The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Lake Erie Folk Fest had a little bit of everything
Celebration of traditional roots music, artists marks 5th year
Euclid’s Shore Cultural Centre rang with the eclectic sounds of stomping, drumming, singing, and more on Feb. 22.
Once again, all players came from far and wide.
For the fifth year now, the halls of Euclid’s Shore Cultural Centre rang with the eclectic sounds of stomping, drumming, singing, twanging, stringing, clapping, clicking and even talking during the annual Lake Erie Folk Fest.
The community “celebration of traditional roots music” offered a variety of free workshops, dances, jams and concerts.
An evening concert featuring the Irish American Club Eastside Pipe Band, Distinguished Gentlemen of Spoken Word, Carolina Blue, Harmonia and Brazilian singer/songwriter Luca Mundaca capped the event.
Billed as a collaboration between the Northeast Ohio Musical Heritage Association, which fosters folk music in the region and produces the annual Blue Sky Folk Festival, and Shore, a former high school turned innovative arts center, the event connects they city’s diverse creative community in a late-winter cross- pollination of the arts.
Since its inception, the fest, while continuing to evolve, has presented numerous national and international acts, entertaining and influencing thousands of music lovers.
Speaking to the evolution, Laura Lewis, artistic director of the fest and secretary of the Northeast Ohio Musical Heritage Association, said the fête has been popular from the jump.
“We added a Friday morning school show to
the festival in 2017, and this year we’ve added bluegrass master classes,” she added. “The format of free events during the daytime, followed by an affordable evening concert has something for everyone. “What I’m most proud of is the fact that we have a really strong team that plans the event, and many more who contribute time or treasure to make the event happen. I’m proud of the work we all do, the quality of music we present, and that we bring the Euclid and folk communities together. It’s also gratifying to see newcomers get excited about traditional music, and to see veteran musicians delve deeper or even discover a new genre.”
The celebration continually attracts thousands of people from all over Euclid and Northeast Ohio. This year, attendees as far as North Carolina, New York and Pennsylvania participated.
Cost and availability are key factors, but beyond those constraints, Lewis said organizers try to bring in different genres each year.
“We’ve had French-Canadian music, Cajun, oldtime, music and dance from India, and even throat singers from Tuva (a biodiverse Russian republic in southern Siberia).
Guitarist and Chardon resident Marc Yanko took advantage of a slot during a day-long open mic session to jam while festgoers enjoyed refreshments.
“I’ve been attending for a few years and what’s best, other than the great talent, is the fact that everything’s indoors during the winter,” he said after performing. “I’ve also attended Blue Sky, so it’s nice for an amateur like me to be able to share music with others.”
It’s that very spirit of collaboration, Lewis said, that keeps the tradition of music perpetually passed from one person to the next.
“The rooms and halls of Shore really do come alive with that sharing through all of the spontaneous jam sessions and creative expression,” she said. “There are more than 30 free events during the daytime and also activities for kids. I’m not sure where else that happens in Cleveland.
“Each year we survey participants and take to heart both positive feedback and suggestions. Moving forward, we hope to increase funding from grants and sponsors, and with that we will continue to produce a great event with the goal of introducing more people to authentic, heartfelt music.”