Great Indoor Folk Festival

Feb. 6, 2011

Great Indoor Folk Festival moves to Sunday
A new day is dawning for the Great Indoor Folk Festival this year, as
the family-friendly event moves to the Sunday before Valentine’s Day.
That’s Sunday, Feb. 13, to be exact, with more than 50 musicians set
to perform in the sprawling Mercado  shopping area of Building 50 at
the Grand Traverse Commons in Traverse City.  If attendance matches
that of years past, the third annual event is expected to draw as many
as 1,000 people throughout the day.
“By moving it to Sunday we’re able to have a festival that doesn’t
crowd anyone out and will make it possible for everyone to attend,”
said Adair Correll of the Northern Michigan Songwriters in the Round,
which hosts the event.  Correll noted that several other events being
held in Traverse City over the weekend made Sunday a better choice for
the community.
As in years past, the music is all-acoustic with the players drawn
from the Songwriters in the Round music organization.  Despite the
fact that the musicians all perform for free, there’s a high demand to
perform at the festival, Correll said.  “We put out a call for
musicians each year and the slots are all booked up within a day or
two. It’s become a very prestigious event for the region’s acoustic
music crowd.”
What’s in it for the musicians?
“A lot of us will be selling our CDs at the festival, and they make
great Valentine’s Day presents,” Correll said.  “While many of the
musicians already sell their CDs at their gigs throughout the year,
the Great Indoor Folk Festival turns out a tremendous crowd. What
better thing to do on a Valentine’s weekend than put a smile on your
face, a song in your heart and a new CD in your pocket?”
He added that the free festival also remains a huge hit with families.
“These are tough times and families are looking for something free and
fun to do. This is a chance to see as many as 50 musicians and hear a
lot of original music.  It’s a chance to get your kids inspired to
take up music themselves.”
In addition to five ‘stages’ in Building 50 (actually, small
performance areas tucked into alcoves), the festival includes a stage
at the Left Foot Charley winery just 100 yards to the west, and an
open mic stage at the Another Cuppa Joe coffeehouse, where musicians
from the general public are invited to perform throughout the day.
The festival got its start in 2009 as a way of raising the profile of
the Songwriters in the Round  which includes folk and acoustic
musicians from all over the state. Correll, one of the founding
members and long time administrator, and Bob Downes, editor of
Northern Express Weekly and a member of the Acoustic Dynamite band,
thought that a free indoor music festival held in February would be a
good addition to a region that has more than enough events during the
summertime.
“There’s no question that it was a hit from the very first year,”
Correll said.  “We didn’t know if it was going to be a one-time shot
in the dark, but we found in our second year that this is a popular,
enduring event.”

The Great Indoor Folk Festival will be held Sunday, Feb. 13 from noon
- 5:30 p.m. in the Mercado shopping area of Building 50 at the Grand
Traverse Commons, with an additional satellite stage at the Left Foot
Charley winery.  The standing room only event is free of charge,
although donations will be accepted in “busker buckets” at each stage.

-- by Robert Downes

Who’s Playing:

BAND STAGE

12:00-1:00 Summerson
1:10-2:10 Cabin Fever
2:20-3:20 Song of the Lakes
 3:30-4:30 New 3rd Coast
 4:40-5:30 Jim Crockett & Friends

DUO STAGE

12:00-12:30 Acoustic Dynamite
12:40-1:10  Jim Hawley
1:20-1:50 Les Dalgliesh &
Patrick Harrison
2:00-2:30  Jenny Thomas & Friends
2:40-3:10  Adair Correll & Friends
3:20-3:50  Barbara Jordan & Friends
4:00-4:30  The Nephews
4:35-5:00  Dennis & Allison Palmer & Friends
5:05-5:30 Blind Dog Hank

KIDS STAGE

1:00-1:30 Ron Fowler
1:40-2:10 Luunappi - Patrick Niemisto & Norm Wheeler
2:20-2:50  Mary Anne Rivers
3:00-3:30 Kirby

LEFT FOOT CHARLEY STAGE

12:40-1:10  Dane Hyde &
Greg Stanton
1:20-1:50 Blind Dog Hank
2:00-2:30   Harbor Hoedown
2:40-3:10  The Nephews
3:20-3:50 Acoustic Dynamite
4:00-4:40 Three Hour Tour
SOLO STAGE

12:00: 12:25 Ron Fowler
12:30-12:55 Mary Anne Rivers
1:00-1:25  John Bentley
1:30-1:55  Ruby John w/Dane Hyde
2:00-2:25  Kurt Bullock
2:30-2:55  Dede Alderman
3:00-3:25  Robin Lee Berry
3:30-3:55  Bev Carrol
4:00-4:25  Kirby
4:30-4:55  Les Dalgliesh
5:00-5:25  Jerre Stormer

SOUTHVIEW STAGE

12:00-12:40 Les Dalgliesh &
Patrick Harrison
12:50-1:30 Three Hour Tour
1:40-2:20 Jef Fisk
2:30-3:10  Dan Kelchak
3:20-4:00 Dane Hyde & Greg Stanton
4:10-4:50  Max & Ruth Bloomquist