By Crista Munro
Special to The PREVIEW
This year marks the 24th annual Four Corners Folk Festival in Pagosa Springs and the final festival with FolkWest at the helm.
Beginning in 2020, KSUT Four Corners Public Radio will be taking over operations of the festival, stepping up their role after 24 years of being a sponsor and media partner.
The festival kicks off on Reservoir Hill on Friday, Aug. 30, at 3 p.m. and will wrap up on Sunday, Sept. 1, around 9 p.m.
Once again, people arrive from all over the country to experience the amazing musical lineup, which this year includes a wealth of talent and variety of musical styles from artists The Earls of Leicester,
2019/08/ff-East_Pointers-300x211.jpg Photo courtesy Michael PierceBilly Strings, Molly Tuttle, Darrell Scott, Amy Helm, The Mammals, The East Pointers, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley Band, Lindsay Lou, JigJam, Mile Twelve, Wild Rivers, Maybe April, and The Arcadian Wild. It’s truly one of the finest lineups in FolkWest’s history and represents a return to the festival’s more folky roots.
From newgrass to Irish trad to the country folk, the one thing all this year’s bands have in common is stupendous talent. There are bands on the lineup that residents of southwest Colorado wouldn’t have an opportunity to see without traveling to a major city, including rising bluegrass star Billy Strings — who at age 27 has been consistently selling out large venues all around the country — and Grand Ole Opry favorites The Earls of Leicester, Jerry Douglas’ traditional bluegrass project.
All this incredible live music will take place on two stages throughout the weekend — the Main Stage and the Late Night Stage, a smaller and more intimate setting that takes place on Friday and Saturday nights after the main stage sets end. In addition to the musical
2019/08/ff-SamDawg-300x200.jpg Photo courtesy Michael Pierceperformances, the family-friendly event will also feature music workshops, arts and crafts vendors, a food court, beer, cider and wine garden, morning yoga sessions and lots of picking circles in the campgrounds.
Festival admission is free for children 12 and under (accompanied by an adult) and there will be plenty to do and see in the Four Corners Kids tent. On Friday, kids can enjoy a juggling show at 2 p.m. and upcycled arts and crafts from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday have free crafts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., face painting, juggling shows by Andy the Juggler and balloon animal artistry by Ruby Balloon.
Free parking shuttles will start operating on Friday, Aug. 30, at 12:30 p.m. Venue gates open at 1 p.m. Festival-goers may bring their own blankets, tarps or chairs for seating in the meadow, or may claim a spot on one of the 1,100 general admission seats under the tent. Coolers and outside food are allowed; however, alcoholic beverages, glass containers and unsealed beverages may not be brought in. Free filtered water is available in the food court and participants are encouraged to bring their own (empty) refillable water containers to help eliminate festival waste.
The festival is supported in part by sponsorships, generous donors and a matching grant from Colorado Creative Industries.
Lots more information about this year’s Four Corners Folk Festival is available at the website www.folkwest.com or by calling (877) 472-4672.
A free festival app is available for download; search “FolkWest” in your app store. If you’ve never been to Reservoir Hill for a FolkWest festival, this is the year to do it. Bring the family and come up for a day. You’ll be hooked.
