The Central Ohio Folk Festival celebrates its 27th season May 4-5 with dozens of concerts, workshops, drum circles, stories, and crafts for the whole family.

The setting will be the lush green land of Highbanks Metro Park, 9466 North High (U.S. Route 23), Lewis Center Ohio, just North of Columbus. Highlights include:

• More than 30 hourly concerts on 3 different stages by performers singing and playing guitar, mandolin, banjo, dulcimer, harp, etc. Among the folk music genres: bluegrass, old-time, blues, singer-songwriter, Southern roots, Americana, Celtic, etc.

• More than 30 workshops for beginning and advanced musicians alike. Among the topics: songwriting, jamming, playing for social change, the music business, and how to play autoharp, blues guitar, ukulele, mandolin, and more.

• An area with music, stories, workshops, and crafts for children. Plus, our “instrument petting zoo” to let youngsters handle folk instruments.

• 5 tents for informal jamming. Each tent has its own thrust: bluegrass, old-time, folk-mix, voices-only, and one for encouraging novice jammers.

• 2 beer garden tents, where those 21 and older may buy and enjoy a delicious Nocterra craft beer while music from nearby performers wafts through the air.

Saturday May 4th at 7 pm, our headliner act, The Arcadian Wild, will create musical magic, mixing bluegrass, classical, and other genres with tight 3-part vocal harmonies in original songs that defy categorization.

As people enter the festival grounds, we’ll welcome donations. That way, there will be no charges for any of the many activities. The festival is produced by the Columbus Folk Music Society and co-sponsored by WCBE Radio 90.5 FM.

For more info: https://CentralOhioFolkFestival2024donate.eventbrite.com/

Or contact publicity coordinator Bill Cohen at BillCohen@columbus.rr.com