Two events on two successive weekends in June help mark the beginning of the summer outdoor festival season in New York State — Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival and the 30th annual Old Songs Festival.
Slated for Saturday -Sunday, June 19-20, at Croton Point Park in Croton-On-Hudson, in New York’s Hudson Valley, Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival is a music and environmental festival launched by folk icon Pete Seeger that is now in its 41st year.
Among the artists scheduled to appear at the festival over the weekend, in addition to Pete, are such notables as David Amram, David Bromberg Quartet, Jonatha Brooke, Buckwheat Zydeco, C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band, Shawn Colvin, Donna The Buffalo, Steve Earle, Steve Forbert, Eileen Ivers, Lucy Kaplansky, Quebec’s Le Vent du Nord, Joan Osborne, Railroad Earth, Toshi Reagon and Subdudes. Joining them are such emerging talents as the Angel Band, Dan Bern, Mike Doughty, Felice Brothers, Sarah Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Rhett Miller, Sara Watkins, and Dala (a young female duo from Toronto, who also star in “Girls From the North Country,” a TV special that begins airing on many PBS television stations this month). Regional artists of note include Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Milton, Tao Seeger Band, Rick Nestler and The Dirty Stay Out Skifflers, Matt Turk, Hope Machine, The Edukated Fleas, Stout, and the Walkabout Clearwater Chorus.
Produced by and benefiting the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc., a nonprofit, member-supported organization launched by Pete Seeger and others to preserve and protect the Hudson River and its tributaries, the festival celebrates environmental activism and education. It features seven stages with live music and performance artists, a Green Living Expo, riverfront activities, environmental workshops and exhibits, and booths run by educational and activist organizations. The Sloop Clearwater and Schooner Pioneer will also be there during the weekend, affording visitors the opportunity to sail on the Hudson. Roving artists and jugglers, children’s crafts and activities, juried crafts and the Circle of Song (where audience participation is the focus) also are on the docket.
For more information and to purchase tickets in advance, call 845-418-3596 or visit www.clearwater.org/festival.
The 30th annual Old Songs Festival takes place June 25-27, at Altamont Fairgrounds in Altamont, approximately 10 miles west of Albany. Produced by Old Songs, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in the New York State Capitol Region that seeks to keep traditional music and dance alive through this festival, as well as twice monthly concerts, monthly dances and educational programs, the festival will feature an array of folk, Celtic, blues, old-time and world musicians, as well as storytelling, dance, juggling and more.
Among this year’s performers are Canadian singer-songwriter James Keelaghan, Canadian trad. quartet Gadelle, talented husband-and-wife duos Kim & Reggie Harris and Matt & Shannon Heaton, percussionist Billy Jonas, gypsy jazz artists Babik, Tony Barrand, John Roberts, Jeff Davis, Debra Cowan, Sally Rogers & Howie Bursen, Cathy Barton & Dave Para, Susan Trump, and Moscow Nights (a trio performing traditional Russian music).
Main Stage concerts are slated for Friday and Saturday evening, as well as Sunday afternoon, while eight stages will feature music and dance on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Contra dances featuring music by Fennig’s All-Stars and Grand Picnic follow the Friday and Saturday night concerts on the main stage.
A very participatory event, the Old Songs Festival also features “sacred harp” or shape-note singing (and choral singing) on Saturday and Sunday mornings with Tim Eriksen (who directed the shape-note singing for the film Cold Mountain) and Peter and Mary Alice Amidon, as well as lots of festival performer-led and impromptu jam sessions. The family-friendly event also features a children’s area, as well as a wide array of artisans, vendors and food.
Individual day tickets and all-festival tickets (with or without camping), and senior citizen and student discounts are available at the gate. For more information, visit www.oldsongs.org.
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