There have been a few inquiries about what pre-planned events and gatherings happen at what time at the festival, so here is a brief outline... (subject to tweaks!)
Monday - 9am is the earliest that campers may come in and set up their rigs. At the registration table in the middle of the campground, you can pay for your attendance ribbons and your campsite and then receive a program of the week's activities.
!!! If you are able to help get people registered and get them their attendance ribbons at the registration tent for an hour or two at a time, that would be warmly welcomed by those few who end up carrying far too much of that load!!! Volunteers are always welcome and appreciated.
Wednesday - set up the stage etc. in Gerstacker Building at 4pm (another way to really help!), and after dinner, there is a gospel sing-along with Pastor Jim in one of the tents at dusk.
Thursday at 7pm - Peter, Paul, and Mary sing-along in Fair Center.
Friday - 9am-5pm workshops throughout the grounds, open jam/stage in merchant building 7-9pm, traditional dance in the Fair Center at 7pm
Saturday - more workshops 9am-5pm all over the place, stage show at 5:45 with SUGAR ukulele group, 6:15 with Jolly Hammers and Strings, opening comments and Star-Spangled Banner at 7, and then a wonderful stage show immediately afterward.
Sunday - gospel sing with the Rostollans from 9-noon
Also, you can offer your "spare instruments" (is there such a thing?) for sale in the Fair Center by listing a description, price, and your cell phone number with the instrument and then make arrangements privately with interested buyers.
NASA might say that it's "T-minus a week-and-change" away, so block out August 21-24, and plan to come to the Midland Folk Music Festival, to be held at the Midland
County Fairgrounds, 6905 Eastman Ave. in Midland.
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.
Donuts, muffins, and bagels will be available in the registration tent Thursday morning from 8:30-10:00 am.
Join us for a Jam Friday evening from 6pm-8pm in the Merchant's building next to the Gerstacker building.
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 still wish to present a workshop, please contact Ruth ASAP at workshops.fmsm@gmail.com for directions.
There will be workshops for many different instruments, genres, and various music-related topics as well as childrens' activities during the day on Friday and Saturday (possibly Thursday, too), and a tent gospel jam/sing on Wednesday evening at dusk.
Fifteen vendors (yes, FIFTEEN) will be exhibiting their wares this year both in the Fair Center and outdoors as well, and there are both musical and non-musical things to check out. You just might get all your Christmas shopping done during the festival!
Then in the Fair Center (Gerstacker Building), there will be a Peter, Paul, and Mary sing-along on Thursday evening, traditional dancing on Friday evening, and a tremendous stage show on Saturday evening, with the festival winding up with a gospel sing-along on Sunday morning.
You can learn more about FMSM at their website,
www.folkmusicsociety.org, as well as information regarding the Jolly Hammers and Strings, the SUGAR ukulele group, and the Midland Traditional Dancers.
