Hock Hocking Folk Festival

Wendy and I attended the Folk Festival in Nelsonville- a great sunny day after a week of cold and rain. It was fantastic; lots of good music; some good crafts, food, other activities- well organized; and a good spirit to the whole thing. Saw Chris Hogsett, doing sound all day at the main stage. The acts were all good and solid; Todd Burge played early in the day; a Celtic group from Columbus was good; and then the late afternoon brought: Stacie Earle and Mark Stuart; then Fred Eaglesmith and finishing up with Greg Brown. I had heard of Stacie Earle and Mark Stuart, read some reviews in some of the magazines I get, but hadn't seen them- they were very enjoyable- I'll be touting them enthusiastically to everyone I can. Fred Eaglesmith, quickly becoming a "must see" for me, when he is within a 2-3 hour radius- had a trimmed down band, but was as good as ever. They seemed to like to festival atmosphere; and stayed on, mingling with the crowd. We talked with the drummer (who also does the merchandising)- and Willie P. Bennett (mandolin and harmonicas) did a few songs with Greg Brown. Greg Brown sang a mix of old and new, and played some deep and weighty songs. We took in some fiddle contest contestants, the story telling, visited the crafts and browsed the food options.
I'll be a booster for this event on into the future; they really work hard to put on a good event, and are building it up with an upbeat attitude for the future.