry Manx, Mark O’Connor, Saw Doctors, Son Volt, The Wailin’ Jennys and Lucinda Williams. 

Cutting Edge of the Campfire Festival

August 31-September 3, 2007

Passim Folk Music & Cultural Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts

www.passimcenter.org

Dozens of performers will take the stage at Cambridge’s famed Club Passim over Labor Day Weekend during this festival that begins at 4 p.m. on Friday and at noon Saturday through Monday.  Highlights include a set featuring Ryan Fizsimmons, Tom Bianchi, Danielle Miraglia, Greg Klyma & Dana Price that starts Saturday morning at 12:15 a.m.; a 3 p.m. set that day by Anthony da Costa, a 16 year-old singer-songwriter from Pleasantville, New York, who was among the winners of this year’s Kerrville New Folk Competition; a noontime set by Pittsbugh’s Brad Yoder Duo on Sunday; and a set featuring Catie Curtis, Anne Heaton, Jennifer Kimball and Rose Polenzani that closes out the festival beginning at 10:15 p.m. on Monday evening.

Earl Park Fall Festival

August 31-September 3, 2007

Earl Park Community Park in Earl Park, Indiana

www.earlparkfestival.com

Although Earl Park is a small town with some 700 residents, more than 40,000 attend this free festival each year to enjoy bluegrass and old-time country music performances, as well as pickin’ at the campsites.  Featured artists this year include 1000 Pounds of Bluegrass Band, Chicago Bluegrass Band, Cornfields & Crossroads, Mike Jones & Young at Heart, No Tools Loaned, and Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike.

Thumbfest

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Camp Ozana in Lexington, Michigan

www.bluewaterfolk.org

This annual traditional music festival on the shores of Lake Huron is sponsored by the Bluewater Folk Society.  The free festival features main stage performances (artists TBA), workshop and dance halls, front-porch jamming, a song circle, crafts, and an array of children’s activities.  Bring lawn chairs and blankets.

Metamora Old Time Music Festival

September 1-2, 2007

Metamora, Indiana

www.metamoramusic.com

This two-day celebration of traditional music, held in a town midway between Indianapolis and Cincinnati, features free workshops and performances organized by a group of volunteers and sponsored by Historic Metamora Inc.

15th Annual New World Festival

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Chandler Music Hall in Randolph, Vermont

www.NewWorldFestival.com 

Vermont’s Celtic and French-Canadian roots are celebrated at this one-day, noon-midnight, festival whose featured artists include Atlantic Crossing, Cantrip, Paddy Keenan, La Voiee d’Castors, Reveillons! and the Nicholas Williams Ensemble, among others.  Tickets are $30 for adults; $10 for those ages 13-18, and $5 for children ages12 and under.

Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival

September 2-3, 2007

Island Park in Geneva, Illinois

http://members.aol.com/fvfolk/

Held on a 13-acre island in the Fox River, located 40 miles west of the Chicago loop, this 31st annual festival is presented by the Fox Valley Folklore Society and the Geneva Park District.  It will feature music by such artists as Mike Anderson, Cathy Barton & Dave Para, the very funny Lou & Peter Berryman, Bob Bovee & Gail Heil, Judy Cook, Cooper, Nelson & Early, Curtis & Loretta, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen, Joel Mabus, Mary McCaslin, Lee Murdock, Larry Penn, Bill Robinson & Friends, Danny Santos, Cosy Sheridan, johnsmith, Soris & Limpan Band, Ed Trickett, and Chris Vallillo.   Also featured will be several storytellers, a Sunday night barn dance, an array of workshops and showcases, picking circles, dozens of music vendors, and activities for children.  The schedule will be posted online a week before the festival.  Daily admission is $15 for adults, $10 for teens and elders; children 12 and under admitted free.  There’s a $5 discount for those attending both days and a $40 family rate.  Master classes and open mics precede the festival on September 1.

And also coming up in September… 

Michael Hearne’s 5th Annual Big Barn Dance Weekend

September 6-8, 2007

The Old Blinking Light & Casa de Caballos Barn in Taos, New Mexico

www.bigbarndance.com 

What started out as a barn dance has expanded into a weekend-long festival.  While there’ll be plenty of two-steppin’ going on at the barn, some fine music also is in store with artists including Ronny Cox  with Jack Williams, Susan Gibson, Chuck Pyle, Shake Russell Band, The Sisters Morales, Keith Sykes, Druha Trava, Mentor Williams, and, of course, Michael Hearne & South by Southwest.  Tickets range from $25 – $90 (the latter covering all three days & the barn dance).  Preceding the festival will be a songwriters’ workshop, September 5-6, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Instructors include Buzz Cason, Chuck Pyle, Don Richmond and Mentor Williams.   

2007 Connecticut Folk Festival & Green Expo

September 6-9, 2007

Various Venues in New Haven, Connecticut

www.ctfolk.com/nhff/ 

Formerly known as the New Haven Folk Festival and presented solely by New Haven Folk, this event has assumed a new name, a new co-presenter in Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU), and has a more expansive lineup thanks to new festival director Barbara Manners (who also lines up the impressive CHIRP series of free concerts each summer in Ridgefield’s Ballard Park). 

SCSU plays host to Saturday evening’s concert headlined by Judy Collins and featuring jam band Railroad Earth, Jonah Smith, and up-and-coming singer-songwriter Amy Speace and her crack band, the Tearjerks, in its Lyman Auditorium.  Earlier that day, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., the SCSU campus will be the site of a free Green Expo featuring environmental exhibits and demonstrations, as well as family-oriented music, workshops, and activities for all ages.  Blues guitarist Scott Ainslie, “industrial repercussionist” Billy Jonas (who creates and plays music on instruments made from recycled industrial materials), and the Guy Mendilow Band, winners of Boston’s 2005 World Music Award, will perform.  Barring rain, Friday evening’s concert featuring gifted singer-songwriters Greg Brown, Slaid Cleaves and Mary Gauthier, as well as the sacred steel sounds of The Campbell Brothers, will be held outdoors at the Elm City’s Edgerton Park.  A Sunday afternoon “Hoot in the Park,” hosted by Pierce Campbell, Connecticut’s state troubadour, also is slated.  Kicking off the festival weekend is The Grassy Hill Song Circle on Thursday evening at First Presbyterian Church featuring emerging artists Chuck E. Costa, Lindsay Mac, Pat Wictor and Natalia Zuckerman.  Advance price tickets for Friday and Saturday nights are available through September 5. 

Horseshoe Bend Bluegrass Festival

September 7-8, 2007

On the banks of the James River in Scottsville, Virginia

www.horseshoebendbluegrass.com

WFLO’s Henry Fulcher emcees this festival in the small town of Scottsville (settled in 1744), just south of Charlottesville.   Eddie & Martha Adcock and The Bluegrass Brothers perform both days.  Charles Frazier & the Virginia Ramblers, Larry Sparks & the Lonesome Ramblers, and The Larry Stephenson Band play sets on Friday. Saturday’s lineup includes Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys, the Country Gentlemen Reunion Band, Dark Hollow, Dave Evans & River Bend, and 111rd Tyme Out.  Tickets range from $20-50; children under 12 will be admitted free.

Pittsburgh Irish Festival

September 7-9, 2007

Riverplex at Sand Castle near the waterfront in West Homestead, Pennsylvania

www.pghirishfest.org

Now in its 17th year, this annual festival is being held at a new location.  The late great singer-songwriter Tommy Makem was to have been a featured artist, and the festival will pay tribute to him.  Among the featured artists are his sons in The Makem & Spain Brothers, Ceann, The Celtic Tenors, Cahal Dunne, Gaelic Storm (the steerage band in the film “Titanic”), Ontario’s talented Glengarry Bhoys,  Homeland, the David Munnelly Band and Screaming Orphans (four harmonic sisters originally from Galway, whose music is a lively mix of folk-rock and pop).  For ticket information, call (4212) 232-1537.

The 13th Annual Rochester Irish Festival

September 7-9, 2007

Camp Eastman in Irondequoit, New York

www.rochesteririshfestival.org

A family-oriented cultural celebration with family-friendly prices ($8 daily in advance, $10 at the gate & $20 for a weekend pass; children under 8 admitted free), this festival will feature such artists as Ceoltoiri Eireann, The Celtic Music Society, Comhaltus, The Dady Brothers, Everheart, Greenwich Meantime, Dave North Trio, Rathkeltair, The Town Pants, The Tullamore Celtic Band, and The Wild Geese. 

Syracuse Irish Festival

September 7-8, 2007

Clinton Square in Syracuse, New York

www.syracuseirishfestival.com

Now in its eighth year, this festival features lectures, workshops, exhibits and step dancers in addition to an array of music.  Performing artist include The Causeway Giants, Joe Davoli, The Fenians, Flyin Column, Greenwich Meantime, Hadrian’s Wall, Irish Choraleers,  Pat Kane, The Makem & Spain Brothers, Cassidy McCale, Merry Mischief, Rathkeltair, Searson, The Tipp Hill Gaels and The Town Pants.

Swallow Hill Folk Festival

September 7-9, 2007

Swallow Hill Building in Denver, Colorado

www.swallowhill.com/festivals/folkfest/2007

Presented by the Swallow Hill Music Association, which bills itself as Denver’s home for folk, roots and acoustic music, this festival is now in its 16th year.  Ruthie Foster, a Texas-based singer-songwriter, whose music is a blend of blues, gospel, country and folk, kicks things off on Friday night.  Other artists on the festival’s three stages during the weekend include emerging young Canadian roots duo Twilight Motel, rootsy California-based Americana singer-songwriter Corinne West & the Posse, acoustic Americana trio Dakota Blonde, and more than 150 artists from the Rockies.  Tickets are $15 each day; $12 for members.

The 2007 Turtle Hill Folk Festival

September 7-9, 2007

Markus Park in Honeyoye Falls, New York

www.goldenlink.org/html/fest.html

Presented by the Golden Link Folk Singing Society, this family-oriented festival near Rochester features concerts, workshops open jamming, singing around the campfire, dancing, open mics and a children’s area.  Featured artists include Tracy Grammer, Buddy Mondlock, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Peggy Seeger, The Powder Kegs (an old-time string band), and Phil Banaszak &City Fiddle.  Daily and all-weekend tickets are available.  Rough camping is free.  Bring your own chairs for outdoor seating.

Midnight Special Folk Festival

September 9, 2007

Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park, Chicago, Illinois

www.midnightspecial.org/msfolkfestival.html

Singer-songwriter Greg Greenway is the special guest emcee for this second annual festival and benefit concert for The Midnight Special radio program hosted by Rich Warren on Chicago’s WFMT.  Slated to start at 3 p.m., the festival will feature performances by John Flynn, Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem, Susan Werner, Girlyman and Tanglefoot.  Tickets range from $30-$100.

76th Walnut Valley Festival

September 12-16, 2007

Winfield, Kansas

www.wvfest.com

There’s likely something for acoustic music lovers and players of all kinds at this festival, which features an array of folk, country and bluegrass artists on four stages, in addition to eight instrumental contests, a competitive songwriter showcase, campground contests, and event a contest among arts & crafts exhibitors.  This year’s lineup includes such artists as Italian guitar virtuoso Beppe Gambetta, Bill Barwick, Cadillac Sky, The Greencards, Marley’s Ghost, John McCutcheon Button accordionist David Munnelly and his band, rising bluegrass talent Alecia Nugent, The Kenny & Amanda Smith Band, The Wilders, The Wiyos, Wood’s Tea Co., and more.  Five-day, full-festival tickets are $90 ($80 if ordered by mail by August 24).  Daily and two-day tickets also are available.  Children ages 6-11 will be admitted for $5 at the gate, while youngsters under 6 will be admitted free.

Dumplin Valley Bluegrass Festival

September 13-15, 2007

Kodak, Tennessee

www.dumplinvalleybluegrass.com

There’ll be plenty of pickin’ in the Smokies over the weekend as bands like The Grascals, Rhonda Vincent & The Rage, The Bluegrass Brothers, Cherryholmes,  David Davis & The Warrior River Boys, Grasstowne, Greenbriar, The James King Band, Dan Paisley & The Southern Grass, Don Rigsby & Midnight Call, and The Stringdusters take the stage.  Bluegrass workshops and an arts & crafts showcase round out the weekend.  A weekend pass is $75 at the gate, while daily tickets are $25 (no discount there).  Children ages 12 and under will be admitted free.

Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival

September 13-15, 2007

Starvy Creek RV Park in Conway, Missouri

www.starvycreek.com

J.D. Crowe & The New South, Tim Graves & Cherokee, Newfound Road, Kenny & Amanda Smith, The Link Family, Gary Waldrup Band, Goldwing Express, The Karl Shifflet & Big Country Show, The Drifters, and more artists will perform during this festival in south-central Missouri.  A three-day pass is $35, while daily tickets also are available.  Children under 12 will be admitted free, while tickets are half-price for those ages 12-16.  Rough camping is $4/day.  Bring your lawn chairs.

Strawberry Park Folk Festival

September 13-16, 2007

Strawberry Park campground in Preston, Connecticut

www.strawberrypark.net/folk_music.htm

The owners of this private campground in southeastern Connecticut have assembled an impressive lineup of performers for this weekend.  Among them are Rani Arbo and daisy mayhem, Jonathan Edwards, Vance Gilbert, Tracy Grammer, Lucy Kaplansky, The Kennedys, Dave Mallet, Mustard’s Retreat, The Nields, Red Molly and Chris Smither.  A full weekend pass is $90 in advance and $110 at the gate (including free rough camping).  Daily tickets also are available. 

Irish 2000 Music & Arts Festival

September 14-15, 2007

Altamont Fairgrounds in Altamont, New York

www.irish2000fest.com 

More than 20,000 Celtic music fans from New York’s capital region and beyond are expected to converge on Altamont for this annual event that has now been expanded to include a Friday night Celtic punk festival.  This year’s featured performers include The Barley Boys, Celtic Cross, Celtic Tenors, Ciuldan, The Clumsy Lovers,  Dicey Riley, Emish, Flogging Molly, Flynn 529, Gaelic Storm, Give Way, Greenwich Meantime, Frank Jacklitsch, The McKrells, Saint James Gate, The Street Dogs, Teada, The Tossers and Young Dubliners, along with pipe bands and Irish dance troupes. 

10th Annual Park Slope Bluegrass & Old-Time Jamboree

September 14-15, 2007

Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, Park Slope-Brooklyn, New York

www.bsec.org

Featuring a day and a half of old-time bluegrass concerts, jamming and workshops, the jamboree takes place both inside a century-old Ethical Culture meeting house that is home to the Good Coffeehouse Music Parlor concert series, as well as outside on its park-like grounds.  “We try to keep things on a small scale,” says popular local bluegrass band leader James Reams, who hosts the annual event.  “We want people to feel at home and have a good time.  The only thing big is the big time we hope everyone has.” 

8th Annual Arbuckle Mountain Park Bluegrass Festival

September 12-15, 2007

Arbuckle Mountain Bluegrass Park between Wynnewood & Davis, Oklahoma

www.arbucklemtbluegrasspark.homestead.com/festival.html

Bluegrass bands from Oklahoma and Texas — including Bluegrass Patriots, Boggy River Bluegrass, Debbie Bridgewater Band, Clear River, Ellis County Bluegrass, Hard Time, Saltgrass, 2nd Time Around, Star Canyon and Welch Mountain Boys — will perform at this festival 65 miles south of Oklahoma City.  A Wednesday evening open stage and Saturday morning band showcase also are slated.  An all events pass is $30; children under age 14 will be admitted free.  Daily passes also are available.  Overnight RV camping is by reservation only.

MassBluegrass Jamboree

September 14-16, 2007

Maple Park Family Campground in East Wareham, Massachusetts.

www.massbluegrass.org

Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park on Cape Cod is the site of this outdoor bluegrass festival featuring music by Back Eddy Bluegrass Band, Crabgrass, David Davis & Warrior River Boys, The Harvest Band, Dan Helman & Marking Time, Hunger Mountain Boys, Jaded Mandolin, Mahogany Ridge, Buddy Merriam & Back Roads, No Spare Parts, Old Time Bluegrass Singers, Pine Hill Ramblers, Southern Rail and Three Tall Pines.  Early-bird weekend tickets, including camping, are $77 and rise to $102 after August 28.  Children under 12 admitted free, while those under 16 are $25.  Tickets prices for the second adult at the campsite are sharply reduced.  Festival tickets without camping and single-day tickets also are available.

Millpond Music Festival

September 14-16, 2007

Millpond County Park near Bishop, California

www.inyo.org/millpond/

The picturesque Sierra Nevada Mountains in Eastern California are the backdrop for this festival featuring a mix of traditional and contemporary music performed by such artists as Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan, Joe Craven & Django Latino, The Horse Flies, The John Jorgenson Quintet, Will Kimbrough, Joel Rafael and Vasen, among others.  A full weekend pass is $$75 if purchased by September 8 and $85 at the gate.  Children ages 5-18 will be admitted for $20.  Daily tickets also are available.  Additional fees apply for camping. 

Pickin’ In The Pines

September 14-16, 2007

Pine Mountain Amphitheater/Coconino County Fairgrounds in Flagstaff, Arizona

www.pickininthepines.org

Presented by the Flagstaff Friends of Traditional Music, this bluegrass and acoustic music festival, now in its sophomore year, will feature artists performing traditional bluegrass, old timey and more progressive fare, along with a Saturday morning band contest, a Saturday night contra dance with music by Sweet Sunny South, and a number of workshops.  That Dawggone  talented mandolinist/composer David Grisman & the Bluegrass Experience and the Kruger Brothers headline , while some new, up-and-coming bands  and local Arizona talent also will be showcased.   Three-day weekend passes are $60 in advance and $70 at the gate.  Daily tickets also are available.  Camping is an additional $5/person.  Free admission and camping for children ages 16 and under.

Fordham Fest

September 15, 2007

Fordham Brewing Company in Dover, Delaware

www.delfolk.org

The brewing company hosts a benefit event for Delaware Friends of Folk, featuring food, beer, brewery tours and plenty of live music from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.  Admission is $20.  The Delaware Friends of Folk stages coffeehouses, concerts and monthly pick-ins where people gather to play music together, as well as the annual Delmarva Folk Festival that is set for October 5-6 at Field’s Farm in Hartly, Delaware.

Boston Folk Festival

September 15-16, 2007

UMass Boston

www.bostonfolkfestival.org

An impressive and diverse array of artists, most with Massachusetts ties — including singer-songwriters, blues and bluegrass musiucians, and more — will be featured on three stages during this 10th annual festival.  They include Jake Armerding, Geoff Bartley, Cindy Beullens, Dave Crossland, Catie Curtis, Antje Duvekot, Mark Erelli, Vance Gilbert, Jess Klein, Patti Larkin, Lori McKenna, Erin McKeown, Bill Morrissey, Ellis Paul, Pine Hill Ramblers, Red Molly, Chris Smither and Bill Staines, among others. Adult tickets are $25-$30, while those for children, ages 6-14, are $5-$10. 

Cincinnati Celtic Festival

September 15-16, 2007

Yeatman’s Cove Serpentine Wall on Cincinnati, Ohio’s riverfront

www.cincinnaticelticfestival.com 

Bodega, Liz Carroll & John Doyle, Lunasa, The Prodigals and Tommy Sands are among the featured artists at this festival that also will include a number of local and regional performers, a Saturday night ceili, more than 50 vendors, and an array of children’s activities and programs.  Daily admission is $8 for adults, $5 for students, seniors (65+) and active military, and free for children ages 12 and under.

Julian Bluegrass Festival

September 15-16, 2007

Frank Lane Park in Julian, California

www.julianbluegrassfestival.com

Now in its 37th year, this is the oldest bluegrass festival in California.  Performers are still to be announced.  Instrumental contests also are planned for Saturday and Sunday mornings.  Tickets are $15.  Bring your own chairs, and be advised that the terrain in the park is steep and uneven. 

30th Takoma Park Folk Festival

September 16, 2007

Takoma Park Middle School in Takoma Park, Maryland

www.tpff.org

This long-running, free festival in a suburb of Washington, D.C. boasts a wide array of music and dance from around the world on seven stages, in addition to children’s activities and a juried crafts exposition.  Slated to be held rain or shine, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., the festival will feature such artists as the Alexandria Kleztet, Nick Annis, Oscar Brand, Emma’s Revolution, Jim Heald, Joe Hickerson, Hot Soup, Bruce Hutton, Paul Iwancio, Siobhan Quinn & Michael Bowers, Bob Sima, SONiA, Michelle Swan, Dulcie Taylor, Tinsmith, and more.