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Acclaimed folk fest gears up for 21st year
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| A musician performs on the mainstage at last year’s Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. This year’s addition is scheduled to begin July 23 at the Dodds Farm in Hillsdale. (Robert Ragaini/Hudson-Catskill Newspapers archives) |
By Francesca Olsen
The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival is coming to town, and this year, there’s no plan of being blown away by a tornado.
Beginning on Thursday, Dodds Farm in Hillsdale will host the four-day festival. There are four stages this year: a main stage, a workshop stage, a family stage and a stage in the dance tent, which features a 900-square-foot collapsible dance floor.
Falcon Ridge is in its 21st year. The festival was voted Best Folk Fest in 2008 by the International Folk Music and Dance Alliance.
“It was gratifying that we could get it,” said Executive Director Howard Randall, who started the festival 21 years ago. “It was an honor to be voted on by people in the business ... to be elected by them was an honor.”
A four-day festival ticket, with camping included, is $145; without camping, it’s $115. Single-day tickets run from $35 to $50. There are discounted tickets for kids under the age of 18, and tickets are free for children under 12.
Folk legend Janis Ian will headline the festival, alongside country queen Kathy Mattea, Boston’s Chamber Grass Ensemble, the Folk Arts Quartet, Nerissa and Katryna Nields, bluesman Bob Malone, Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul, Lisa Haley and the Zydecats, Susan Werner, Ellis Paul and Chris Eberhardt.
In addition to live music, there are all-night song circles, activities for children, and a worldwide palate of food vendors featuring Caribbean curries, Middle Eastern food, Thai, Mexican, and some fresh local choices as well. Vegan and vegetarian options are also available.
Randall started the festival after his experience working on a different music festival.
“I was one of the founders of Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival — one of the three original partners,” he said. “I liked the bluegrass, but I was more interested in the folk music end of it, and I decided I’d give it a shot.”
“It was basically a two-day concert, because the only people that could camp were the volunteers,” said Anne Saunders, the festival’s artistic director. “There was just very little space. It was a great show, but really not a festival.”
This year Saunders expects 6,000 to 12,000 people to come out for the music, an extensive and eclectic Craft Village, a long line of international food vendors and the huge dance floor.
“It’s the largest movable, outdoor one of its kind,” said Saunders. “There might be a larger one but we don’t know about it.”
Randall built the dance floor. It was originally smaller than 900 square feet, but popularity demanded a bigger one.
“He took out his pencil and paper and figured out how to make one,” Saunders said of Randall. “It takes two days for them to take it out of the barn and put it together.”
Saunders estimated the floor can fit about 1,500 contra dancers at one time.
Last year, Falcon Ridge was forced to close early due to inclement weather. “Last year we had probably the worst weather we’ve ever had. It was extremely frightening while it was happening,” she said. “We had vicious hail, 80-mile-an-hour winds — it was unbelievable that nobody got hurt.”
Next weekend’s weather doesn’t show vicious storms in the forecast, so campers and their tents should be OK. Alcohol won’t be sold at the festival, but patrons of drinking age can bring alcohol in as long as the containers aren’t glass.
For more information and directions, visit www.falconridgefolk.com or call the ticket hotline at 866-325-2744.
Beginning on Thursday, Dodds Farm in Hillsdale will host the four-day festival. There are four stages this year: a main stage, a workshop stage, a family stage and a stage in the dance tent, which features a 900-square-foot collapsible dance floor.
Falcon Ridge is in its 21st year. The festival was voted Best Folk Fest in 2008 by the International Folk Music and Dance Alliance.
“It was gratifying that we could get it,” said Executive Director Howard Randall, who started the festival 21 years ago. “It was an honor to be voted on by people in the business ... to be elected by them was an honor.”
A four-day festival ticket, with camping included, is $145; without camping, it’s $115. Single-day tickets run from $35 to $50. There are discounted tickets for kids under the age of 18, and tickets are free for children under 12.
Folk legend Janis Ian will headline the festival, alongside country queen Kathy Mattea, Boston’s Chamber Grass Ensemble, the Folk Arts Quartet, Nerissa and Katryna Nields, bluesman Bob Malone, Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul, Lisa Haley and the Zydecats, Susan Werner, Ellis Paul and Chris Eberhardt.
In addition to live music, there are all-night song circles, activities for children, and a worldwide palate of food vendors featuring Caribbean curries, Middle Eastern food, Thai, Mexican, and some fresh local choices as well. Vegan and vegetarian options are also available.
Randall started the festival after his experience working on a different music festival.
“I was one of the founders of Winterhawk Bluegrass Festival — one of the three original partners,” he said. “I liked the bluegrass, but I was more interested in the folk music end of it, and I decided I’d give it a shot.”
“It was basically a two-day concert, because the only people that could camp were the volunteers,” said Anne Saunders, the festival’s artistic director. “There was just very little space. It was a great show, but really not a festival.”
This year Saunders expects 6,000 to 12,000 people to come out for the music, an extensive and eclectic Craft Village, a long line of international food vendors and the huge dance floor.
“It’s the largest movable, outdoor one of its kind,” said Saunders. “There might be a larger one but we don’t know about it.”
Randall built the dance floor. It was originally smaller than 900 square feet, but popularity demanded a bigger one.
“He took out his pencil and paper and figured out how to make one,” Saunders said of Randall. “It takes two days for them to take it out of the barn and put it together.”
Saunders estimated the floor can fit about 1,500 contra dancers at one time.
Last year, Falcon Ridge was forced to close early due to inclement weather. “Last year we had probably the worst weather we’ve ever had. It was extremely frightening while it was happening,” she said. “We had vicious hail, 80-mile-an-hour winds — it was unbelievable that nobody got hurt.”
Next weekend’s weather doesn’t show vicious storms in the forecast, so campers and their tents should be OK. Alcohol won’t be sold at the festival, but patrons of drinking age can bring alcohol in as long as the containers aren’t glass.
For more information and directions, visit www.falconridgefolk.com or call the ticket hotline at 866-325-2744.
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