Fox Valley Folk Music and Storytelling Festival kicks off in Geneva
A folk musician, storyteller and author, Dan Keding travels frequently to show off his work, but the Fox Valley Folk Music and Storytelling Festival is unlike any other event where he has performed.
Not only do visitors to Island Park in Geneva get to listen to folk music, he said, but they get to watch demonstrations, participate in activities and ask questions.
"People walk up to you and talk to you. It's just totally different," said Keding, an Urbana resident who performed at the inaugural festival decades ago. "There are no boundaries between the audience and the performers. There's an immediacy there that I love."
The 40th anniversary of the two-day festival kicked off Sunday with sunny weather and dozens of musicians and storytellers from across the country taking over eight stages. Acts include traditional folk music, ballads, blues and other historical sounds, event organizer and co-founder Juel Ulven said.
"We're here to support the music that needs help," he said. "It's kind of noncommercial music rooted in tradition."
In addition to the scheduled acts, visitors often find open spots throughout the grounds to play music and show off their own talents, Ulven said.
Sponsored the Fox Valley Folklore Society in cooperation with the city of Geneva and the Geneva Park District, the festival also offers hands-on workshops, music lessons, children's activities, dances, vendors and demonstrations. More than 3,000 people typically attend each day, Ulven said.
Geneva resident Chris Parrilli, who has been to the festival every year for the past six years, said the event provides a unique atmosphere in a beautiful location along the Fox River.
"It's nice to hang out all day with a little food and some great music," Parrilli said.
After she first attended about 30 years ago, Joanne Laessig of Cleveland now returns to the festival every year as a volunteer. In addition to offering a sense of community for local residents, she said, the event has created a strong, worldwide network of folk musicians, storytellers and performers.
"This is a really rich folk resource that people are very fortunate to have," she said. "It's the greatest exposure to folk music in all of its varieties."