Every song tells a story at Fox Valley folk festival
What's more than 100 years old and has more colorful variety than a 64 pack of crayons?
Folk music, and it's coming this way in full force Sunday and Monday, Sept. 6 and 7, as the Fox Valley Folk Music and Storytelling Festival makes its 33rd appearance.
The fest will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days at Island Park in Geneva.
More than 100 folk artists will be performing on the festival's eight different stages, giving audience members a chance to sample from the different ethnic traditions the folk genre provides.
The suggested donation for entry is $15 for adults and $10 for teens and seniors. Kids younger than 12 are free.
The festival is expected to draw thousands from Illinois and beyond eager to get their fill of folk.
"Within the folk genre you can pretty much pick an ethnic heritage and you've got a whole musical tradition that's there," festival director Juel Ulven said.
Folk music has songs around Irish, Polish and Cajun traditions and has influences in blues and country music too, to name a few.
Folk groups use a variety of instruments that can include the banjo, bass, accordion, fiddle and the hammer dulcimer - considered the "great grandfather" of the piano.
Not only can audience members spend their days drinking in the dulcet tones, they can try their hand at writing some folk songs too. A song writing workshop will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, open to beginners and veteran songwriters alike.
Special meet and greet times with some of the performers have also been set aside for those who just want to check out the instruments, ask questions or try their hand at playing them a little. After all, it's not every day you get to see a hammer dulcimer up close and personal.
"When people come to the festival, especially families and little kids, they're just fascinated seeing things they've never seen before. Kids get to see music played live, not on an (mp3 player). None of these kids, or even adults, have seen these instruments up close before," Ulven said.
An open mic night will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. on Saturday and the always popular "Ghost Stories" event will be held from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday, emphasizing the storytelling quality folk music can have.
"A good folk song is a story. The one thing that differentiates folk music a lot is lyrical content. Typically you have a lot more story content in a good folk song than in your typical folk song," Ulven said.
The stories are a family friendly event, but will get progressively scarier as the night goes on.
For a complete schedule of events, visit foxvalleyfolk.com.
If you go
What: 33rd annual Fox Valley Folk Music and Storytelling Festival
When: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday and Monday, Sept. 6 and 7
Where: Island Park in Geneva
Admission: $15 for adults and $10 for teens and seniors; kids younger than 12 admitted free
Parking: free, at Kane County Government Center, 719 S. Batavia Ave., Geneva
Info: foxvalleyfolk.com
Children's events
The Fox Valley Folk and Storytelling Festival is a family-friendly event. Here are some activities the younger set may enjoy.
Sunday, Sept. 6
11 a.m. Beads! Beads! Beads! necklace making
Noon Storytime anytime
1 p.m. Drum making workshop; advance registration required
2 p.m. Jewish and Yiddish folk songs and stories for everyone
3 p.m. Stories and crafts
4 p.m. Storytelling with Four Winds Waldorf School
5 p.m. 17th annual Kid's Festival Olympics - wacky races, games, contests and more
Monday, Sept. 7
11 a.m. Sing-along storybooks
Noon Little guitar pickers
1 p.m. Puppet making
2 p.m. Sing-along with Mark Dvorak
3 p.m. Stories and crafts
4 p.m. Recycled instrument making
5 p.m. 17th annual Kid's Festival Olympics - wacky races, games, contests and more
Not to be missed
Never been to the Fox Valley Folk and Storytelling Festival? Here is a sampling of the most popular events, according to festival organizers.
• Special "Songmaking" Workshop open to beginners and veterans alike from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday
• "Open Mic" on the Island from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday
• Ghost Stories from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Sunday
• Old Time Community Barn Dance from 6 to 7 p.m. Sunday
• Eight stages featuring live music everyday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.