This year’s Folk and Roots Festival kicks off another outstanding weekend of traditional folk music, dance, story telling, and children’s programs for people of all ages. Meadowhawk starts our programming with traditional fiddle tunes at 5pm in the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts lobby followed by Eddie Barbash and the KASA string quartet at 6pm with genre-defying roots music played on strings and saxophone that will rock the house. Both programs are free and open to the general public.
Later that evening swing dancing with the Hot Club of Urbana begins at 8:30 at Channing-Murray, and Keith Hall and the Creepin’ Grass kick off their 9pm set at the Rose Bowl. A special performance by The Young & the Fretless will take place at the Red Herring starting at 7:15. There will be an admission charge for these performances.
Friday’s performances begin at 5pm with The Tumbleweeds followed by Eddie Barbash and the KASA Quartet at 7pm at the Rose Bowl. Tee Dee Young will begin his blues set at 8:15 at the Gallery, and the extraordinary Son Monarcas ensemble will start their Latin folk fusion set at 9pm at the Urbana Dance Company. For those looking for New Orleans-influenced brass band sounds, the 6th Street Brass band will start their set at 11pm at the Rose Bowl to close out the evening’s entertainment.
Saturday morning and afternoon programming kicks off at 10am with the Paw Paws playing rollicking children’s songs at the Rose Bowl and an old-time jam session with Spencer and Rains on the Common Grounds porch. A beatbox basics workshop with Jaik Willis begins at 11 at the Cohen building, and an American songster workshop with Dom Flemons begins at 3pm at the Urbana Public Library. In addition beginning clawhammer banjo with Allie Jean begins at 4pm at C4A, and so much more entertainment for people of all ages is available for free until 5pm.
Saturday evening Hannah Rose and the Sweet Nothings kicks off her programming 5pm at the Gallery, Dom Flemons at 5:30 at the Rose Bowl indoors, Son Monarcas at 6pm at the Rose Bowl outdoors and at the same time Anika Emily at C4A, and later that evening Big Daddy Pride and the East Side Five will start their set at 10pm at the Gallery. To close out our exciting programming the Urbana Hootenanny begins at midnight at the Rose Bowl.
For a complete schedule of the week’s performances and ticket information please visit CU Folk and Roots Festival. The weather promises to be fall-like with a chance of some showers, but the music will always be hot and tons of fun for the entire family. So why not spend part of your weekend having fun with music, dance, story telling, the Archives Bizarre at the Urbana Free Library, and so much more.