Woodstock Folk Festival honors musical legacy with lifetime achievement and special tributes
The 41st annual Woodstock Folk Festival returns to the historic Square on Sunday, July 19, featuring artists from nine states across the U.S. as well as British Columbia, performing various musical styles including Americana, folk, bluegrass, blues, and Latin music. This year’s theme will be “Building Community Through Music.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award will honor Magpie, featuring Terry Leonino and Greg Artzner, the award-winning folk artists, songwriters, musical historians, and social activists. They have performed around the world for over five decades, marking their golden anniversary in 2024 with a CD “Endless River” and a 50th Anniversary Concert on the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
The “Woody” Award will go to Norm Siegel, a veteran of the Chicago folk revival scene in the 1960s to ’80s, playing bass with Fred Holstein, John Prine, Steve Goodman, and Bob Gibson. He has been an active performer, sound guy, and supporter of the greater Chicago folk community for over six decades. Now based in Woodstock, Siegel performs often in Woodstock at Off Square Music open mics and co-hosts their “Every Saturday Virtual Open Mic.”
The local folk music community also will be celebrating two milestone anniversaries with special performances.
The Fox Valley Folk Music & Storytelling Festival is celebrating its fifth decade. Small Potatoes (featuring Rich Prezioso and Jacquie Manning) will sing “I Will Pass This Way Again” to mark the festival’s half-century of folk music. They will be joined by Jessi Laffey, widow of festival founder Juel Ulven, and fellow Fox Valley Folklore Society board member Cheryl Joyal.
The Lake County Folk Club will mark its 35th anniversary with founding member Marcia Krieger, club president Scott Engstrom, and other club members singing a song.
The festival from noon to 6 p.m. will feature artists from Illinois, Arizona, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, and British Columbia.
The performers will include Ashley & Simpson (Jennifer Ashley and Joel Simpson), Friction Farm (Aidan Quinn and Christine Stay), Zachary Stevenson, Patty & Craig (Patty Stevenson and Craig Siemsen) with Marc Edelstein, Fox Crossing Stringband (Cassie Lynn Wright, Despina Pafralides, Roman Niziolek, Micah Vogel and Caleb Peters), Tish Hinojosa with special guest Anny Celsi, and Nathans & Ronstadt.
The Open Mic Stage, hosted by Mark Lyons and Wattle & Daub (Tim and Susan Mocarski), will start at noon in the community room at the Woodstock Opera House, as Stage Left Cafe is being renovated. Anny Celsi will be the featured performer from 1:30 to 2 p.m. and 2:15 to 3 p.m. Ellen Shepard and Mitzi Lebensorger also will lead an “Old-Time Country Duet Harmony” Workshop. Sign-ups for the open mic begin at noon.
The Ella Jenkins Children’s Area, hosted by Tricia Alexander, will run from 1 to 4 p.m. It will include performances by Tricia Alexander, Mark Lyons & Jean Adaskevich, Tish Hinojosa, and Friction Farm. Weather permitting, there will be activities with Diane Wlezien and her miniature therapy horse Sunny.
The main stage will be hosted by Marilyn Rea Beyer (host of “Folkstage” and “The Midnight Special” on WFMT Chicago 98.7 FM) and Lilli Kuzma (host of “The Folk Festival” on WDCB 90.9 FM).
The day concludes at 6 p.m. with the all-sing finale led by Ashley & Simpson, who are also co-directors of the Two Way Street Coffee House in Downers Grove. It will include tributes to people in the music community who have passed since last year’s festival.
In case of rain, the festival will be held at Woodstock Opera House, 121 W. Van Buren St.
Bring lawn chairs, blankets, sunscreen, etc. No pets are permitted in the park. Suggested donation is $40 or $50 per family. Bring money for CDs and other merchandise. Cash is preferred but checks, Mastercard, and Visa are accepted.
For information, visit woodstockfolkfestival.org or follow facebook.com/woodstockfolkfestival.