MSU Museum's Great Lakes Folk Festival

Description:

MSU MUSEUM MARKS TEN YEARS OF ROOTS, RHYTHM, RICHNESS WITH
2011 GREAT LAKES FOLK FESTIVAL

The Michigan State University Museum's Great Lakes Folk Festival marks a milestone 10 years this summer, Aug. 12-14 in downtown East Lansing. Over the years, GLFF has brought an eclectic and amazing array of musical artists to the event - nearly 150 musicians and groups, in fact - and this year's event will be a homecoming of "festival favorites" that reflect the best of the best in music, dance, arts and culture from across America and around the world.

The music and dance program, features performances ranging from sacred steel to klezmer, Cajun to Celtic and more diverse cultural expressions and traditions. Most musical artists perform two to four times throughout the weekend, so visitors have a chance to see the bands they like and discover new genres.

The award-winning Great Lakes Folk Festival, produced by the MSU Museum's Michigan Traditional Arts Program, follows a successful three-year run hosting the traveling National Folk Festival, 1999-2001. The MSU Museum began producing GLFF in 2002 to continue the celebration of culture, tradition and community, and was named the state's top public humanities program by the Michigan Humanities Council. (For a complete list of past musical acts featured throughout GLFF's 10 years, see http://www.greatlakesfolkfest.net .)

The 2011 festival favorites music lineup, sponsored by the City of East Lansing, is:
Johnnie Bassett, '03 | Blues | Detroit, Michigan
Cats & The Fiddler, '08 | Bluegrass | Milford, Michigan
Calvin Cooke, '04 | Sacred Steel Guitar/Gospel | Detroit and McDonough, Georgia
2011 Michigan Heritage Award recipient
Detour, '08 | Bluegrass | Brethren, Michigan
Nadim Dlaikan, '02, '06 | Arab-American Nay | Southgate, Michigan
NEA National Heritage Fellow
Feufollet, '03, '06 | Cajun | Lafayette, Louisiana
Steven Greenman Klezmer Ensemble, '03 | Klezmer | South Euclid, Ohio
Gao Hong, '04 | Chinese Pipa | Northfield, Minnesota
George Kahumoku Jr., '03 | Hawai'ian Slack Key Guitar | Lahaina, Hawai'i
Elizabeth LaPrelle, '08 | Old-Time Ballads | Rural Retreat, Virginia
Dudley and Jacqueline Laufman, '03 | New England Traditional Barn Dance | Canterbury, NH -- NEA National Heritage Fellow
Los Bandits de Michigan, '09 | Tex-Mex | Kalamazoo, Michigan
Pan Franek & Zosia's Polka Towners, '04 | Polka | Muskegon, Michigan
Réveillons!, '08 | Québécois | Montréal, Québec, Canada
Roots Vibration, '06, '07 | Reggae | Detroit, Michigan
Skålmusik, '03 | Scandinavian | Brainerd, Minnesota

Téada, '05 | Irish Celtic | Dublin, Ireland

-A community sing and old-time musician jam were added to the mix last year, with a rousing response and plans to expand on them for '11.

Beyond the music:
The Great Lakes Folk Festival celebrates the cultural traditions of communities across America and the world. The Michigan State University Museum works year-round to develop this festival program that reflects the immense variety and vitality of art, skill, knowledge, and wisdom of our cultural heritage for the public. GLFF offers a one-of-a-kind mix of music and dance stages, demonstrations of traditional arts and storytelling, authentic ethnic food, an arts marketplace, craft artists, and many special activities for kids and their companions.

Grassroots Green - tradition-bearers who carry on traditions that help restore, conserve and revitalize the planet - featuring a marketplace featuring recycled and upcyled goods, as well as presentations and informational sessions on topics like green occupations, organic gardening, local foodways, recycled arts and folk wisdom for taking care of the planet. "Reskilling" sessions feature presentations where attendees can learn about everything from broom-making and spoon carving, to beekeeping, rain barrels, make-your-own cosmetics, urban gardens and backyard chickens.

Children's activities include making crafts from recycled materials, planting vegetables and salad crops and creating art projects with recycled materials.

Michigan Heritage Award honorees, recognizing the state's top tradition-bearers in music, material culture, community leadership: Deborah Caryl, Davison (Genessee County), sheep shearing; Calvin E. Cooke, Detroit (Wayne County) and Georgia, sacred steel guitar; and Gaylord Klancnik, (deceased), formerly of Carleton (Monroe County), polka music and polka band leader.

Taste of Traditions Foodways: with authentic regional and ethnic food - Middle Eastern, Mexican, Greek, Native American, Indian, a Taste of the Great Lakes craft beer and wines, and more.

The festival site -- across the street from the MSU campus -- spans the downtown core of the city, tapping laid-back park settings and pulsing city crossroads for three days of festival fun.

Festival hours are Friday, Aug. 12, 6:-10:30 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 13, 12 noon - 10:30; and Sunday, Aug. 14, 12 noon 6 p.m.

Find out more about volunteering, sponsorship, transportation and performance schedules at http://greatlakesfolkfest.net .

Primary financial support comes from the City of East Lansing, MSU Office of the Provost, University Outreach and Engagement, National Endowment for the Arts, many MSU academic and support units, corporate sponsors and "Great Friends." A $10 per day/per person donation is suggested on-site.

Occurs daily: [starting Aug 12, 2011 ending Aug 14, 2011]