Attending Ladysmith Black Mambazo this weekend? Unable to attend but still looking for something fun and affordable? Make this a weekend full of music, dance and fun with the Bates Folk Festival, February 8-9.
Contradancing, workshops and performances by established musicians from as far away as Scotland are on tap for the third annual Bates College Folk Music Festival, a two-day event beginning at 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 8, in the Muskie Archives, 70 Campus Ave., and Chase Hall Lounge, 56 Campus Ave.
The event is open to the public. Admission fees vary according to ability to pay — from $5 to $20 for one day, and $10 to $30 for both days. No one will be turned away for inability to pay. Tickets are available at the door. For more information, please visit batesfolkfest.weebly.com/.
The event is sponsored by the Freewill Folk Society, a student organization at Bates. For more information, please contact mpickof2@bates.edu.
The festival opens Friday with music by the Bates ensemble Chase the Fiddlers, led by Greg Boardman of the applied music faculty, and by the Scottish trio Cantrip.
Friday’s performers also include Bates College students; the Press Gang, an Irish-music trio from Portland; and the Scottish-Latin fusion band Alba’s Edge. Kim Roberts of Farmington calls a 6:30 p.m. contradance with the Maine duo Velocipede and a 9 p.m. contradance with Alba’s Edge.
On Saturday, an open mic featuring Bates musicians starts the day’s activities at noon. Following a 1 p.m. contradance with music by Greg and Jessie Boardman, Velocipede offers a concert at 3:30 p.m. Performances by student bands conclude the third annual festival on Saturday evening.