From August 2 to 4, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival brings traditional American folk music to Dodds Farm in Hillsdale. The four-stage folk festival features 39 bands, including headlining acts like indie folk band Andrew and Noah, flute diva Annie Wenz, and English pop band Belle Amie. One of the more popular features of the festival is the 8,000 square-foot dance stage that features various group and partnered dances until the wee hours of the morning, including square, zydeco, and contra. Professional dance caller Beth Molaro will use musical cues to instruct first timers on the upbeat dance floor. High-energy bands include Wild Asparagus with their New England-style contras and the gypsy punk band The Grand Slambovians performing the catchy pop-beat track “Land of a Thousand Dances,” which they play every year. For more mellow music, festival-goers can visit the workshop stage, which features smaller-scale acoustic performances often with several artists or groups playing in the round. For a more family-oriented crowd, the family stage hosts musical performances, puppet shows, and clown acts throughout the daylight hours of the festival.
If you hear your stomach grumbling from all that dancing, head over to the festival's food court. With over 15 local vendors—including the vegetarian solar-powered goodness of Solar Cafe, Traveler's Kitchen's potato pancakes with applesauce, and KC Roasting Pit's pulled pork sandwiches—you won't leave the festival hungry.
The Falcon Ridge Folk Festival takes place from August 2 to 4 at Dodds Farm in Hillsdale.
For more information visit Falcon Ridge Folk online.
