DelawareScene: Delmarva folk Festival @ G & R Campground

Delmarva folk Festival

Delaware Friends of Folk are excited to announce the lineup for their 33rd annual Delmarva Folk Festival. The outdoor Festival will be held Friday and Saturday, October 18 and 19, 2024, at G & R Campground near Houston, Del. Friday evening features the finals of the 18th annual Delmarva Folk Heroes contest and Saturday provides a rich lineup of folk, old-time, blues, and bluegrass, along with special kids’ activities and craft and food vendors featuring beer from local brewers. The “Poet Tree” will once again grow all weekend, along with things for the kids to do. Weekend cabins and tent and RV camping sites will be available.

Artists from Delmarva, Pennsylvania, and Maryland will take the stage during the weekend. Current Delmarva Folk Heroes Strays and Misfits open the Festival by hosting the finals of the 18th Delmarva Folk Heroes contest at 7 pm October 18. The six acts will be selected via online submissions and voting, and at the September 21 open mic coffee house events. These artists will perform, and the audience vote will select the new Delmarva Folk Hero.

The music resumes Saturday at noon with an opening set from the newly minted Delmarva Folk Hero. The afternoon continues with a performance by Milton singer songwriter Kerry Hallett, followed by a set of original music from former Folk Heroes Last Chance. Next in line, from Newark, the Honey Badgers mix of folk, pop, and Americana returns by popular demand. Finishing the afternoon at 3:00 pm, Kent County trio Mother’s Highway Junction will present a set of original songs mixed with country and Americana favorites.

Ayreheart will hold a workshop at 4pm, featuring a “show and tell”, where the musicians will discuss the history of their instruments and music, and their place in historical culture. They will also illustrate the discussion by performing musical examples throughout the lecture. At 5:00 pm, Milton’s Christine Havrilla Duo opens the evening session. Backed by lead guitarist Colleen Clark, Christine utilizes the soft gritty texture of her vocals to express warmth and honesty, as well as her aggressive, raw, trash-style guitar playing and looping. At 6:00, the Festival’s featured act, Ayreheart, will bring a bit of The Renaissance to Delaware. For centuries, the lute was considered the “prince of instruments,” and lute players were celebrities in royal courts across Europe. Ayreheart, a progressive folk trio founded by lutenist Ronn McFarlane, seeks to restore the instrument to its former glory–but in a modern context. The three members of Ayreheart – McFarlane on lute, Will Morris on fretless bass, violin and colascione, and Mattias Rucht on percussion – all have backgrounds in rock and jazz, which comes through in their energetic performances.

Next up at 7:30 is the not-quite-bluegrass; not-quite-rock-n-roll; not-quite-New Wave music of The Blue Wave Ramblers. The Pennsylvania-based quartet is an eclectic and somewhat unlikely band of musical brothers with a deep musical pedigree.

Bringing the Festival to a close is local electric blues band Bad JuJu with a rare acoustic show and special guest Joey Fulkerson. Bad JuJu was formed as a band during the fall of 2008. Their music is described as a blend of classic old school blues, sometimes with a twist, an edge, and maybe a little soul. They are a “Shoot from the Hip” rock, blues, and soul collective and their shows are always non-scripted.

Tickets are on sale now and prices remain the same as last year. Friday $10 (teen & adult), Saturday only $30 (non-campers must vacate by 11 pm) or $35 for a weekend pass. Teen tickets for Saturday are $15 and kids 12 and under are FREE. Friends of Folk members receive a special voucher for a free Coffeehouse admission with minimum purchase of a Saturday ticket. All cabins and camping options (other than primitive) are reserved directly with G & R Campground. Volunteers are needed for a variety of activities. Questions may be directed to delfolk@gmail.com

The appearance of Ayreheart is partially supported by a grant from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation. Some Delaware Friends of Folk events are partially supported by grants from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts. The Division promotes Delaware arts events on www.DelawareScene.com.

SCHEDULE AND LINKS:

TIME ARTIST WEB

Fri. eve. Strays & Misfits https://www.facebook.com/straysandmisfits/

NOON Folk Hero

12:30 Kerry Hallett https://www.kerryhallett.com/

01:00 Last Chance https://www.lastchanceband.org/

02:00 Honey Badgers https://www.honeybadgerfolk.com/

03:00 Mother's Highway Junction https://www.youtube.com/user/Miller2035

04:00 Ayreheart workshop

05:00 Christine Havrilla Duo www.ChristineHavrilla.com

06:00 Ayreheart https://www.ayreheart.com/

07:30 Blue Wave Ramblers https://www.facebook.com/TheBlueWaveRamblers/

09:30 Bad Juju w/Joey Fulkerson https://www.facebook.com/good4soul/