New features at folk festival
Shelter Valley Folk Festival opens today and continues until Sunday
GRAFTON - The annual Shelter Valley Folk Festival opens Friday at 5 p.m. and camping passes are available an hour earlier at the entranceway to the Henkel Family Lavender Farm east of Grafton.
The festival, which is a mixture of wonderfully talented musical artists mixed in with those interested in the environment and good health, along with associated art and cultural activities, plus food, runs until Sunday offering the whole family a wide-range of experiences.
New this year, is the hand makers marketplace where “beautiful handmade wares” can be seen and purchased, says festival artistic director Leslie Boileau. There will be a new shade area (separate from the main stage, and three side workshop stages) for “folks to relax out of the sun.” Children under 13 can attend free for the first time.
Another festival spokesman, David Sheffield, said the Unity Project recently held in Port Hope, will be repeated on the festival grounds. It consists of a central pole within a ring of poles with identifiers ranging from English as a second language to sexual orientation and people string yarn from the central pole out and around the one that speaks to them. The project is to bring people together while acknowledging differences.
“Green Wood is presenting this,” he said. “And it will be located near the windmill on the property.”
Another new feature of the festival, in addition to most of its entertainers, is a “shift to no garbage,” he said.
What that means is that there will be recycling containers everywhere but people must remove their own garage when they leave.
Musical performances begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday on the main stage and music on the side stages starts at 10:30 a.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday (after the 10 a.m. Rise Up Choir on the main stage that day).
Among Friday night’s main stage performers are David Newland & Uncharted Waters, Jory Nash, The Mae Trio, Jenn Grant and Ventanas.
NOTE: The festival’s website is www.sheltervalley.com.