Thanks to everyone who helped make our 40th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival a success. Mark your calendars now for next year’s Festival on Sunday, July 19, 2026. Make sure you sign up on our website, woodstockfolkfestival.org, for monthly emails with details about that, our video sampler of this year’s Festival, and our Spring Benefit Concert, a celebration of the 100th anniversary of Route 66. Enjoy the rest of the summer. ~ from Carol Obertubbesing, President, Woodstock Folk Festival
The 40th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2025 comes to town Sunday, July 20, from Noon to 6 p.m. You won’t want to miss a minute of it! We have a great lineup as always, and auxiliary activities to make your day memorable.
The Woodstock Folk Festival builds community through music. Join us as we celebrate 40 years on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
Woodstock Folk Festival 2025 Flyer – You can also use the button toward the top of this page.
In the spirit of giving back to our community, we invite you to bring shoes or boots to donate to Warp Corps. They need slightly worn but still usable pairs of children’s and adult everyday shoes (no flip-flops, sandals, or fancy shoes). For more information on Warp Corps, go to warpcorps.org. Come to the Festival Central table on Festival Day, or listen for announcements, and we will tell you where to put the shoes/boots you are donating, probably across the street at their building.
The 40th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2025 has such a great lineup this year! There are lots of other music events going on in the Woodstock area as well. Please join us on Sunday, July 20, from Noon to 6 p.m.
We’ll gather on the historic Square in Woodstock, Illinois, about 50 miles northwest of Chicago. Be sure to check below, “A Few Things To Know To Make Your Visit Carefree,” for more detailed directions. In case of rain, the Festival will move to Unity Spiritual Center of Woodstock, 225 W. Calhoun St., corner of Tryon, 2 blocks southwest of the Square.
The 40th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2025 continues the tradition of presenting local, national, and international musicians who perform in a variety of styles. This year performers from Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Guatemala will perform Americana, traditional and contemporary folk, singer-songwriter, blues, country, Appalachian, and Latin music at the Main Stage.
The Open Mic Stage offers an opportunity for audience members to share their talent. It also has a Featured Performer and Workshop.
Featured on the Open Mic Stage are Blind Hills, the duo of Dee Lee and Chuck VanderVennet, and Carla Gover’s Appalachian Flatfooting Workshop. The Open Mic Stage will be hosted by Mark Lyons. Sign-up for the Open Mic begins at 12:05 p.m.
The Ella Jenkins Children’s Area, newly named in honor of “the First Lady of Children’s Music” who died last year at 100, will feature performances by Tricia Alexander, Joan Hammel, and Mark Lyons; a reading from Ella’s storybook by Lynn Orman; and a hands-on activity with Diane Wlezien and her miniature therapy horse Sunny.
The Festival will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to the legendary performer Tom Rush. Since beginning his musical career in the early 60s while a Harvard student, this talented singer-songwriter-guitarist has played to audiences around the world and helped launch the careers of other artists.
The Festival will present its “Woody Award” to Andy Andrick and Leslie Cook, Marilyn Rea Beyer, and Ron Lewis for their contributions to the music community.
This year’s Festival Main Stage will be co-hosted by WFMT Folk DJ, Marilyn Rea Beyer
and our long-time Festival MC, Chuck VanderVennet.
In addition to the Award recipient Tom Rush, Main Stage performers include previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients – Anne Hills and Corky Siegel – and performers new to our area – Joy Clark, Mercedes Escobar, Seth Glier, and Carla Gover. Northern Illinois “supergroup,” The LeftOvers, which includes Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Rich Prezioso, and Pete Jonsson, Brian Murphy, Laurel Palma, Joe Pesz, Jim Seidel, and Les Urban, will open the Festival. Previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Tricia Alexander, will lead the All-Sing Finale.
A one-hour sampler will be available anywhere in the world via the Festival website Gallery Page after the in-person Festival.
| Noon | The LeftOvers (Pete Jonsson, Brian Murphy, Laurel Palma, Joe Pesz, Rich Prezioso, Jim Seidel, and Les Urban) |
| 12:30 p.m. | Carla Gover |
| 1:15 p.m. | Seth Glier |
| 2:00 p.m. | Mercedes Escobar |
| 2:40 p.m. | Presentation of “Woody” Awards to Andy Andrick and Leslie Cook, Marilyn Rea Beyer, and Ron Lewis |
| 2:50 p.m. | Joy Clark |
| 3:35 p.m. 4:20p.m. | Corky Siegel Anne Hills |
| 5:00 p.m. | Presentation of Lifetime Achievement Award to Tom Rush, followed by performance by Tom, accompanied by Seth Glier |
| 5:45 p.m. | All-Sing Finale led by Tricia Alexander |
The legendary Tom Rush will receive the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. For over 60 years this singer-songwriter-guitarist has been performing folk and blues. Known for his own songs such as “No Regrets,” Tom has also helped launch the careers of other singer-songwriters. His early recordings introduced the world to the work of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne, and James Taylor. Through his Club 47© concerts he brought artists such as Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin to wider audiences. Through his weekly Sunday morning online show, “Rockport Sundays,” he continues to offer other performers a platform on which to perform. His distinctive guitar style, wry humor, and warm expressive voice have made him both a legend and a lure to audiences around the world. His shows are filled with rib-aching laughter of terrific storytelling, the sweet melancholy of ballads, and the passion of gritty blues.
Tom began his musical career in the Boston-Cambridge area while he was a student at Harvard. He had released two albums by the time he graduated. Whether he’s performing solo or with a five-piece band, his shows are always memorable. Beginning in 1982 he brought together established artists and newcomers in an annual holiday show at Symphony Hall in Boston. He later took these shows on the road and they’ve been broadcast on PBS and NPR stations.
Tom continues to tour and will perform at the Old Town School of Folk Music on Festival Eve. He released his latest CD Gardens Old, Flowers New in 2024. For more info, go to tomrush.com.
“Woody” Award Recipients
Andy Andrick and Leslie Cook
Andy Andrick and Leslie Cook met through the Woodstock music community. Andy Andrick has served on the Board of the Woodstock Folk Festival and Off Square Music. He has continued to help the Festival by handling sound at the Festival’s Open Mic Stage and he’s also hosted both in-person and virtual Open Mics for Off Square Music. He is a singer-songwriter-musician and performs solo and with other performers. His warm, welcoming personality continues to attract regulars and newcomers to our community events. Along with Jeremy Simon, he has co-hosted Off Square Music’s Every Saturday Virtual Open Mic for 5 years. Leslie Cook established Expressly Leslie Cafe on Woodstock Square and for a number of years presented music on Friday nights. At other events she was known for her delicious soups. She revamped the Festival’s website in 2020, helped us establish a social media presence, and helped us create our Woodstock Wednesdays series which ran from July 2020 to May 2021. She has also helped Off Square Music with their website and online activities. This couple has been invaluable to our community.
Marilyn Rea Beyer
Marilyn Rea Beyer grew up in Lansing, Illinois. Concerts at Orchestra Hall, the Earl of Old Town, and Navy Pier fueled her passion for folk music. Meanwhile, her lifelong love of musical theatre grew while she studied performance at Purdue and Northwestern Universities. After moving to New England, she became an on-air folk radio host and music director at Boston’s WUMB and served on the Board of the legendary Club Passim. Her varied professions include education, high-tech, and PR. In 2019, she returned to Chicago and became the host of “The Midnight Special” and “Folkstage” on WFMT>. She’s also a poet and storyteller. We are very grateful to Marilyn for co-hosting the Festival with Chuck VanderVennet since 2023 and being part of our “What’s Your Story?” Spring Benefit Concert last year. Like her predecessor at WFMT, Rich Warren, she has graciously featured one or more Festival performers in a preview on Festival Eve. This year she will present Joy Clark and Mercedes Escobar on “Folkstage” on Saturday night, July 19 from 8-9 p.m. Central Time on WFMT/98.7FM/wfmt.com. We are grateful for the promotional support she offers the Festival and our performers.
Ron Lewis
Ron has been one of the rotating hosts on WNUR’s Sunday morning “Folk Show” for many years. He also hosts a Saturday morning show, “Breakfast With Bagels.” We are very grateful for the promotion Ron has offered to our Festival and performers. “The Folk Show” also introduces us to artists we may not have heard before. You can hear Ron on Sunday mornings between 10 a.m. and Noon/Central Time on WNUR/89.3FM/wnur.org.
Tricia Alexander
Tricia Alexander is an award-winning Performing & Healing Artist with a 50-year professional career in the arts. She is also a Reiki Master Teacher, BodyTalk practitioner, Spiritual Mentor, and Facilitator of Creativity & the Expressive Arts.
In 2013, Tricia received the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. To date, she has released seven music and spoken word CDs and 5 poetry chapbooks. Whether she is giving a concert, a workshop, a talk, guiding a meditation for spiritual gatherings or a private healing arts session, Tricia’s mission is the same: to educate, nourish, and inspire.
Tricia will host and perform at the Festival’s Ella Jenkins Children’s Area and will lead the All-Sing Finale for the Festival. For more information, go to triciaalexander.com.
Joy Clark is an acclaimed New Orleans singer-songwriter-guitarist. She is a proud queer Black woman. After a childhood steeped in music from the church, Joy left the confines of that experience to find her true community. After becoming a sought-out side player in New Orleans, her musicianship and tenacity landed her a regular spot playing with Grammy winner Cyril Neville, mesmerizing audiences in the U.S. and abroad. Her songcraft, sophisticated progressions, and themes of freedom, love, and self-acceptance gained her notice on the national folk and Americana scene. She was offered a spot in Allison Russell’s backing band The Rainbow Coalition, earning her the chance to jam with stars such as Brandi Carlile and the Indigo Girls.
She impressed audiences and critics with her debut CD Tell it to the Wind. She has performed at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, the Kennedy Center, and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. For more information, go to joyclarkmusic.com. Joy Clark will perform at the Main Stage.
Guatemalan singer Mercedes Escobar has created a unique genre which blends the rawness of old blues and country vocals and guitar with the intensity of magical realism lyrics and the sonic traditions of her home culture. She does this while staying true to her modern values against prejudice in music, race, and gender. She calls this “Latin Americana.”
Mercedes has shared the stage with artists such as Gaby Moreno, Ruben Albarran, and Malacates Treble Shop. She is also featured on the soundtrack of acclaimed independent films Temblores (2019) and Cadejo Blanco (2022; the latter also credits her as music supervisor). After receiving a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music and graduating in May 2024, Mercedes is working on an upcoming bilingual album, produced by Grammy-winning producer and artist Gaby Moreno. It’s set for release in Fall 2025. After selling out her first headlining shows in the U.S., including one at Club Passim, she received a nomination as Latin Artist of the Year at the 2024 Boston Music Awards. Recently, Mercedes became a member of Club Passim’s Folk Collective 2024-2026 cohort. For more information, go to mercedesescobar.com. Mercedes will perform on the Main Stage.
Seth Glier
Seth Glier is an American singer-songwriter, pianist, guitarist, and activist. This Grammy-nomnated artist from Western Massachusetts channels nature’s longing for communion with humanity into song. His new album Everything is a collection of eight songs inviting listeners to imagine a future in which humans and the planet are re-aligned into mutual restoration.
Gifted with an innate curiosity and a fierce desire to connect with other people, Seth has worked as a cultural diplomat of the U.S. State Department and collaborated with musicians in Ukraine, Mongolia, China, and Mexico. He has shared the bill with a diverse list of artists ranging from Ronnie Spector to James Taylor, Ani DiFranco to Glen Campbell. As a producer, music director, or studio musician, he has collaborated with Tom Rush, Sophie B. Hawkins, Antje Duvekot, Richard Shindell, and Cyndi Lauper.
A five-time Independent Music Award winner, Seth also received a Grammy nomination for his album The Next Right Thing. With a commitment to using songwriting as a tool for positive change he has written with the students in Parkland, Florida for the “Parkland Project,” co=written with soldiers at Walter Reednd is an advocate for autism awareness citing his autistic brother Jamie as his greatest non-musical-musical influence.
For more information. Go to sethglier.com. Seth will perform with Tom Rush and will also have his own set on the Main Stage.
Carla Gover
Carla Gover is an eighth generation Kentuckian who hails from a small coal town in Eastern Kentucky, and her rural sensibilities permeate the work that she does and the music that she plays. She has performed and recorded with artists such as Jean Ritchie, Dirk Powell, and Bruce Molsky and her songs have been sung by other artists and used in film and documentary soundtracks. She was selected as Master Artist in both Traditional Flatfoot Dancing as well as Appalachian Music by the Kentucky Arts Council. She performs with various group and is the Artistic Director of both Cowan Creek Mountain Music School and the Cornbread & Tortillas Artist Collective.
She has won First Place at the Merlefet Chris Austin Songwriting Contest and the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk Contest. She’s performed at many venues from the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago to the Glasgow Royal Hall in Scotland, from the Kennedy Center to the Copenhagen Blues Festival. Doc Watson said of her, “God, that gal can sing.”
Carla will perform at the Main Stage and will also lead an Appalachian Flatfooting Workshop at Stage Left Cafe. For more information and photos, go to carlagover.com.
Anne Hills
Anne Hills is a singer, songwriter, actress, writer, musician, and social worker. Whether she is singing one of her own songs, singing a song set to poetry, or singing a folk classic, her warm, lively, and humorous performances will touch your heart and your soul. Anne was born in India, raised in Michigan, spent many years in the Chicago area where she co-founded Hogeye Music, and now resides in Pennsylvania.
Her wide-ranging repertoire has brought accolades and a large fan base. From children’s song to the poetry of James Whitcomb Riley, from traditional folk to performances with a symphony orchestra, from songs about the Civil War to songs about refugees, Anne’s music has touched many lives. In addition to her outstanding solo career, she has also performed with Jan Burda, Bob Gibson, Tom Paxton, David Roth, and Michael P. Smith as well as with Priscilla Herdman and Cindy Mangsen.
She has received many awards including the Kerrville’s Music Foundation’s Outstanding Female Vocalist of the Year Award and the Woodstock Folk Festival Lifetime Achievement Award.
Anne will perform at the Main Stage. For more info, go to annehills.com.
The LeftOvers
Pete Jonsson, Brian Murphy, Laurel Palma, Joe Pesz, Rich Prezioso, Jim Seidel, and Les Urban are all great solo performers but they are even better together as The LeftOvers with their eclectic repertoireThey have been performing together in Woodstock since 2009. With their mix of rock, pop, country, jazz, and blues, they are the perfect band to open the celebration of the 40th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival. Band member Rich Prezioso received the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award with his wife and musical partner Jacquie Manning (known together as Small Potatoes) in 2017.
The LeftOvers will open the Festival at the Main Stage. Some members may also accompany other Festival artists. Laurel, Joe, and Rich are also part of Off Square Music and will be assisting with sound at the Festival; Les will be assisting at the Open Mic Stage at Stage Left Cafe.
For more information about The LeftOvers, go to Facebook.com/Stageleftovers or simsam@me.com.
Corky Siegel
Corky Siegel is known internationally as one of the world’s great blues harmonica players, blues pianist, singer-songwriter, band leader, and pioneering composer of blues-classical forms. He created Chamber Blues. Corky’s professional music career began when he founded the now legendary Siegel-Schwall Band in Chicago in 1964 with guitarist Jim Schwall. The group was a major component of the young generation of white blues artists who learned the historic Chicago Blues style at the feet and hands of such towering figures as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter, Willie Dixon, Buddy Guy, and Sam Lay. The group moved to San Francisco where acts such as Janis Joplin, Santana, Steve Miller, and Joni Mitchell opened for them.
Corky then collaborated with Seiji Ozawa, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and William Russo on blues-classical compositions. Corky continues to perform with his Chamber Blues group.
He has received the French Government’s Grand Prix du Disque, the Lila Wallace/Reader’s Digest/Meet the Composer National Award for Chamber Music composition, and the Woodstock Folk Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award, among many other honors. Corky continues to tour and record and released his latest album, Symphonic Blues No. 6, last year. Last year he started a new project Jingles for Democracy.
Corky will perform on the Main Stage. For more info, go to corkymusic.com.
Blind Hills
Blind Hills is the duo of Dee Lee and Chuck VanderVennet. Dee is known for his deft and dynamic guitar work, and great stories, delivered with a warm clear voice. As a certified arborist, he brings a unique perspective to his music. He creates songs with keen observations about our natural world. You can feel it in the deep chords and melodies he plays on his Taylor guitar, where joy and sadness meet. His theme song “Folk Festival” is used regularly during the “Folk Festival” radio show on WDCB (A Festival Radio Partner) hosted by Lilli Kuzma every Tuesday night from 7-10 p.m.Central Time.
Chuck VanderVennet is the long-time host/co-host of the Woodstock Folk Festival. He is a Past President of the Lake County Folk Club. Also a performer in his own right, he has performed solo and with Compass in addition to this duo. Chuck has received the Festival’s “Woody” Award. Since Chuck moved to South Carolina a couple years ago, this is a rare opportunity to hear this duo.
Blind Hills will be the Featured Performer at the Open Mic Stage. For more info about Dee Lee, go to deeleetree.com.
Joan Hammel
Joan Hammel is a singer-songwriter in the Chicago area. She has been nominated five times for Pop Entertainer of the Year by the Chicago Music Awards. She was part of the team that won an EMMY for Best Children’s Special for “It’s Fun to be Fit!” She was chosen for a 9-day USO tour to entertain the troops including New Year’s Eve in Cuba. She was a headliner during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City and has worked around the globe. She’s received numerous writer’s awards and has served as an Artist in Residence for the National Park Service. She’s done work in theater, advertising, tv, radio, and film. She is the mom to athlete Adam Hammel.
Joan will perform in the Children’s Area. For more info, go to joanhammel.com.
Mark Lyons and Jean Adaskevich
Mark Lyons and Jean Adaskevich deliver a rollicking musical montage with a high-energy performance that’s sure to please both young and old. With Jean on guitar and Mark on guitar, ukulele, and kazoo, these two will leave you and your children with a song in your heart, laughter in your belly, and a smile on your face! They have been performing together as Mark & Jean since 2000, entertaining audiences young and old with their eclectic musical mix of folk and novelty tunes sprinkled with their warm, engaging personalities and dry sense of humor.
Mark & Jean will perform in the Ella Jenkins Children’s Area. For more info, go to https://www.facebook.com/MarkandJeanMusic. When he’s not in the Children’s Area, Mark will host the Open Mic Stage at Stage Left Cafe.
Lynn Orman Weiss
Lynn Orman Weiss is a producer, publicist, writer, photographer, print and broadcast journalist, event organizer, and founder of the Women of the Blues Foundation. based in the Chicago area. She was a friend of and publicist for Ella Jenkins and was instrumental in the Festival receiving permission to name our Children’s Area in Ella’s honor.
Lynn will read a story by Ella Jenkins in the Children’s Area. For more info, go to ormanmusicmedia.com.
Diane Wlezien
Diane Wlezien is a poet, artist, vocalist, lyricist, and has worked as a fine arts instructor and lecturer. She does volunteer work with hospice organizations, memory care centers, nursing homes, elder care groups, women’s shelters, and seriously challenged and at risk youth. She lives on her farm, Angel’s Acres, in Woodstock with her husband and their lively menagerie of rescued animals. At the Festival she will be accompanied by Sunny, a miniature horse whose special comfort visits have brought smiles to all age groups during challenging times. Sunny resides in Woodstock with her many equine friends that include mammoth donkeys, quarter horses, miniature horses, and her best friend, a miniature donkey named Estes.
The Children’s Area will include hands-on activities with Diane and Sunny. You can read some of Diane’s poetry in A Little Comfort: Healing Poems About Sunny the Miniature Horse.
If you’ve participated in virtual open mics or haven’t performed in Woodstock before, you can share your talent at the Open Mic Stage. Again, The Open Mic Stage will be hosted by Mark Lyons. Sign-up for the Open Mic, which begins at 12:05 p.m.
We would love to meet you in person, and you will also meet our friends at Off Square Music, who handle sound at the Festival. We’re so grateful for their continued assistance and for all they do for our music community!
The suggested donation for the Festival is $40/individual and $50/family. Cash and check are preferred for donations and CD purchases, but we do take VISA and MasterCard. The Festival is supported in part by the City of Woodstock, Real Woodstock, and Sponsors Steve and Margaret Mikus, but your donations are our main source of revenue.
We look forward to seeing you at the 40th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival on Sunday, July 20, but if you’d like to become a Friend of the Festival ($100-499 donation) or a Sponsor ($500 or more), please let us know now so we can thank you in our program and on our website. We are grateful for donations of any amount.
We welcome back everyone who has come to the Festival in the past and we hope some of you who live farther away will make a road trip so you can attend this year.
Maybe some of you music lovers will come to Woodstock for the entire weekend! There will be plenty of live music on and near the Woodstock Square over the weekend, so plan an overnight stay!
Read more under “More Music This Summer” below and for lodging, check here: https://woodstockfolkfestival.org/the-festival/lodging/ or here: realwoodstock.com.
Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair or blanket, and please remember pets are not allowed in the park, only on the periphery. Handicapped accessible facilities are available. Food is available on and near the Square.
In case of rain, we will move to Unity Spiritual Center, 225 W. Calhoun Street, corner of Tryon, 2 blocks southwest of the Square.
There’s free parking on and near the Square. Woodstock is easily accessible by car (I-90, Routes 120, 14, and 176) and by the Union Pacific Northwest Metra train from Ogilvie station in Chicago, with numerous stops in many northwest suburbs. The train stops just a block from the Square.
Lodging information is at https://woodstockfolkfestival.org/the-festival/lodging/and realwoodstock.com.
A few more helpful bits of information:
Our Radio Partners WDCB/90.9FM/wdcb.org, WFMT/98.7FM/wfmt.com, and WNUR/89.3FM/wnur.org will feature our performers in the weeks leading up to the Festival, including a few special events.
These are just a few of the places where you can find live music this summer.
We look forward to seeing you at The 40th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2025 coming up Sunday, July 20, from Noon to 6 p.m. on the historic Square in Woodstock, Illinois.
“Be there, on the Square!”
The Festival is a 501(c)(3) Illinois non-profit organization, made possible in part by Radio Partners WDCB, WFMT, and WNUR, the City of Woodstock, and Real Woodstock (realwoodstock.com), but the Festival’s main support comes from individual donors.
The purpose of the Festival is to bring quality folk music – local, national, and international – to Northern Illinois. We build community through music. The Woodstock Folk Festival began as a one-time event in 1986 and quickly became an annual event held on the third Sunday of July on Woodstock Square.
For more information about future Woodstock Folk Festival events, visit us here on our website, woodstockfolkfestival.org. For more information about Woodstock and events throughout the year, go to realwoodstock.com.
The Spring Benefit Concert 2025 is Sunday afternoon, April 27, 2 pm. This is a benefit concert for the 40th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival, held Sunday, July 20, noon to 6 pm on Woodstock Square.
For more information about both events, read on and return to this site as we post updates.
Join us for the Woodstock Folk Festival Spring Benefit Concert on Sunday, April 27, at 2 pm. We will meet at Stage Left Cafe, 125 W. Van Buren Street, next to the Opera House, on the historic Square in Woodstock, Illinois.
Performers include Tricia Alexander, John Benischek, Mark Dvorak, Val Leventhal, Terry Loncaric, Lia Nicine McCoo & Keryn Moriyah, Les Urban, and Russ & Diane Ward. This year’s theme is “Becoming the United States of America: Songs of Liberty, Justice, and Unity.”
This year’s theme is “Becoming the United States of America: Songs of Liberty, Justice, and Unity.”
This theme marks the beginning of commemorating our country’s 250th anniversary. The American Revolution, which led to founding the United States, began in Massachusetts in April 1775. It culminated in adopting the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776; the official 250th is on July 4, 2026.
America250, a non-partisan initiative, is the nationwide commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary in 2026 led by the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. The Commission will inspire and orchestrate many events. We are hosting this event to help kick off the celebration. We’ll explore the ideals of liberty, justice, and unity through the power of song.
Tickets for the Spring Benefit Concert are $22 (including Opera House fees) at the Woodstock Opera House box office, woodstockoperahouse.com or HERE. You can also use the button below to go directly to ticket purchasing:
If there are tickets left, they will be sold at the door that day for $27.
The spring concert is a benefit for the 40th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival on Sunday, July 20, Noon to 6 p.m. on the Woodstock Square.
The Festival will present this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award to the legendary Tom Rush. The “Woody” Award will be given to Andy Andrick and Leslie Cook, Marilyn Rea Beyer, and Ron Lewis.
The Main Stage will also feature previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients Tricia Alexander, Anne Hills, Rich Prezioso, and Corky Siegel, as well as Joy Clark, Mercedes Escobar, Carla Gover, The LeftOvers (Pete Jonsson, Brian Murphy, Laurel Palma, Joe Pesz, Rich Prezioso, Jim Seidel, and Les Urban), and The Oh Boys (Kieran McCabe, Zachary Stevenson, and Shaun Whitley).
Performers hail from Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania as well as
Canada and Guatemala. The day features a variety of music styles including traditional and contemporary folk music, Americana, singer-songwriter, country, blues, Appalachian, pop, doo-wop, and Latin music.
There will also be an Open Mic Stage with Featured Performer Blind Hills (Chuck VanderVennet and Dee Lee) and an Appalachian Flatfooting Workshop led by Carla Gover. The Children’s Area returns with hands-on activities and performances. The day concludes with our hallmark All-Sing Finale.
The Main Stage will be co-hosted by Marilyn Rea Beyer and Chuck VanderVennet. The Open Mic Stage will be hosted by Mark Lyons. Off Square Music will provide sound for both stages.
For information about lodging and other Woodstock events, visit realwoodstock.com.
The Woodstock Folk Festival is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, made possible in part by Radio Partners WDCB, WFMT, and WNUR, the City of Woodstock, Real Woodstock, Sponsors Steve and Margaret Mikus, and many individual donors.
Check this website periodically for updates and, if you’re not already on our email list, please sign up using the tab at the right. We send an email each month with updates on our activities and where you can find previous Festival performers in concerts and online.
The video is here! See our 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival (2024) Sampler.
If you missed last year’s Festival, this is your opportunity to see some of what you missed. If you did attend, you can now re-live special moments from that day.
For your convenience, we are including the performers’ profiles and websites below. We hope you’ll support them by purchasing their CDs, joining their Patreon accounts, and/or attending their future concerts.
The video is about an hour and a half. You can watch it here (above or in the right column) or find it anytime in our Video Gallery on this site. You can also visit our YouTube Channel.
Visit performers’ websites, listed below, for more information. This list was first provided here: https://woodstockfolkfestival.org/2024/06/10/the-39th-annual-woodstock-folk-festival-2024-is-coming-right-up-sunday-july-21/
Canadian singer-songwriter Connie Kaldor, now celebrating 45 years in show business, will receive the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the recipient of three Juno Awards, as well as the Order of Canada, a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal recipient, an honorary doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of Regina, and is the first songwriter to receive a Western Literature Association Award of Merit.
Connie is also a TV personality and a women’s music pioneer. Her enormous stage presence, her unforgettable melodies, and her emotional depth as a songwriter made her a headline act on the festival circuit and earned her a loyal fan-base. The Boston Globe describes her as “a masterful performer, wildly funny one moment, deeply personal the next.” Mitch Potter in The Toronto Star said, “Big sky. Big impact. Big laughs, too. That’s Connie Kaldor in a nutshell.”
Connie’s first album of children’s songs, Lullaby Berceuse, received Juno and Parent’s Choice Awards. She has also written a cookbook. She has toured China, India, and Europe as a goodwill musical ambassador from Canada, and starred in a Christmas special broadcast by Canada’s Global Television Newark. Originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, she now makes her home in Montreal with her husband and two sons, who are performers in their own right as well as often appearing with her. For more info, go to conniekaldor.com.
In addition to her 35+-year career as a performing artist, Michigan-based Annie Capps has made a name for herself as a community organizer and instigator behind a number of songwriting groups and collaboratives in SE Michigan as well as a leading force behind the Folk Alliance Region Midwest where she served on the board and as President from 2009 – 2012 and more recently as Conference Director (2018 – 2022). She was a driving force behind the FARM Peer Sessions and Tech Talks that began during the pandemic and continue to the present. She also runs a concert series called “On the Tracks Songwriter Showcase” now in its 11th season.
In addition to receiving the Festival’s “Woody” Award, Annie will also perform with her husband Rod Capps and mandolin player Jason Dennie. They’ve performed at house concerts, in coffeehouses, and at festivals in Michigan and beyond. She and Rod have done it all – from hard rock to musical theater. Tim Piazza of Concerts at the Cabin in Evansville, Indiana said, “When I look around the room at an Annie and Rod Capps performance, I see a lot of smiling faces with eyes riveted to the stage . . . there is a magic that energizes an audience. I can’t wait to bring them back to our concert series!” Since 2006, Jason Dennie has played an essential role in the Annie & Rod Capps band. He’s been praised for “his wildly creative mandolin and instinctive harmony.” For more info, go to annieandrodcapps.com.
Brittany Jean is a folk singer-songwriter, originally from West Chicago, and now based in the Pacific Northwest, currently living in a little, apple town on the Columbia River. Her style is rooted in the folk and Americana music she has loved all her life.
Brittany traveled the country and opened for Three Dog Night as well as playing the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville and at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Her song “Golden Hour” was a finalist for the International Acoustic Music Awards’ Song of the Year, and Brittany was also a finalist for Best Female Artist for 2023. For more info, go to BJeanMusic.com.
Brittany will perform in a hybrid (in-person and online) show at Two Way Street Coffee House in Downers Grove on the Friday night of Festival weekend at 8 p.m.; there is more info at twowaystreet.org. She will also be on “Folk Festival” on WDCB/90.9FM/wdcb.org on Tuesday night, July 16, between 8 and 11 p.m./CDT.
Ottawa, Canada-based Lynne Hanson, whom Jan Hall of Folk Roots Radio called “Canada’s own Queen of Americana,” is a singer-songwriter known for her high energy roots guitar-driven live performances. She can turn on a dime from a sunshine, blue sky ballad to a full-on thunderstorm of gritty Americana swamp.
Lynne’s deep, bluesy coon has drawn comparisons to Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch, but the poetry of her lyrics sets her apart. She has received two Canadian Folk Music Awards. She’s released nine studio albums as well as two books of poetry. She’s toured extensively across North America, Europe, and the UK and appeared at leading international festivals including the Kerrville Folk Festival in the U.S., the Winnipeg Folk Festival in Canada, and Take Root in the Netherlands. Amplify Music Magazine said, “A glorious mash-up of Americana, folk, and the occasional indie production and song structure and sounds, made even better by Hanson’s trademark lyrical depth.” For more info, go to lynnehanson.com.
Chicago-based Los Gallos are a Chicano, Americana, roots band. Transcending musical orders, Los Gallos are known for their unsegregated sound. They seamlessly fuse an eclectic mix of Cumbia, Norteno, Tex-Mex, and Bolero with country, rock, and blues to create their innovative signature sound.
Band members include Rick Salazar on guitars, button accordion, and vocals; Enrique Fajardo on vihuela, jarana, guitar, and vocals; Josh Rosenstein on lead guitar and vocals; Jose Galarza on bass; and Raul Fernandez on drums. Their new digital album Los Gallos is now streaming on numerous services. For more info, go to losgallosband.com.
The Festival welcomes back Claudia Russell and Bruce Kaplan from California; this year they’ll be joined by the husband-wife duo of Katie Dahl and Rich Higdon from Wisconsin. Together they are known as Paper Birds.
The band is fronted by two successful songwriters in their own right, Claudia Russell and Katie Dahl. Claudia has won songwriting honors from Boston to Austin. She is known for her nimble, expressive voice and tightly knit songs. One of the Midwest’s best young songwriters, Katie Dahl writes keenly literate songs planted deep in the ground of her Wisconsin home. Katie’s husband Rich Higdon adds bass and percussion, while Russell’s husband Bruce Kaplan adds mandolin and guitar.
WFMT’s Rich Warren said of this “pop-up band,” “Paper Birds performed a delightful variety of original material, sang some great harmonies, and showed how much friends enjoy making music together. Lovely voices and great instrumental chops. Really a delight!”
For more info, go to claudiarussell.com. They will be on “Folkstage” on WFMT/98.7FM/ wfmt.com on Saturday night, July 20 from 8-9 p.m./CDT.
SongSisters Amy Dixon-Kolar, Sue Fink, and Patti Shaffner are all accomplished performers in their own right but with their soaring harmonies, engaging lyrics, and wit, their distinctive styles come together to create something new.
Lilli Kuzma of WDCB Radio said, “. . . Top shelf talent times three and a pure delight! Sue Fink, Amy Dixon-Kolar, Patti Shaffner are outstanding solo artists who shine alone but together become a solar force to be reckoned with, as they exchange their superb songs along with exceptional harmonies, friendly bantering and spot-on humor – great music and great entertainment from these lovely ladies!”
Sue’s whimsical songs, Patti’s forays into folk and jazz, and Amy’s impressive finger-picking with folk, Celtic, and blues influences add up to a richer sound when played together. They will open the Festival and lead the All-Sing Finale. For more info, go to songsisters.net. They will be on “Folk Festival” on WDCB/90.9FM/wdcb.org on Tuesday night, July 16, between 8 and 11 p.m./CDT.
Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter Jeff Talmadge is known for his storytelling and his finger-picking style. Before turning to music full-time, Jeff was a successful Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney in Austin, Texas.
Jeff has received numerous awards and acknowledgments for his songwriting, including his selection as a finalist or showcase artist at places such as the Kerrville Folk Festival and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. He’s toured in Europe as well as this country and has performed at the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, as well as Club Passim in Boston and Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta.
At Duke University, Jeff won the Academy of American Poets Award, and his poems have appeared in numerous literary journals and magazines. His most recent CD was on the Folk DJ Top 10 List for several weeks this spring. Several of his albums have reached the Top 40 on the Americana charts. The Hill Country Sun called his album Secret Anniversaries “a nearly perfect recording.” Another writer described his music as “true and deep and surpasses the test of time.”
For more info, go to jefftalmadge.com. Jeff will be a special guest on “Folkstage,” along with Paper Birds, on Saturday night, July 20 from 8-9 p.m./CDT on WFMT/98.7FM/wfmt.com.
Robinlee Garber was born and bred in Philadelphia but is now a proud Chicagoan. She brings a crystalline alto voice with gently burnished edges and an outsider’s point-of-view to the original and time-treasured songs she sings, focusing on a repertoire that harkens to the past without being a novelty act.
Robinlee’s repertoire includes folk, jazz standards, rock, and contemporary music where the voice is front and center. As someone with chronic health issues that often left her feeling isolated, music was also an especially potent antidote to loneliness. She was music director of Culture Cafe for the Chicago VeganMania Festival, has run an open mic, and has performed across the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Finland.
A multi-disciplinary artist herself, Robinlee’s “day job” is helping seniors navigating the aging process as a Registered and Board Certified Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, helping people to plug into creative expression, a through-line that has brought so much joy and healing into her own life.
Robinlee will share “The Healing Power of Music” at her Workshop at the Open Mic Stage. She believes that music is a powerful way to build bonds in our increasingly disconnected lives. For more info, go to robinleegarbermusic.com.
Mark your calendars now for Sunday, July 20, 2025 and consider coming for the
weekend. If you have questions about the Festival or are interested in performing at the
Festival, please contact Carol Obertubbesing at carolober73@gmail.com.
Please support the Festival by making donations through our website, woodstockfolkfestival.org, and click on the “Donate” button on the right side of each page.
Here’s a downloadable flyer with a hint of what’s to come in 2025:
The Festival is a 501(c)(3) Illinois non-profit organization, made possible in part by Radio Partners WDCB, WFMT, and WNUR, the City of Woodstock, and Real Woodstock (realwoodstock.com), but the Festival’s main support comes from individual donors.
The purpose of the Festival is to bring quality folk music – local, national, and international – to Northern Illinois. We build community through music. The Woodstock Folk Festival began as a one-time event in 1986 and quickly became an annual event held on the third Sunday of July on Woodstock Square.
For more information about future Woodstock Folk Festival events, visit us here on our website, woodstockfolkfestival.org. For more information about Woodstock and events throughout the year, go to realwoodstock.com.
Thank you to everyone who attended and/or supported this year’s Woodstock Folk Festival. It was great seeing so many of you enjoying our outstanding performers. We offer a special thank-you to those performers and to all of our volunteers. We thank them for giving us such a memorable day.
Your support that day helps us bring you a special 40th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
For those who could not attend this year — and those who did attend — we hope to have a video sampler available in September. Sign up (right column of every page of our website, woodstockfolkfestival.org) for our email list to learn when it becomes available.
Also, it’s never too late to donate and/or become a Friend (donations of $100-499) or Sponsor (donations of $500 and above). Just use the donate button on the right. If you or someone you know would like to be a Sponsor, email us at info@woodstockfolkfestival.org, and we can work out a package that meets your needs/interests. All donations large and small are very much appreciated.
Please read our Gratitude List below and thank people you know for supporting us. Mark your calendars for Sunday, July 20, 2025. Stay tuned as details become available.
And if you’d like to see this year’s program schedule, visit our Festival post HERE.
A special thanks to SongSisters for coordinating the All-Sing Finale. We are also grateful to Connie Kaldor’s husband Paul Campagne and their son Gabriel for accompanying her and to Rod Capps and Jason Dennie for accompanying Rod’s wife Annie.
Congratulations to David Callan on his CD release. Thanks to Robinlee Garber for her workshop on “The Healing Power of Music.”
A special thanks to Off Square Music (especially co-founder, Keith Johnson) for providing sound at the Festival’s Main Stage – and to Joe Pesz, Rich Prezioso, and Jeremy Simon for sound and video editing of the video sampler. Thanks also to Off Square Music Board Members: Laurel Palma and Kent Fishburn. Thanks also to Andy Andrick and Les Urban for providing sound at the Open Mic Stage. We encourage you to support Off Square open mics and concerts throughout the year – find info at offsquaremusic.org.
Their promotional support is invaluable! By collaborating with WFMT’s “Folkstage,” we were able to bring you Paper Birds.
All three stations have played our artists; Marilyn collaborated with us by presenting Paper Birds and Jeff Talmadge on “Folkstage”; Lilli did a Festival preview with Brittany Jean & SongSisters; and Ron did an interview with Festival President and Producer Carol Obertubbesing.
Thanks to the City of Woodstock, the Woodstock Opera House, and Real Woodstock (realwoodstock.com) for their in-kind and promotional support and to the City of Woodstock for their Hotel/Motel Tax Grant for advertising assistance.
Thanks to Mayor Mike Turner, Members of the City Council, City Manager Roscoe Stelford III, and other City staff especially Jane Howie,
Nicole Lewakowski, and Barbara Szul, as well as Daniel Campbell, Betsy Cosgray, Rodney Stickrod, and the rest of the staff at the Opera House and Stage Left Cafe.
We offer our heartfelt gratitude to Tom Mark of Rockford Woodcrafts for creating this year’s “Woody” Award and to Ken West of Material Things (open that day!) for creating this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Anita Balodis, Martha and Bob Berardino, David Child and Carol Ganzer, Nancy Clark, The Lake County Folk Club, Carol Obertubbesing, Andrea Rhodie, Bruce Rosenberg and Debbie Solomon, Barbara Russell, Louise Ryssmann, Loretta Sawyer, and Jeremy Simon – and to everyone who contributed today and throughout the year.
Dorothy Biris, Carol Obertubbesing and Julie Roberts, as well as to all volunteers including: Gary Blankenship, Sonia Calles Mesa, Leslie Cook, Betsy Ducote, Jack Kennedy, Mary Lewis, Steve Mikus, Mary Sherman, Sandra South, Kathy and Patrick Wentz.
Thanks to Folk Music Notebook, the Northwest Herald, and the Woodstock Independent for promotional support and for the services of the team at Copy Express for their help with design and printing throughout the year.
A very special thanks to Tricia Alexander for her ongoing support including help with this program.
Thanks to those who helped with arrangements and/or housing for performers, including: Yvette Partipilo who housed several performers, Jim Fleming and Karla Rice at Fleming Artists who assisted with arrangements for Connie Kaldor, and Joel Simpson and Two Way Street Coffee House for presenting Brittany Jean in concert.
Thanks to Amy Beth and the late Melodee Ladd for co-founding this Festival in 1986 and to all who have served on its Board over the years.
Thanks to Pitel Brothers for supplying the portapotty.
The Woodstock Folk Festival is an all-volunteer Illinois 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Come Dance with Me
The accordion player
ripped into his keys,
setting the fiery pace
for his energetic Tejano band.
The guitar players answered
with robust guitar chords.
A small town folk festival
sprawled across a village
green with beautiful flowers
and historic landmarks.
Dancers rose to the lawn
and sidewalk, unable to
resist the exuberant beats.
A little girl with pigtails
bounced on her chair in
time to the delicious rhythms.
Her lack of inhibition
signaled, I am ready to dance,
I am just waiting for an invitation.
A middle-aged woman, noticing the little girl,
beckoned her, come dance with me.
The older woman, so nimble
and graceful, twirled the girl,
who felt complete delight,
she could keep the feverish beat.
The dance lasted until
the last dizzying note of
the Mexican music on steroids.
Two souls, two generations,
caught up in the pulsing,
other/worldly rhythms.
Strangers no more!
How I envied their freedom, their
shared smiles, their smooth dance moves.
A revelation at the Woodstock Folk Music Festival.
The splintered unity of our rageful world
is easily forgotten in the healing energy of music.
Next time I will not sit on the sidelines.
Instead, I will ride the wave.
~ Terry Loncaric
The 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 is coming to town Sunday, July 21, from Noon to 6 p.m., and you don’t want to miss a minute of it! We have a great lineup as always and auxiliary activities to make your day memorable.
The Woodstock Folk Festival builds community through music. Join us as we celebrate 39 years on Sunday, July 21, 2024.
The 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 has such a great lineup this year, and there are lots of other music events going on in the Woodstock area. Please join us on Sunday, July 21, from Noon to 6 p.m.
We’ll gather on the historic Square in Woodstock, Illinois, about 50 miles northwest of Chicago (See below under “A Few Things To Know To Make Your Visit Carefree” for more detailed directions). In case of rain, the Festival will move to Unity Spiritual Center of Woodstock, 225 W. Calhoun St., corner of Tryon, 2 blocks southwest of the Square.
The 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 continues the tradition of presenting local, national, and international musicians who perform in a variety of styles. This year performers from California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Canada will perform Americana, traditional and contemporary folk, singer-songwriter, blues, alt country, Tex-Mex, and roots music at the Main Stage.
The Open Mic Stage offers an opportunity for audience members to share their talent. A one-hour sampler will be available anywhere in the world via the Festival website Gallery Page after the in-person Festival.
The Festival will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to Juno-Award-winning Canadian artist Connie Kaldor, now celebrating 45 years of music, and its “Woody Award” to Annie Capps for her contributions to the local, regional, and national folk community.
This year’s Festi val Main Stage will be co-hosted by WFMT Folk DJ Marilyn Rea Beyer
and our long-time Festival MC Chuck VanderVennet.
In addition to the Award recipients Connie Kaldor, accompanied by her husband Paul Campagne and their son Gabriel, both of whom are also performers in their own right, and Annie Capps, whose husband Rod Capps and mandolinist Jason Dennie will perform with her, Main Stage performers include Brittany Jean, Lynne Hanson, Los Gallos, Paper Birds (Claudia Russell, Bruce Kaplan, Katie Dahl, and Rich Higdon), SongSisters (Amy Dixon-Kolar, Sue Fink, and Patti Shaffner), and Jeff Talmadge. SongSisters will open the Festival and lead the All-Sing Finale.
The Open Mic Stage will feature David Callan celebrating his CD release and Robinlee Garber’s Workshop on “The Healing Power of Music.” The Open Mic Stage will be co-hosted by Gloria Burchfield and Mark Lyons. Sign-up for the Open Mic begins at 12:05 p.m.
| Noon | SongSisters (Amy Dixon-Kolar, Sue Fink, and Patti Shaffner) |
| 12:30 p.m. | Brittany Jean |
| 1:15 p.m. | Jeff Talmadge |
| 2:00 p.m. | Paper Birds (Claudia Russell, Bruce Kaplan, Katie Dahl, and Rich Higdon) |
| 2:45 p.m. | Lynne Hanson |
| 3:30 p.m. | Los Gallos |
| 4:15 p.m. | Presentation of “Woody” Award to Annie Capps, followed by performance by Annie and Rod Capps and mandolinist Jason Dennie |
| 5:00 p.m. | Presentation of Lifetime Achievement Award to Connie Kaldor, followed by performance by Connie accompanied by her husband Paul Campagne and their son Gabriel |
| 5:45 p.m. | All-Sing Finale led by SongSisters |
Bios of all performers are available BELOW. Scroll down past the flyer that we hope you’ll print and share with anyone you think might enjoy this beautiful Sunday afternoon on the Woodstock Square.
If you’ve participated in virtual open mics or haven’t performed in Woodstock before, you can share your talent at the Open Mic Stage. Again, The Open Mic Stage will be co-hosted by Gloria Burchfield and Mark Lyons. Sign-up for the Open Mic begins at 12:05 p.m.
We would love to meet you in person, and you will also meet our friends at Off Square Music, who handle sound at the Festival. We’re so grateful for their continued assistance and for all they do for our music community!
The suggested donation for the Festival is $30/individual and $40/family. Cash and check are preferred for donations and CD purchases, but we do take VISA and MasterCard. The Festival is supported in part by the City of Woodstock and Real Woodstock but your donations are our main source of revenue.
We look forward to seeing you at the 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival on Sunday, July 21, but if you’d like to become a Friend of the Festival ($100-499 donation) or a Sponsor ($500 or more), please let us know now so we can thank you in our program and on our website. We are grateful for donations of any amount.
We welcome back everyone who has come to the Festival in the past and we hope some of you who live farther away will make a road trip so you can attend this year.
Maybe some of you music lovers will come to Woodstock for the entire weekend! There will be plenty of live music on and near Woodstock Square over the weekend, so plan an overnight stay!
More information about Stage Left performances is at woodstockoperahouse.com, info about events at Ethereal is at eventsatethereal.com; and events at Winestock are posted on Facebook.
Read more under “More Music This Summer” below and for lodging, check here: https://woodstockfolkfestival.org/the-festival/lodging/ or here: realwoodstock.com.
Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair or blanket, and please remember pets are not allowed in the park, only on the periphery. Handicapped accessible facilities are available. Food is available on and near the Square.
In case of rain, we will move to Unity Spiritual Center, 225 W. Calhoun Street, corner of Tryon, 2 blocks southwest of the Square.
There’s free parking on and near the Square. Woodstock is easily accessible by car (I-90, Routes 120, 14, and 176) and by the Union Pacific Northwest Metra train from Ogilvie station in Chicago, with numerous stops in many northwest suburbs. The train stops just a block from the Square.
Lodging information is at https://woodstockfolkfestival.org/the-festival/lodging/ and realwoodstock.com.
A few more helpful bits of information:
Our Radio Partners WDCB/90.9FM/wdcb.org, WFMT/98.7FM/wfmt.com, and WNUR/89.3FM/wnur.org will feature our performers in the weeks leading up to the Festival, including a few special events.
These are just a few of the places where you can find live music this summer.
We look forward to seeing you at The 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 coming up Sunday, July 21, from Noon to 6 p.m. on the historic Square in Woodstock, Illinois.
“Be there, on the Square!”
Canadian singer-songwriter Connie Kaldor, now celebrating 45 years in show business, will receive the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the recipient of three Juno Awards, as well as the Order of Canada, a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal recipient, an honorary doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of Regina, and is the first songwriter to receive a Western Literature Association Award of Merit.
Connie is also a TV personality and a women’s music pioneer. Her enormous stage presence, her unforgettable melodies, and her emotional depth as a songwriter made her a headline act on the festival circuit and earned her a loyal fan-base. The Boston Globe describes her as “a masterful performer, wildly funny one moment, deeply personal the next.” Mitch Potter in The Toronto Star said, “Big sky. Big impact. Big laughs, too. That’s Connie Kaldor in a nutshell.”
Connie’s first album of children’s songs, Lullaby Berceuse, received Juno and Parent’s Choice Awards. She has also written a cookbook. She has toured China, India, and Europe as a goodwill musical ambassador from Canada, and starred in a Christmas special broadcast by Canada’s Global Television Newark. Originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, she now makes her home in Montreal with her husband and two sons, who are performers in their own right as well as often appearing with her. For more info, go to conniekaldor.com.
In addition to her 35+-year career as a performing artist, Michigan-based Annie Capps has made a name for herself as a community organizer and instigator behind a number of songwriting groups and collaboratives in SE Michigan as well as a leading force behind the Folk Alliance Region Midwest where she served on the board and as President from 2009 – 2012 and more recently as Conference Director (2018 – 2022). She was a driving force behind the FARM Peer Sessions and Tech Talks that began during the pandemic and continue to the present. She also runs a concert series called “On the Tracks Songwriter Showcase” now in its 11th season.
In addition to receiving the Festival’s “Woody” Award, Annie will also perform with her husband Rod Capps and mandolin player Jason Dennie. They’ve performed at house concerts, in coffeehouses, and at festivals in Michigan and beyond. She and Rod have done it all – from hard rock to musical theater. Tim Piazza of Concerts at the Cabin in Evansville, Indiana said, “When I look around the room at an Annie and Rod Capps performance, I see a lot of smiling faces with eyes riveted to the stage . . . there is a magic that energizes an audience. I can’t wait to bring them back to our concert series!” Since 2006, Jason Dennie has played an essential role in the Annie & Rod Capps band. He’s been praised for “his wildly creative mandolin and instinctive harmony.” For more info, go to annieandrodcapps.com.
Brittany Jean is a folk singer-songwriter, originally from West Chicago, and now based in the Pacific Northwest, currently living in a little, apple town on the Columbia River. Her style is rooted in the folk and Americana music she has loved all her life.
Brittany traveled the country and opened for Three Dog Night as well as playing the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville and at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Her song “Golden Hour” was a finalist for the International Acoustic Music Awards’ Song of the Year, and Brittany was also a finalist for Best Female Artist for 2023. For more info, go to BJeanMusic.com.
Brittany will perform in a hybrid (in-person and online) show at Two Way Street Coffee House in Downers Grove on the Friday night of Festival weekend at 8 p.m.; there is more info at twowaystreet.org. She will also be on “Folk Festival” on WDCB/90.9FM/wdcb.org on Tuesday night, July 16, between 8 and 11 p.m./CDT.
Ottawa, Canada-based Lynne Hanson, whom Jan Hall of Folk Roots Radio called “Canada’s own Queen of Americana,” is a singer-songwriter known for her high energy roots guitar-driven live performances. She can turn on a dime from a sunshine, blue sky ballad to a full-on thunderstorm of gritty Americana swamp.
Lynne’s deep, bluesy coon has drawn comparisons to Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch, but the poetry of her lyrics sets her apart. She has received two Canadian Folk Music Awards. She’s released nine studio albums as well as two books of poetry. She’s toured extensively across North America, Europe, and the UK and appeared at leading international festivals including the Kerrville Folk Festival in the U.S., the Winnipeg Folk Festival in Canada, and Take Root in the Netherlands. Amplify Music Magazine said, “A glorious mash-up of Americana, folk, and the occasional indie production and song structure and sounds, made even better by Hanson’s trademark lyrical depth.” For more info, go to lynnehanson.com.
Chicago-based Los Gallos are a Chicano, Americana, roots band. Transcending musical orders, Los Gallos are known for their unsegregated sound. They seamlessly fuse an eclectic mix of Cumbia, Norteno, Tex-Mex, and Bolero with country, rock, and blues to create their innovative signature sound.
Band members include Rick Salazar on guitars, button accordion, and vocals; Enrique Fajardo on vihuela, jarana, guitar, and vocals; Josh Rosenstein on lead guitar and vocals; Jose Galarza on bass; and Raul Fernandez on drums. Their new digital album Los Gallos is now streaming on numerous services. For more info, go to losgallosband.com.
The Festival welcomes back Claudia Russell and Bruce Kaplan from California; this year they’ll be joined by the husband-wife duo of Katie Dahl and Rich Higdon from Wisconsin. Together they are known as Paper Birds.
The band is fronted by two successful songwriters in their own right, Claudia Russell and Katie Dahl. Claudia has won songwriting honors from Boston to Austin. She is known for her nimble, expressive voice and tightly knit songs. One of the Midwest’s best young songwriters, Katie Dahl writes keenly literate songs planted deep in the ground of her Wisconsin home. Katie’s husband Rich Higdon adds bass and percussion, while Russell’s husband Bruce Kaplan adds mandolin and guitar.
WFMT’s Rich Warren said of this “pop-up band,” “Paper Birds performed a delightful variety of original material, sang some great harmonies, and showed how much friends enjoy making music together. Lovely voices and great instrumental chops. Really a delight!”
For more info, go to claudiarussell.com. They will be on “Folkstage” on WFMT/98.7FM/ wfmt.com on Saturday night, July 20 from 8-9 p.m./CDT.
SongSisters Amy Dixon-Kolar, Sue Fink, and Patti Shaffner are all accomplished performers in their own right but with their soaring harmonies, engaging lyrics, and wit, their distinctive styles come together to create something new.
Lilli Kuzma of WDCB Radio said, “. . . Top shelf talent times three and a pure delight! Sue Fink, Amy Dixon-Kolar, Patti Shaffner are outstanding solo artists who shine alone but together become a solar force to be reckoned with, as they exchange their superb songs along with exceptional harmonies, friendly bantering and spot-on humor – great music and great entertainment from these lovely ladies!”
Sue’s whimsical songs, Patti’s forays into folk and jazz, and Amy’s impressive finger-picking with folk, Celtic, and blues influences add up to a richer sound when played together. They will open the Festival and lead the All-Sing Finale. For more info, go to songsisters.net. They will be on “Folk Festival” on WDCB/90.9FM/wdcb.org on Tuesday night, July 16, between 8 and 11 p.m./CDT.
Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter Jeff Talmadge is known for his storytelling and his finger-picking style. Before turning to music full-time, Jeff was a successful Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney in Austin, Texas.
Jeff has received numerous awards and acknowledgments for his songwriting, including his selection as a finalist or showcase artist at places such as the Kerrville Folk Festival and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. He’s toured in Europe as well as this country and has performed at the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, as well as Club Passim in Boston and Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta.
At Duke University, Jeff won the Academy of American Poets Award, and his poems have appeared in numerous literary journals and magazines. His most recent CD was on the Folk DJ Top 10 List for several weeks this spring. Several of his albums have reached the Top 40 on the Americana charts. The Hill Country Sun called his album Secret Anniversaries “a nearly perfect recording.” Another writer described his music as “true and deep and surpasses the test of time.”
For more info, go to jefftalmadge.com. Jeff will be a special guest on “Folkstage,” along with Paper Birds, on Saturday night, July 20 from 8-9 p.m./CDT on WFMT/98.7FM/wfmt.com.
Robinlee Garber was born and bred in Philadelphia but is now a proud Chicagoan. She brings a crystalline alto voice with gently burnished edges and an outsider’s point-of-view to the original and time-treasured songs she sings, focusing on a repertoire that harkens to the past without being a novelty act.
Robinlee’s repertoire includes folk, jazz standards, rock, and contemporary music where the voice is front and center. As someone with chronic health issues that often left her feeling isolated, music was also an especially potent antidote to loneliness. She was music director of Culture Cafe for the Chicago VeganMania Festival, has run an open mic, and has performed across the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Finland.
A multi-disciplinary artist herself, Robinlee’s “day job” is helping seniors navigating the aging process as a Registered and Board Certified Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, helping people to plug into creative expression, a through-line that has brought so much joy and healing into her own life.
Robinlee will share “The Healing Power of Music” at her Workshop at the Open Mic Stage. She believes that music is a powerful way to build bonds in our increasingly disconnected lives. For more info, go to robinleegarbermusic.com.
The Festival is a 501(c)(3) Illinois non-profit organization, made possible in part by Radio Partners WDCB, WFMT, and WNUR, the City of Woodstock, and Real Woodstock (realwoodstock.com), but the Festival’s main support comes from individual donors.
The purpose of the Festival is to bring quality folk music – local, national, and international – to Northern Illinois. We build community through music. The Woodstock Folk Festival began as a one-time event in 1986 and quickly became an annual event held on the third Sunday of July on Woodstock Square.
For more information about future Woodstock Folk Festival events, visit us here on our website, woodstockfolkfestival.org. For more information about Woodstock and events throughout the year, go to realwoodstock.com.
The 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival is on the way Sunday, July 21, 2024. We’ll gather from noon to 6:00 pm on the historic Square in Woodstock, Illinois, 47 miles northwest of Chicago.
Each year, the Woodstock Folk Festival delights young and old with outstanding performers on its Main Stage on the Square. Additional events include:
In 2024, for our 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival co-hosts are Chuck VanderVennet and Marilyn Rea Beyer. Connie Kaldor will receive the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award and Annie Capps its “Woody” Award.
Folk icon Connie Kaldor is a Canadian singer-songwriter, entertainer, tv personality, and women’s music pioneer who celebrates 45 years in show business with her 18th recording titled, “Keep Going!” And Connie certainly does keep going with tours around the world since the 1980s and numerous online shows during the pandemic.
Connie’s enormous stage presence, her unforgettable melodies, and her emotional depth as a songwriter established her as a headline act on the festival circuit and in concert halls over decades. The Boston Globe described Connie as “a masterful performer, wildly funny one moment, deeply personal the next.”
Connie received three Juno Awards, the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards in the U.S. She also won a Parents Choice Award for Lullaby Berceuse; received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal; was made a Member of the Order of Canada; and hosted the very first Canadian Folk Music Awards.
Originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, she received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of Regina, an Alumni Association Honor Award from the University of Alberta, and was the first songwriter to receive the Western Literature Association Distinguished Achievement Award.
Before starting a full-time music career in 1979, Connie performed with various theatre groups. She started a full-time music career in 1979 and continues to write and perform. In 1980 the Winnipeg Folk Festival selected her to be part of The Travelling Goodtime Medicine Show with Sylvia Tyson, Stan Rogers, and Jim Post (the late Jim Post received the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007). She played with the legendary Stan Roger several other times including at a Canadian Workshop at the Kerrville Folk Festival in Texas in June 1973. Stan tragically passed away in a plane crash while returning home from that Festival. She was featured in the Woodstock Folk Festival’s Woodstock Wednesdays series.
Connie also wrote and recorded children’s CD books and recently published a cookbook. She often performs with her husband and two sons, and we hope they will join her at the Woodstock Folk Festival this summer.
The Lifetime Achievement Award
We honor Connie for her songwriting and performance skills, her ability to touch both children and adults with her songs, and her leadership as a woman in the international folk music community for almost half a century.
You can read more about Connie at conniekaldor.com.
The Woodstock Folk Festival’s “Woody” Award generally honors someone who may be a musician but whose major contributions have been outside the performance area.
Annie has done it all, though, so she will also perform at the Festival along with her husband Rod and their mandolin player Jason Dennie.
While touring regularly in Michigan, this group also toured nationally from California to Maine and recorded many albums. Annie is a singer-songwriter performing folk, musical theater, and even hard rock. In the 80s and 90s, she and Rod split their time between original projects and cover bands, including “Foolish Mortals,” who performed extensively in the Detroit area.
Annie’s most recent album was Folk Radio’s #3 album in January 2023. Melissa Clarke of Americana Highways said, “Annie Capps’ vocals shine with the energy befitting a Broadway musical, and the acoustic compositions are enchanting, all the while the lyrical tales make the best of the human experience.”
In addition to her songwriting and performances, Annie also presented a concert series. Perhaps her biggest impact, though, comes through her service as Conference Director and President of the Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM). Through her work with FARM, she not only elevated the status of the organization, but her work also benefitted countless musicians from the Midwest and beyond. During the pandemic, she was the guiding force behind weekly virtual networking meetings, online Tech Talks, and online performances sponsored by FARM. She continues to be active in the organization.
We honor Annie for her musical talent, her organizational skills, and her ability to not only bring people together but to elevate them individually and as a group.
More information is at annieandrodcapps.com.
In the coming months, we will announce more performers in our monthly emails and on Facebook. If you do not already receive our emails, please subscribe using the short form on the right side of every page of our website, woodstockfolkfestival.org.
Radio Partners WDCB/90.9FM, WFMT/98.7FM, and WNUR/89.3FM, the City of Woodstock, and Real Woodstock made this year’s Festival possible in part.
Donations of any amount to the Woodstock Folk Festival are welcome throughout the year. Just use the yellow “Donate” button on the right side of each page of the website woodstockfolkfestival.org.
Friends of the Festival (donations of $100-499) receive mention in the Festival program. Sponsors (individuals, companies, or organizations who make donations of $500 or more) are listed in the Festival program, press releases, and on the Festival website. If desired, they may also have a small banner on each part of our site that links back to their own site. We realize that not everyone can donate at the Friend or Sponsor level, so please know we greatly appreciate donations of any amount!
The Festival is an Illinois 501(c)(3) non-profit, all-volunteer organization.
The Festival was founded in 1986. It brings quality folk music — local, national, and international — to Northern Illinois and in the process builds community through music. It occurs each year on the third Sunday of July.
The Festival also presents periodic concerts, including one coming up on Sunday, April 21, 2024 (details elsewhere at woodstockfolfestival.org).
The Festival is on the land where the Ho Chunk, Illini, Miami, and Potawatomi Peoples lived. Woodstock is one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Distinctive Destinations. It was the film location for the movie, “Groundhog Day”.
More information about the Festival including its history is at woodstockfolkfestival.org.
The lead-in to the 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 includes two preliminary happenings this year:
First the video. We have an Earth Day treat for you — a video sampler of LAST YEAR’S 38th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2023.
If you missed last year’s Festival, this is your opportunity to see some of what you missed. If you did attend, you can now re-live special moments from that day.
The video has websites for the performers and we hope you’ll support them by purchasing their CDs, joining their Patreon accounts, and/or attending their future concerts.
The video is about an hour and twenty minutes. You can watch it here (above or in the right column) or find it anytime in our Video Gallery on this site. You can also visit our YouTube Channel.
Yes, our popular themed spring concert returned this year for the first time since 2019. The theme was “What’s Your Story?” Performers shared stories and songs with personal meaning to them.
Thank you to everyone who attended and supported the concert and of course to all our wonderful performers:
And let’s not forget our volunteers who helped along the way:
And finally, a special thanks to:
And now, “Inch by Inch, Row by Row,” watch our 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 grow … as we move closer to the date, July 21, 2024, noon – 6pm.
Find out what we know so far about the 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival HERE, and watch for more information coming out soon.
Stay tuned to our website and read our monthly emails for updates on this year’s 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival – Sunday, July 21, 2024, Noon to 6 p.m., on historic Woodstock Square. In a few weeks we’ll announce all of our performers for this year. If you’re not already on our monthly email list, it’s quick, easy, and free to sign up using the button on the right side of our web page.
Please support the Festival by making donations through our website, woodstockfolkfestival.org, and click on the “Donate” button on the right side of each page.
Enjoy last year’s video and mark your calendars for this year’s Festival, Sunday, July 21.
The Spring Benefit Concert 2024 for the Woodstock Folk Festival comes up Sunday afternoon, April 21, 2024. Please join us at 2:00 pm at Unity Spiritual Center, 225 West Calhoun Street (corner of Tryon), just two blocks southwest of the historic Square in Woodstock, Illinois. There is a parking lot across the street and ample street parking.
Yes, our popular themes spring concert is back — in person!! This is our first in-person themed concert since 2019.
This year’s theme is “What’s Your Story?” Performers will share stories and songs. Some may be love stories, others about families who came from other parts of this country or the world. Some may share humorous or meaningful incidents from their lives.
Since the following day is Earth Day, you may also hear songs and stories related to that.
With a variety of performers telling their stories through different styles of music interspersed with spoken word stories and poems by members of our community, we will see the uniqueness in each person but also our connection through stories.
During the intermission, you can enjoy snacks related to our story theme. We’ll provide an opportunity for attendees to contribute brief stories! During the second half of the program, we’ll share some of those stories.
We are grateful to Unity Spiritul Center, particularly Rev. Marypatriece Wendt, for their hospitality. We also thank Off Square Music for help with sound, Leslie Cook for help with our website, Sonia Calles Mesa for help with emails, and Kathy Wentz for help with credit card and CD sales.
The Festival is possible in part thanks to Radio Partners WDCB/90.9FM, WFMT/98.7FB, and WNUR/89.2FM, the City of Woodstock, and Real Woodstock.
We request a $20 donation for this concert. Proceeds benefit this year’s summer Festival, Sunday, July 21, 2024, noon to 6:00 pm on the Woodstock Square.
Donations of any amount to the Festival are welcome throughout the year. Just use the yellow “Donate” button on the right side of each page of the website, woodstockfolkfestival.org.
The Woodstock Folk Festival is an Illinois 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and is entirely volunteer-run.
Friends of the Festival (donations of $100-499) receive mention in the Festival program. Sponsors (individuals, companies, or organizations who make donations of $400 or more) are listed in the Festival program, press releases, and on the Festival website. If desired, they may also have a small banner on each part of our site that links back to their own site.
We realize that not everyone can donate at the Friend or Sponsor level. Please know that donations of any amount are greatly appreciated!
Details about performers for the Spring Benefit Concert and the Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 post to our website, woodstockfolkfestival.org, as they are confirmed — so stay tuned!
Everyone on our email list will also receive monthly updates. If you have not yet subscribed to our email list, please do that now via the form on the right side of every page of this website.
The 38th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival is coming to town, Sunday, July 16. As in past years, we gather on the historic Square in Woodstock, Illinois, about 50 miles northwest of Chicago. Mark your calendars now for Noon to 6 p.m.
The rain location on that day is Unity Spiritual Center of Woodstock, 225 W. Calhoun St, corner of Tryon, 2 blocks southwest of the Square.
As in past years, we will present local and national musicians who perform in a variety of styles: traditional and contemporary folk, Americana, roots, soul, and blues
And we will honor Jack Williams with our Lifetime Achievement Award and Delmark Records, which celebrates its 70th Anniversary this year, with our “Woody” Award.
The Performance Schedule and other information is below. We will update here as things change. But first…
Leading up to the Festival, on Friday evening, July 7, the Woodstock Folk Festival joins Off
Square Music in presenting Jamie O’Reilly in her acclaimed “In Old Chicago” show.
Presented as an Off Square On Air concert/interview, the event begins at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at Stage Left Cafe, 125 W Van Buren Street, on the historic Square in Woodstock, Illinois.
Part memoir, part concert, “In Old Chicago” features songs from the front parlor to the music hall sung in Jamie’s lush, signature style.
In stories and poetry, Jamie & Co. relate the rich history of her Irish American ancestors who were a vital part of Chicago’s cultural and political landscape as a great city came of age.
Jamie will be joined by John Erickson on piano as well as Judi Cogan Heikes, Christopher O’Reilly, and Victor Holstein.
Then the following weekend, Sunday, July 16, join us for more great music at the 38th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival.
More information as well as in-person and hybrid tickets are available on the Off Square Music website.
A one-hour video sampler will be available anywhere in the world via the Festival website Gallery Page in the Festival folder after the in-person Festival.
Once again the Festival features local, national, and international artists performing in a
variety of musical styles.
Performer profiles are below the Schedule.
| 12:00pm | Mark Dvorak (Chicago) “Chicago’s official troubadour” WFF Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Leads this year’s All-Sing Finale |
| 12:30pm | Nina Ricci (Nashville, TN) Modern Folk, Singer-Songwriter & Guitarist. Berklee-educated. |
| 1:15pm | Dean Milano (Chicago) & Julianne Macarus (Ohio) Singer-Songwriter-Musician-Author (Dean) teaming up with Singer-Songwriter (Julianne) in the latest of 40 years of collaboration. |
| 2:00pm | Buffalo Rose (Pittsburgh, PA) Modern Folk / Americana Band |
| 2:45pm | Elexa Dawson (Oklahoma Native, Kansas-based from the Potawatomi Nation) Sultry Soul meets Rural Roots |
| 3:30pm | Deidre McCalla (Georgia) Contemporary Folk, Singer-Songwriter, National Women’s Music Festival Performer |
| 4:15pm | Presentation of Lifetime Achievement Award to Jack Williams (Arkansas) Singer-Songwriter, Musician (guitar and trumpet) & Workshop Leader. Jack has played Folk, Rock, Jazz, R&B, Classical & Pop music of the 30s, 40s & 50s for over 61 years. Performance follows award. |
| 5:00pm | Presentation of “Woody” Award to Delmark Records on their 70th Anniversary Julia Miller accepting award for Delmark Records; Jimmy Burns (Chicago, IL) Performing Soul, Blues Guitarist, Singer-Songwriter from Delmark Records |
| 5:40pm | All-Sing Finale – Led by Mark Dvorak |
| 12:05pm | Woodstock Folk Festival Open Mic at Stage Left Cafe Co-Hosts: Gloria Burchfield & Mark Lyons Sign-up for Open Mic begins promptly at 12:05 p.m. at Stage Left Café. |
| 1:30-2:00pm | Open Mic Featured Performer: Performance & Workshop with Culture, Arts & Music featuring the music of Harry Belafonte performed on steelpan, a Tribute to Harry Belafonte. |
Pittsburgh-based Buffalo Rose performs modern folk and Americana. This charismatic six person group includes singers Lucy Clabby, Margot Jezerc, and Shane McLaughlin, Malcolm “Mac” Inglis on dobro, Bryce Rabideau on mandolin, and Jason Rafalak on upright bass.
The group takes the singer-songwriter tradition to a new level by crafting original songs which are emotive, meticulously arranged, and inspired by a world of idiosyncratic influences that never let a dull or predictable moment creep in.
They have collaborated with Grammy and WFF Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Tom Paxton. They gleefully combine genres to move acoustic music forward to a new place while never losing sight of its roots.
Buffalo Rose will appear live on “Folkstage” on WFMT/98.7FM/wfmt.com on Saturday night, July 15 from 8-9 p.m./CDT – buffalorosemusic.com/
Chicago-based Jimmy Burns will perform as we celebrate Delmark Records 70th Anniversary.
Founded by Bob Koester in St. Louis in 1953 as Delmar Records, they moved to Chicago in 1958. Koester opened the Jazz Record Mart and moved the company to its basement, renaming it Delmark Records.
Over the years Delmark has released albums by Donald Byrd, Junior Wells, Sleepy John Estes, Buddy Guy, Roosevelt Sykes, and many more including Jimmy Burns.
Koester retired in 1918 and sold the company to musicians Julia A. Miller, President and CEO, and Elbio Barilari, VP and Artistic Director, who will join us to receive this year’s “Woody” Award.
Burns was born in the Mississippi Delta, but has lived most of his life in Chicago. This legendary blues musician who turned 80 this year has also performed doo-wop, R&B, and folk. He also ran a BBQ spot on the West Side of Chicago. delmark.com – jimmyburnsband on Facebook
Elexa also teaches and serves on the Board of Directors of Folk Alliance Region Midwest (FARM). Elexa will also perform at Two Way Street Coffee House (twowaystreet.org) in Downers Grove, IL on Friday night, July 14 at 8 p.m. – elexadawson.com
celebration, struggle, loss, and longing — sometimes all in one song!
A Black woman, mother, lesbian, feminist, Deidre has long been in the forefront of Black musicians redefining the understanding of how Black folk do folk.
Her most recent album Endless Grace was the #1 album on Folk Radio Charts in June of last year. In 2023 her song “Shoulder To The Wheel” won the 19th Annual International Acoustic Music Award for Best Folk/Americana/Roots song.
She received a SERFA Award from the Southeast Regional Folk Alliance and her album Don’t
Doubt It is included in the LGBT Collection at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of American History and listed by Ms Magazine as one of 25 Classic Women’s Music Albums.
The weekend prior to the Festival Deidre will be at the National Women’s Music Festival
(nwmf.info) in Madison, Wisconsin. – deidremccalla.com
Dean Milano has been making music in Chicago since 1966, playing bass and singing in numerous bands and shows. He’s played in all genres, but likes to play folk songs whenever he has the opportunity.
He is on the Hall of Fame Committee for the Illinois Museum of Rock & Roll and the Selection Committee for the Model Car Hall of Fame; he is the author of Chicago Music Scene: 1960s & 1970s.
Julianne and Dean will appear on WDCB/90.9FM/wdcb.org’s “Folk Festival” show hosted by Lilli Kuzma on Tuesday night, July 11, probably beginning around 8:15 p.m./CDT. They’ll perform at Cafe Carpe (cafecarpe.com) in Fort Atkinson, WI on Festival Eve.
Dean’s website is www.toys-n-cars.com. Julianne’s website is pending and will be
littleimperialpublishing.bandcamp.com
Nashville-born and bred Nina Ricci was trained at Berklee College of Music in Boston.
In addition to singing and songwriting, she also plays finger-style guitar. One of the new guard of the American folk revival, she heralds songs of the 1960s folk movement and writes a new
chapter with her own songwriter’s voice.
She performs both traditional and original folk songs, entertaining the audience through history and humor, sharing the stories behind the songs and from her experiences on the road as a traveling musician. She has performed at various folk festivals including the North Georgia Folk Festival, the South Florida Folk Festival, the Kansas City Folk Festival, and the Sertoma Bluegrass Festival as well as at Dollywood and in Branson.
Nina busks at various locations in the Southeast. – ninariccimusic.com
This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Arkansas-based Jack Williams is a singersongwriter-guitarist who has been playing professionally for 65 years.
Early in his career Jack was influenced by and even played Folk, Rock, Jazz, R&B, Classical & Pop music of the 30s, 40s, and 50s; these influences helped him create original songs over the past 45 years.
His South Carolina roots come through in his vivid songs with a strong sense of place and his
storytelling in an old Southern tradition enhanced by his extraordinary guitar skills.
He plays everywhere from house concerts to music halls, city arts and cultural centers to major festivals such as Newport, Philadelphia, Kerrville, and Ontario.
In addition to leading numerous workshops as he tours the country, he has been on the staff of The Swannanoa Gathering in NC, The Augusta Heritage Center in WV, and WUMB’s Summer Acoustic Music Week in NH; he also co-hosts a semi-annual Music Workshop Weekend near his home in the Ozarks.
He has 10 CDs of original music, a DVD collection of his on-stage performances, and a CD collection of cover songs reflecting major influences on his musical development. He has produced all of his own recordings plus CDs by Mickey Newbury, Ronny Cox, Eric Schwartz, and others. Jack’s songs have been recorded by artists ranging from Tom Jones to David Clayton-Thomas to Lowen & Navarro.
In addition to his solo career, he has accompanied such luminaries as Tom Paxton, Peter Yarrow, and Harry Nilsson. Early in his career, his bands accompanied performers such as John Lee Hooker, Jerry Butler, and the Shirelles. Jack Williams’ music, enriched from these varied influences, is a truly All-American Southern music. – jackwilliamsmusic.com
Enjoy the Off Square Music Open Mic on Saturday night July 15 at Stage Left Cafe — as well as Music at the Market (Woodstock Farmers Market) on Saturday morning. Watch the Off Square Music website for details on these bonus music events that weekend.
Gavers Community Cancer Foundation’s Annual Barndance takes place on Saturday night, July 15, from 5 p.m. to Midnight in Emricson Park, 1313 Kishwaukee Valley Rd., Woodstock. For more information go to gavers.org.
From Friday, July 14 through Sunday, July 16, the Woodstock Children’s Summer
Theatre will present The SpongeBob Musical – Youth Edition at the Woodstock Opera House on the Square. For more information, go to woodstockoperahouse.com.
The suggested donation for the all-day Sunday Festival is $30 for individuals and $40 for families. There is no pre-registration.
Donations to the Festival are welcome at any time. Please use the Donations tab in the right column of every page of this website to contribute to the success of this year’s Festival. You can also contribute by sending a check made out to Woodstock Folk Festival to P.O. Box 1628, Woodstock, IL 60098.
To volunteer to help with the Festival, contact us at info@woodstockfolkfestival.org.
Help by joining us in promoting the Festival. Please direct others who may be interested to woodstockfolkfestival.org, and spread the word on social media.
We greatly appreciate your interest and support!
Located about 50 miles northwest of Chicago, Woodstock is easily accessible via
Routes i-90, 14, and 120, as well as by the Union Pacific/Northwest Metra train line that
runs between Chicago and Harvard with many stops in between.
The Woodstock train station is only one block from Woodstock Square. Handicapped accessible facilities are available.
Lodging information is on this website.
The Woodstock Folk Festival began as a one-time event in 1986 and quickly became an annual event held on the third Sunday of July on the Woodstock Square.
The Woodstock Folk Festival (WFF) is a 501(c)(3) Illinois non-profit organization
Made possible in part by Radio Partners WDCB, WFMT, and WNUR, the City of Woodstock and Real Woodstock
Special Thanks to Sponsors Steve & Margaret Mikus
