Boston Irish Festival 2011 Set for June 17-19

Black 47, Enter the Haggis, Joshua tree, The Makem & Spain Brothers, The Prodigals, The Screaming Orphans and Derek Warfield and the Young Wolfe Tones are among the artists slated to grace the main stage during the 21st annual Boston Irish Festival. Set for Friday evening June 17 through Sunday evening, June 19, in Canton, Massachusetts, the festival also will feature Irish dancing, films, sports, art, food, an O’Connell Street Marketplace, book readings and sales, genealogy research, and children’s activities. A number of other local and touring artists also will perform during the event. [To view the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Six 2011 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners Named

Six songwriters have been named as winners in the 2011 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Mai Bloomfield (Venice, CA), Megan Burtt (Denver, CO), David Moss (Austin, TX), Cassie Peterson (Nashville, TN), Grace Pettis (Harrisonburg, VA) and AJ Roach (Brooklyn, NY) were selected by a panel of judges from among 32 finalists who performed two songs each during the New Folk Concerts on May 28 and 29 as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival. [To read the full article, click on the headline.]

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2011 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Finalists Named

Thirty-two songwriters have been named as finalists in the 2011 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Competition for Emerging Songwriters. Chosen from among 800 submissions from around the world, the finalists will perform their two submitted songs during the New Folk Concerts slated for Saturday and Sunday afternoons, May 28 and 29, as part of the Kerrville Folk Festival. [To read the article and see who the finalists are, click on the headline.]

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Old Settler’s Music Festival, April 14-17 in Texas Hill Country

The roots music and Americana-oriented Old Settler’s Music Festival returns to the Salt Lick BBQ Pavilion and Camp Ben McCulloch in Driftwood, Texas, April 14-17. Now in its 24th year, the festival is not as well-known outside the state as some others in the Austin area – and that’s part of its allure. Old Settler’s Music Festival also takes place during what’s usually the height of Texas Hill Country’s wildflower season. [To read the article in full, click on the headline.]

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Jim Lauderdale Engages in Live Facebook Chat on Songwriting, 2/1

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale, who also serves as volunteer chairperson for MerleFest’s Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, will engage in a live chat on Facebook on Tuesday, Feb. 1, at 7 p.m. EST. Fans and aspiring songwriters can join the chat and pose questions to Lauderdale about the contest and songwriting in general by visiting the official page of the contest at the social media site. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Newport Folk Festival Returns to Its Nonprofit Roots

The Newport Folk Festival, which has been held in or near the coastal Rhode Island resort city since 1959, is returning to its original roots as a nonprofit event, along with its older sibling, the Newport Jazz Festival. Both will now be produced under the umbrella of he newly formed Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. George Wein, 85, a pioneer among producers of outdoor festivals, will remain at its helm and, with his staff, continue to steer the folk festival that is set for July 29-31 at Fort Adams State Park. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Boston Celtic Music Fest Set for January 7-8, 2011

A wide array of Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton, Appalachian and other Celtic-inspired music and dance is on tap during the Boston Celtic Music Fest (BCMFest). Boston, Massachusetts’ annual grassroots, musician-run, winter Celtic music festival takes place Jan. 7-8, 2011. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Ann Arbor Folk Festival Slated for Jan. 28 & 29, 2011

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Dec. 1 for the 34th Ann Arbor Folk Festival at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Slated for Friday and Saturday nights, Jan. 28 and 29, 2011, beginning at 6:30 p.m., the festival is a fundraiser for The Ark, Ann Arbor’s home for acoustic music. Susan Werner, a witty singer-songwriter whose music transcends genres, emcees the event that features a number of traditional and contemporary artists in folk and roots music circles. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

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Celtic Classic On Tap for Sept. 24-26 in Bethlehem, PA

Throngs of people are expected to converge on Historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Sept. 24-26, for the 23rd annual Celtic Classic. Presented by the nonprofit Celtic Cultural Alliance, the free event is a celebration of the Irish, Scottish and Welsh cultures and heritage. [To view the article, click on the headline.]

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Kathy Mattea Headlines Connecticut Folk Festival & Green Expo

Grammy Award-winning folk/country singer Kathy Mattea will be the Saturday night headliner during the Connecticut Folk Festival and Green Expo that’s set for Sept. 10-12 in New Haven’s Edgerton Park. [To view the entire article, click on the headline.]

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2010 Kerrville Wine & Music Festival Set for Sept. 3-5

Wine and music aficionados will gather in the Texas Hill Country over Labor Day Weekend for the 2010 Kerrville Wine & Music Festival. The annual event, pairing Texas wine tastings with performances by two-dozen singer-songwriters, takes place Sept. 3-5 at the Quiet Valley Ranch, nine miles south of Kerrville on TX Hwy 16. On Aug. 31, from 8-9 p.m. central time, www.radiofreetexas.org will broadcast a performance by Uncle Lucius live from the Tin Roof Steakhouse in Boerne, TX to promote the Wine & Music Festival. [To read the entire article, click on the headline.]

Continue Reading2010 Kerrville Wine & Music Festival Set for Sept. 3-5