MIDLAND FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL INFORMATION

From the "it will be here sooner than you think!" department... flip your calendar over to August, block out August 21-24, and come to the Midland Folk Music Festival, to be held at the Midland County Fairgrounds, 6905 Eastman Ave. in ... uh, ... Midland, MI!

You can even come Monday, August 18th after 9am and get your RV hooked up. After years of asking campers to not come until Monday morning (after the county fair), the Fairgrounds has implemented a $100 charge (payable to the Fairgrounds) for coming early on Sunday and disturbing the County Fair people who need to pack up and leave.

Admission ribbons for the whole week (what a bargain!) are available for $20 to all who are NOT YET members of the Folk Music Society of Midland, and for $10 to FMSM members. There is a GREAT NEED FOR VOLUNTEERS, especially in the areas of the admissions tent, the information table in the Fair Center (Gerstacker Building), and the stage set-up and tear-down.

There will be workshops for all sorts of genres, instruments, and experience levels on Friday from 9am-5pm and Saturday from 9am-5pm. If you wish to present a workshop, please contact Ruth at workshopsfmsm@gmail.com for directions.

In the Fair Center, there will be workshops during the day on Friday and Saturday, a sing-along on Thursday evening, traditional dancing on Friday evening, and a tremendous stage show on Saturday evening, as well as a gospel sing-along on Sunday morning.

Two important notes regarding the 2025 Midland Folk Music Festival!

1.  From Ruth Badgley regarding workshops...  (workshopsfmsm@gmail.com)

 Hello Everyone!

As we have all of the Easter celebrations behind us, it is time to plan for our Midland Folk Festival (Midland, MI). August 21-24, 2025!!    

This is your invitation to be part of the many volunteers for our festival! Would you be willing to teach a workshop? Our folk festival is run by volunteers, as a workshop leader, you will be provided with a festival ribbon & name badge, also, as many copies of your handout as needed, a table, an easel, a dry-erase board in your workshop area, coffee & water in the registration tent, and support from other volunteers.

You will notice that there is a ‘respond back by’ date listed. As an explanation – the respond back by date is requested to have time to work out the ‘puzzle pieces’ of placing everyone on the grids. The goal is to send you a copy to proofread and to have the festival information put on our website in July.

If you haven’t responded back by the deadline, it does not mean you cannot be a workshop leader – if there are openings Yes you can be a leader!

Please Respond Back by June 13, 2025, with the following information:

1. Presenter's Name(s)

2. I am interested in teaching/leading a: (circle one)  Workshop,  Jam,  Dance, Other

3. Instrument

4. Class Level: (circle one)  Pre-Beginner,  Beginner,  Intermediate,  Advanced, Other

5.  Day – Thursday afternoon (in the tents)

6.  Day ~ Friday, Saturday ~ Morning, Afternoon, doesn’t matter

7. If more than one timeslot:(circle one)  hours together,  consecutive days (same time, same area)

8. I prefer this timeslot

9. Other

2.  From Kristine Goodwin regarding the Saturday evening concert...

    To be considered for performing in the Saturday concert, our festival requires at least one person from the group to be a workshop leader. This year send your name and request by email to:  

·   Kris Goodwin, communityfmsm@gmail.com

 

 

Spring is here already, and summer won't take long to get here either!  The dates for the 2025 Midland Folk Music Festival are Thursday, August 21 through Sunday, August 24, so get your calendar out and mark those dates...

SONAS in Concert

 

A note: To support FMSM concerts at Creative 360, a suggested Sustainers Option of $25/person is available.  

Sonas is a Gaelic word that means happy or content.

Three friends with many years of musical experience come together to play lively, Celtic jigs and reels, a ballad or two and maybe even a bluegrass tune. 

With DeeDee on the hammered dulcimer, and Irish whistle, Kelly on the fiddle, mandolin and banjo, and Tom on the guitar and bouzouki will make a very enjoyable musical evening. 

Old standards and some new compositions by DeeDee and Kelly are also on our new CD “Irish Blessing".