Blue Sky Folk Festival Returns!
Saturday, August 17

Madison Violet, the Juno-nominated singer-songwriter duo from Toronto, headlines the evening concert at the August 17, 2019 Blue Sky Folk Festival in Willoughby, Ohio.

Blue Sky Folk Festival is Saturday, August 17

. . . where great musicians connect with new musicians . . .

The Blue Sky Folk Festival celebrates its ninth year! – a gem of an event that brings musicians and folk music fans from Northeast Ohio and beyond to Willoughby for a day of jamming, performance and learning.

On Saturday, August 17, 2019 the ninth annual Blue Sky Folk Festival comes to its new location at The Fine Arts Association, 38660 Mentor Avenue (Route 20), Willoughby, Ohio 44094.

Contra Dancing - try it! — Contra Dancing – try it!

This year the Blue Sky presents two separate events on August 17, a daytime program and an evening concert. We are also adding a contra dance track during the day for the first time.

Daytime Program

Enjoy 45-plus music workshops, concerts, jams and dances, featuring such popular and creative musicians as Hal Walker, Paul Kovac, Jim Volk, Sheela Das, Bob Yocum, Matt Harmon, Doug Unger, Charlie Mosbrook, Kate Kooser and a bunch more from noon to 5 p.m. There’s a kids tent and kids are welcome to sit in on all the other activities (under 13 free admission), so bring your children for a total music immersion.

There are scheduled jams in Old-Time, Western Swing. Bluegrass Slow Jam, Old-Time Slow Jam and Old-Time Banjo led by professional musicians, plus we’ll set up an open jam tent for Irish Music & Dulcimer, plus popup jamming all over, all day, indoors and out. Matt Watroba will emcee the daytime concerts as well as lead a community sing workshop.

Daytime Program admission $10 online or at the gate, under 13 free. Jammers bring your instrument for $2 off at the gate. Gates open 11 a.m., day program noon – 5 p.m.

Dinner Break

Stick around after the Day Program and enjoy a dinner break from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Head to the shops and restaurants in Downtown Willoughby, a 16-minute walk (three minutes by car) – or stay at the Fine Arts Association for more jamming, whether you play or just like to watch. There will be food vendors, plus beer and wine available and our signature Blue Sky mixed drink. This is our first year for this format, who knows what will happen?

Evening Concert with Madison Violet

The Evening Concert at 7:30 p.m. features the storytelling lyrics and close harmonies of Madison Violet, the delightful award winning folk duo from Toronto.

Evening Concert admission $20 online, $25 at the door while tickets last. Doors open 7 p.m., concert 7:30 p.m.

The evening concert program fills out with original and traditional folk music performances by two creative tunesters: emcee/musician Matt Watroba, who recently was named to the Folk Alliance International D.J. Hall of Fame, and Charlie Mosbrook with his beautiful bass voice and inventive lyrics. Charlie’s song “Remember Who We Are” earned him 2nd place in the 2018 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival Songwriting contest in Okemah, Oklahoma.

Buy Tickets!

Tickets are available at the gate or online. Daytime program $10 online or at the gate, under 13 free. Jammers bring your instrument for $2 off at the gate. Evening concert $20 online, $25 at the door.

Bring the Kids

We’re a family friendly affair. What better way to spend the day, surrounded by music, community and sunshine. Children are welcome at the Blue Sky concerts, workshops and jams as well as planned kids activities. They are our future musicians!

Mountain Dulcimer Raffle

We are grateful to Pat and George Suchy for their donation of a mountain dulcimer crafted by George.

Parking

Free, safe and secure parking is provided at the Fine Arts Association, 38660 Mentor Ave., Willoughby, OH 44094.

Brought to you by . . .

The Blue Sky Folk Festival is brought to you by the Northeast Ohio Musical Heritage Association, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. Our mission is to provide venues and opportunities for the performance, sustenance and preservation of folk music in our region through the creation of inspiring experiences that stimulate a personal love and appreciation of folk music. The Blue Sky Folk Festival and Lake Erie Folk Fest depend on your g ift s and sponsorships to bring these very affordable events to a larger public.

Your experience begins here | Welcome to Lake County

Discover some of Ohio’s most popular destinations only 20 miles east of Cleveland on the southern shores of Lake Erie. Experience breathtaking landscapes, beaches, outdoor escapes, world-class wineries, national and local heritage sites, and events and festivals throughout the year. Whether traveling for business or making memories with family, you’ll find and experience what can only be described as “remarkable” in Lake County, OH.

Why move?

The Blue Sky Folk Festival emerged in 2011 from the cauldron of an Appreciative Inquiry process at East Shore. In 2014 the event moved under the umbrella of an independent nonprofit organization, the Northeast Ohio Musical Heritage Association. Why move to The Fine Arts Association? We loved our founding location at East Shore Unitarian Universalist Church in Kirtland, but with increased popularity and attendance, the festival needs larger classrooms and more parking. We’re excited about the change and look forward to welcoming the Fine Arts and Willoughy communities to our festival.