Last year, the wildly successful Woody Guthrie Festival convinced organizers that there was a crying need on the east side for more traditional folk music. So this year, organizers decided to make it bigger and better — and even managed to get official acknowledgement from the City of Indianapolis, thanks to a proclamation issued by the Mayor to make June 2-8 Irvington Folk Festival Week in the city. In his proclamation, Mayor Ballard congratulated the community of Irvington for hosting its Second Annual Folk Festival and encouraged residents to visit Irvington for “an enjoyable week of music and entertainment.”
Last year’s Woody Guthrie 100th Birthday festival drew between 750-1,500 people throughout the week, according to organizer Stan Denski. This year’s line-up is likely to break through those numbers easily, attracting people from the Indianapolis metropolitan area. “I see this as continuing to grow, to add more world music, bluegrass, roots music, gospel . . . folk music embraces a lot of genres.”
With growth comes challenges, said Denski — primarily of the financial kind. “Last year, we spent about $2,000 total — the musicians volunteered, everyone volunteered. This year, we’re paying musicians for their talent, and it is bigger, so the costs have really gone up.” While the Historic Irvington Community Council pays for the Irvington Folk Festival, Denski wants to defray as much of the cost as possible through donations. The festival’s Web site, www.irvingtonfolk.com, has an easy online donation button to help with costs for this free event for the community. They are also holding a raffle, with tickets for sale at Guitartown (5636 E. Washington) and Irvington Vintage (130 S Audubon). Tickets are $2 each or 5 for $5 or 11 for $10. On Saturday May 25th there will be a fundraiser raffle behind Guitartown (5636 E Washington next door to Black Acre) where a DJ will be spinning vintage 78 records on twin Victrolas and refreshments will be provided. Prizes include lots of gift certificates from local businesses (Oriental Inn, Irvington Vintage, Target, Marriott Inn, Deering Cleaners, Indianapolis Indians and more), as well as a big gift basket from Trader Joe’s and 4 VIP Tickets to see Leo Kottke in concert at the Egyptian Room on July 13.
This year’s festival promises to be bigger, and if possible, better. Taking place throughout Irvington at various locales, the week will culminate on June 8 with music on the Main Stage at Ellenberger Park (5301 E. St. Clair), plus the Irvington Art Walk in the Park, and a Children’s Festival from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
The Children’s Concert will feature storytellers, music, and fun geared for kids. Holly Garrett, organizer of the children’s area, said that the music line-up will open the day, with music familiar to young and old. “It will be the way to start the day — Patchwork will play some childhood favorites, and Irish music to get everyone dancing. We’re really proud to have No Direction on the stage — it was a band formed during the Girls Rock camp, and they stayed together after the camp ended. It all ties together with the festival as a place to inspire people to find their voice.”
The Irvington Art Walk will also run throughout the day at the park, with artists showing and selling their work. Other vendors, plus organizations, will have booths. Garrett said that the key to the success of the festival is to bring the community together, beginning with families. “It’s truly a chance for everyone in the family to have fun.”
Mac Bellner of Hogeye Navvy, said that the band is delighted to be part of the Irvington Folk Festival this year. “We played last year at the Woody Guthrie Festival, and it was great. This is just a great thing for Irvington, and needed in the area.”
The internationally known group has been around for at least 25 years, with a core membership of five, with others sitting in for a while. “It’s a standing joke that EVERYONE’S played with Hogeye Navvy,” said Bellner. The casualness is part of the Irish/Celtic music tradition, she said, where sharing songs and meeting up in people’s homes is a way of life.
Bellner explained that Hogeye Navvy is best known for traditional Irish music and waterways chanteys (not shanties, she notes — “why would we sing about little houses?”). At the festival, they performed a variety of American and Celtic traditional music, and are excited about their set at 2 p.m. on June 8.
The June 8 concert will include an impressive line-up of entertainment, including the Punkin Holler Boys, Scott Ballantine, Jason Hathaway, Old Truck Revival, Flatland Harmony Experiment, Delta Duo, Donn Smith, Diamond Hill Station, Brains Behind Pa with Gordon Bonham, Caleb Hawkins and many more. Traditional folk, blues, bluegrass — it will all be on stage.
Throughout the week leading up to the concert, there will be daily activities celebrating folk music and all its glory. The week will kick off with Bluegrass at the Bona June 2 from 1-4 p.m. at the Bona Thompson Center, and include the Irvington Songwriter’s Contest at Lazy Daze on June 3 at 7 p.m., performances by Brad Odom & Friends on June 4 at Lazy Daze, a film series and discussion at the Irvington Library June 5 at 6:30 p.m., Folk Music Trivia Night at Black Acre Brewing at 8 p.m., and much more. People interested in learning about what exactly folk music is are invited to a discussion at the Irvington Library June 6 at 6:30 p.m. Then, on First Friday in Irvington, listen to Delta Duo at the Underground Studio at Bookmamas at 6:30 p.m. and Blue Collar Bluegrass at 8:30 p.m.
