The 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 | Sunday, July 21

The 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024: All You Need to Know

The 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 is coming to town Sunday, July 21, from Noon to 6 p.m., and you don’t want to miss a minute of it! We have a great lineup as always and auxiliary activities to make your day memorable.

The Woodstock Folk Festival builds community through music. Join us as we celebrate 39 years on Sunday, July 21, 2024.

It’s Festival Time! Here’s the Who, What, When, and Where Of It…

The 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 has such a great lineup this year, and there are lots of other music events going on in the Woodstock area. Please join us on Sunday, July 21, from Noon to 6 p.m.

We’ll gather on the historic Square in Woodstock, Illinois, about 50 miles northwest of Chicago (See below under “A Few Things To Know To Make Your Visit Carefree” for more detailed directions). In case of rain, the Festival will move to Unity Spiritual Center of Woodstock, 225 W. Calhoun St., corner of Tryon, 2 blocks southwest of the Square.

The 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 continues the tradition of presenting local, national, and international musicians who perform in a variety of styles. This year performers from California, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Canada will perform Americana, traditional and contemporary folk, singer-songwriter, blues, alt country, Tex-Mex, and roots music at the Main Stage.

The Open Mic Stage offers an opportunity for audience members to share their talent. A one-hour sampler will be available anywhere in the world via the Festival website Gallery Page after the in-person Festival.

The Festival will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to Juno-Award-winning Canadian artist Connie Kaldor, now celebrating 45 years of music, and its “Woody Award” to Annie Capps for her contributions to the local, regional, and national folk community.

This year’s Festi val Main Stage will be co-hosted by WFMT Folk DJ Marilyn Rea Beyer
and our long-time Festival MC Chuck VanderVennet.

In addition to the Award recipients Connie Kaldor, accompanied by her husband Paul Campagne and their son Gabriel, both of whom are also performers in their own right, and Annie Capps, whose husband Rod Capps and mandolinist Jason Dennie will perform with her, Main Stage performers include Brittany Jean, Lynne Hanson, Los Gallos, Paper Birds (Claudia Russell, Bruce Kaplan, Katie Dahl, and Rich Higdon), SongSisters (Amy Dixon-Kolar, Sue Fink, and Patti Shaffner), and Jeff Talmadge. SongSisters will open the Festival and lead the All-Sing Finale.

The Open Mic Stage will feature David Callan celebrating his CD release and Robinlee Garber’s Workshop on “The Healing Power of Music.” The Open Mic Stage will be co-hosted by Gloria Burchfield and Mark Lyons. Sign-up for the Open Mic begins at 12:05 p.m.

Here’s the Festival Schedule

Bios of all performers are available BELOW. Scroll down past the flyer that we hope you’ll print and share with anyone you think might enjoy this beautiful Sunday afternoon on the Woodstock Square.

More Festival-Related Events On the Square

• David Callan performs and celebrates his CD release from 1:30-2 at the Open Mic Stage at Stage Left Cafe. 
• Robinlee Garber will present a Workshop on “The Healing Power of Music” from 2:15-3 at the Open Mic Stage. 
• Sign-up for the Open Mic Stage, co-hosted by Gloria Burchfield and Mark Lyons, begins at 12:05 p.m. at Stage Left Cafe.

Share Your Talent on the Open Mic Stage!

If you’ve participated in virtual open mics or haven’t performed in Woodstock before, you can share your talent at the Open Mic Stage. Again, The Open Mic Stage will be co-hosted by Gloria Burchfield and Mark Lyons. Sign-up for the Open Mic begins at 12:05 p.m.

We would love to meet you in person, and you will also meet our friends at Off Square Music, who handle sound at the Festival. We’re so grateful for their continued assistance and for all they do for our music community!

Donations

The suggested donation for the Festival is $30/individual and $40/family. Cash and check are preferred for donations and CD purchases, but we do take VISA and MasterCard. The Festival is supported in part by the City of Woodstock and Real Woodstock but your donations are our main source of revenue.

We look forward to seeing you at the 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival on Sunday, July 21, but if you’d like to become a Friend of the Festival ($100-499 donation) or a Sponsor ($500 or more), please let us know now so we can thank you in our program and on our website. We are grateful for donations of any amount.

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Come for the Weekend! A Warm Welcome To All Our Guests, Past Attendees and New Folks …

We welcome back everyone who has come to the Festival in the past and we hope some of you who live farther away will make a road trip so you can attend this year. 

Maybe some of you music lovers will come to Woodstock for the entire weekend! There will be plenty of live music on and near Woodstock Square over the weekend, so plan an overnight stay!

• On Friday night, July 19, Stage Left Cafe features Jazz Night from 8-10 p.m. and the Emerson & Oliver Speakeasy at Ethereal Confections presents Stephen Schuch beginning at 7:30 p.m.
• On Saturday morning, July 20, the award-winning Woodstock Farmers Market on the Square has live music.
• Saturday evening, July 20, Stage Left presents The Jerry and Robin Experience from 8-10 p.m. while Emerson & Oliver feature The Chicago Cellar Boys at 7 p.m., and Winestock features Karen Shook at 7 p.m.
• Gavers Community Cancer Foundation’s Annual Barndance will take place on Saturday night, July 20, from 5 p.m. to Midnight in Emricson Park, 1313 Kishwaukee Valley Rd., Woodstock. For more information go to gavers.org.

More information about Stage Left performances is at woodstockoperahouse.com, info about events at Ethereal is at eventsatethereal.com; and events at Winestock are posted on Facebook.

Read more under “More Music This Summer” below and for lodging, check here: https://woodstockfolkfestival.org/the-festival/lodging/ or here: realwoodstock.com.

A Few Things To Know To Make Your Visit Carefree

Don’t forget to bring a lawn chair or blanket, and please remember pets are not allowed in the park, only on the periphery. Handicapped accessible facilities are available. Food is available on and near the Square.

In case of rain, we will move to Unity Spiritual Center, 225 W. Calhoun Street, corner of Tryon, 2 blocks southwest of the Square.

There’s free parking on and near the Square. Woodstock is easily accessible by car (I-90, Routes 120, 14, and 176) and by the Union Pacific Northwest Metra train from Ogilvie station in Chicago, with numerous stops in many northwest suburbs. The train stops just a block from the Square.

Lodging information is at https://woodstockfolkfestival.org/the-festival/lodging/ and realwoodstock.com.

A few more helpful bits of information:

• Handicapped accessible facilities are available.
• Pets are not allowed in the Park, only on the streets on the periphery. Please do not leave pets in hot cars.
• Festivalgoers should bring a chair or blanket to sit on.
• Festival merchandise and performer CDs, books, and other merchandise can be purchased at the Festival. MasterCard and Visa are accepted but cash or check is preferred.

Lead-Up Events Featuring Woodstock Folk Festival Performers

Our Radio Partners WDCB/90.9FM/wdcb.org, WFMT/98.7FM/wfmt.com, and WNUR/89.3FM/wnur.org will feature our performers in the weeks leading up to the Festival, including a few special events. 

• Brittany Jean AND SongSisters will be live in the studio during Lilli Kuzma’s “Folk Festival” show on Tuesday night, July 16; the show 8 – 11 p.m./CDT on WDCB/90.9FM/ wdcb.org. 
• Marilyn Rea Beyer will feature Paper Birds and special guest Jeff Talmadge on “Folkstage” on Festival Eve, Saturday night, July 20 from 8-9 p.m./CDT, WFMT/98.7FM/wfmt.com. 
• WNUR’s Ron Lewis will feature an interview with Festival President and Producer Carol Obertubbesing and selections from some of the artists on The Folk Show” on WNUR/89.3FM/ wnur.org Sunday, July 7 between 10 a.m. and Noon., and
• Two Way Street Coffee House presents Brittany Jean on Friday night, July 19, 8 p.m. More info at twowaystreet.org.

More Music This Summer

• Amy Dixon-Kolar performs solo at the 1st Saturday Concert Series at Fargo Skateboarding, 645 E. Lincoln Hwy, in DeKalb on Saturday, July 6 at 7 p.m. For more info, check the calendar at amydixonkolar.com.
• Off Square Music’s Sundays on the Square features South for Winter, July 7, 2nd performance of the 2024 season, 5:00 – 7:00 pm CDT, Woodstock Square and it’s FREE. More info at offsquaremusic.org.
• Off Square Music’s Every Saturday Virtual Open Mics continue at 7 p.m. on Saturday nights. For more info, go to offsquaremusic.org.
• Off Square Music’s Stage Left Cafe Open Mic July 12 features the Cover Girls (Kate Moretti, Mary Furlong, Amy Dixon-Kolar, and Laurel Palma).
• For information about Lake County Folk Club events, go to thelakecountyfolkclub.org.
• Our friends at Acoustic Renaissance, Maple Street Concerts, and St. Tim’s Coffeehouse take a break over the summer but will return with more great music in the fall.

Other Summer Festivals Include…

• Grant Park Music Festival in Chicago (all summer), 
• Millennium Park Music Series in Chicago (July 1-August 8), 
• Lollapalooza (August 1-4), and
• the Fox Valley Folk Festival in Geneva, IL (Sunday, September 1 and Monday, September 2 of Labor Day Weekend).

These are just a few of the places where you can find live music this summer.

We look forward to seeing you at The 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 coming up Sunday, July 21, from Noon to 6 p.m. on the historic Square in Woodstock, Illinois.
“Be there, on the Square!”

See Also…

• Our first post of the season for the Woodstock Folk Festival 2024
• Our post about the video from the Woodstock Folk Festival 2023.
• Don’t forget to check out the video sampler from last year’s Woodstock Folk Festival in the Video Gallery on our website, https://woodstockfolkfestival.org/video-category/ — and after this year’s Festival, watch for a video followup.

Please share this flyer with all your friends and neighbors

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The 39th Annual Woodstock Folk Festival 2024 | Performer Profiles (Visit performers’ websites, listed below, for more information)

Connie Kaldor

Canadian singer-songwriter Connie Kaldor, now celebrating 45 years in show business, will receive the Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award. She is the recipient of three Juno Awards, as well as the Order of Canada, a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal recipient, an honorary doctorate of Fine Arts from the University of Regina, and is the first songwriter to receive a Western Literature Association Award of Merit.

Connie is also a TV personality and a women’s music pioneer. Her enormous stage presence, her unforgettable melodies, and her emotional depth as a songwriter made her a headline act on the festival circuit and earned her a loyal fan-base. The Boston Globe describes her as “a masterful performer, wildly funny one moment, deeply personal the next.” Mitch Potter in The Toronto Star said, “Big sky. Big impact. Big laughs, too. That’s Connie Kaldor in a nutshell.”

Connie’s first album of children’s songs, Lullaby Berceuse, received Juno and Parent’s Choice Awards. She has also written a cookbook. She has toured China, India, and Europe as a goodwill musical ambassador from Canada, and starred in a Christmas special broadcast by Canada’s Global Television Newark. Originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, she now makes her home in Montreal with her husband and two sons, who are performers in their own right as well as often appearing with her. For more info, go to conniekaldor.com.

Annie Capps

In addition to her 35+-year career as a performing artist, Michigan-based Annie Capps has made a name for herself as a community organizer and instigator behind a number of songwriting groups and collaboratives in SE Michigan as well as a leading force behind the Folk Alliance Region Midwest where she served on the board and as President from 2009 – 2012 and more recently as Conference Director (2018 – 2022). She was a driving force behind the FARM Peer Sessions and Tech Talks that began during the pandemic and continue to the present. She also runs a concert series called “On the Tracks Songwriter Showcase” now in its 11th season.

In addition to receiving the Festival’s “Woody” Award, Annie will also perform with her husband Rod Capps and mandolin player Jason Dennie. They’ve performed at house concerts, in coffeehouses, and at festivals in Michigan and beyond. She and Rod have done it all – from hard rock to musical theater. Tim Piazza of Concerts at the Cabin in Evansville, Indiana said, “When I look around the room at an Annie and Rod Capps performance, I see a lot of smiling faces with eyes riveted to the stage . . . there is a magic that energizes an audience. I can’t wait to bring them back to our concert series!” Since 2006, Jason Dennie has played an essential role in the Annie & Rod Capps band. He’s been praised for “his wildly creative mandolin and instinctive harmony.” For more info, go to annieandrodcapps.com.

Brittany Jean

Brittany Jean is a folk singer-songwriter, originally from West Chicago, and now based in the Pacific Northwest, currently living in a little, apple town on the Columbia River. Her style is rooted in the folk and Americana music she has loved all her life.

Brittany traveled the country and opened for Three Dog Night as well as playing the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville and at the Kerrville Folk Festival. Her song “Golden Hour” was a finalist for the International Acoustic Music Awards’ Song of the Year, and Brittany was also a finalist for Best Female Artist for 2023. For more info, go to BJeanMusic.com.

Brittany will perform in a hybrid (in-person and online) show at Two Way Street Coffee House in Downers Grove on the Friday night of Festival weekend at 8 p.m.; there is more info at twowaystreet.org. She will also be on “Folk Festival” on WDCB/90.9FM/wdcb.org on Tuesday night, July 16, between 8 and 11 p.m./CDT.

Lynne Hanson

Ottawa, Canada-based Lynne Hanson, whom Jan Hall of Folk Roots Radio called “Canada’s own Queen of Americana,” is a singer-songwriter known for her high energy roots guitar-driven live performances. She can turn on a dime from a sunshine, blue sky ballad to a full-on thunderstorm of gritty Americana swamp.

Lynne’s deep, bluesy coon has drawn comparisons to Lucinda Williams and Gillian Welch, but the poetry of her lyrics sets her apart. She has received two Canadian Folk Music Awards. She’s released nine studio albums as well as two books of poetry. She’s toured extensively across North America, Europe, and the UK and appeared at leading international festivals including the Kerrville Folk Festival in the U.S., the Winnipeg Folk Festival in Canada, and Take Root in the Netherlands. Amplify Music Magazine said, “A glorious mash-up of Americana, folk, and the occasional indie production and song structure and sounds, made even better by Hanson’s trademark lyrical depth.” For more info, go to lynnehanson.com.

Los Gallos

Chicago-based Los Gallos are a Chicano, Americana, roots band. Transcending musical orders, Los Gallos are known for their unsegregated sound. They seamlessly fuse an eclectic mix of Cumbia, Norteno, Tex-Mex, and Bolero with country, rock, and blues to create their innovative signature sound.

Band members include Rick Salazar on guitars, button accordion, and vocals; Enrique Fajardo on vihuela, jarana, guitar, and vocals; Josh Rosenstein on lead guitar and vocals; Jose Galarza on bass; and Raul Fernandez on drums. Their new digital album Los Gallos is now streaming on numerous services. For more info, go to losgallosband.com.

Paper Birds

The Festival welcomes back Claudia Russell and Bruce Kaplan from California; this year they’ll be joined by the husband-wife duo of Katie Dahl and Rich Higdon from Wisconsin. Together they are known as Paper Birds.

The band is fronted by two successful songwriters in their own right, Claudia Russell and Katie Dahl. Claudia has won songwriting honors from Boston to Austin. She is known for her nimble, expressive voice and tightly knit songs. One of the Midwest’s best young songwriters, Katie Dahl writes keenly literate songs planted deep in the ground of her Wisconsin home. Katie’s husband Rich Higdon adds bass and percussion, while Russell’s husband Bruce Kaplan adds mandolin and guitar.

WFMT’s Rich Warren said of this “pop-up band,” “Paper Birds performed a delightful variety of original material, sang some great harmonies, and showed how much friends enjoy making music together. Lovely voices and great instrumental chops. Really a delight!”

For more info, go to claudiarussell.com. They will be on “Folkstage” on WFMT/98.7FM/ wfmt.com on Saturday night, July 20 from 8-9 p.m./CDT.

SongSisters

SongSisters Amy Dixon-Kolar, Sue Fink, and Patti Shaffner are all accomplished performers in their own right but with their soaring harmonies, engaging lyrics, and wit, their distinctive styles come together to create something new.

Lilli Kuzma of WDCB Radio said, “. . . Top shelf talent times three and a pure delight! Sue Fink, Amy Dixon-Kolar, Patti Shaffner are outstanding solo artists who shine alone but together become a solar force to be reckoned with, as they exchange their superb songs along with exceptional harmonies, friendly bantering and spot-on humor – great music and great entertainment from these lovely ladies!”

Sue’s whimsical songs, Patti’s forays into folk and jazz, and Amy’s impressive finger-picking with folk, Celtic, and blues influences add up to a richer sound when played together. They will open the Festival and lead the All-Sing Finale. For more info, go to songsisters.net. They will be on “Folk Festival” on WDCB/90.9FM/wdcb.org on Tuesday night, July 16, between 8 and 11 p.m./CDT.

Jeff Talmadge

Austin, Texas-based singer-songwriter Jeff Talmadge is known for his storytelling and his finger-picking style. Before turning to music full-time, Jeff was a successful Board Certified Civil Trial Attorney in Austin, Texas.

Jeff has received numerous awards and acknowledgments for his songwriting, including his selection as a finalist or showcase artist at places such as the Kerrville Folk Festival and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. He’s toured in Europe as well as this country and has performed at the legendary Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, as well as Club Passim in Boston and Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta.

At Duke University, Jeff won the Academy of American Poets Award, and his poems have appeared in numerous literary journals and magazines. His most recent CD was on the Folk DJ Top 10 List for several weeks this spring. Several of his albums have reached the Top 40 on the Americana charts. The Hill Country Sun called his album Secret Anniversaries “a nearly perfect recording.” Another writer described his music as “true and deep and surpasses the test of time.”

For more info, go to jefftalmadge.com. Jeff will be a special guest on “Folkstage,” along with Paper Birds, on Saturday night, July 20 from 8-9 p.m./CDT on WFMT/98.7FM/wfmt.com.

David P. Callan

David P. Callan is a singer, songwriter, and cancer survivor from the Chicago area. While songwriting is a second career for David, he has been performing since he was small. Originally from Maryland, David attended college on a performing arts and voice scholarship eventually deciding on engineering as his vocation. 

As an engineer, David designed notable buildings worldwide, including the redevelopment of the Old Chicago Post Office. As a songwriter, David explores familiar topics in the folk tradition. As a cancer survivor, David’s journey is woven into his songs reflecting on his life’s experiences.

David is the Featured Performer at the Open Mic Stage. The Festival will celebrate his CD release.

Robinlee Garber

Robinlee Garber was born and bred in Philadelphia but is now a proud Chicagoan. She brings a crystalline alto voice with gently burnished edges and an outsider’s point-of-view to the original and time-treasured songs she sings, focusing on a repertoire that harkens to the past without being a novelty act.

Robinlee’s repertoire includes folk, jazz standards, rock, and contemporary music where the voice is front and center. As someone with chronic health issues that often left her feeling isolated, music was also an especially potent antidote to loneliness. She was music director of Culture Cafe for the Chicago VeganMania Festival, has run an open mic, and has performed across the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Finland.

A multi-disciplinary artist herself, Robinlee’s “day job” is helping seniors navigating the aging process as a Registered and Board Certified Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, helping people to plug into creative expression, a through-line that has brought so much joy and healing into her own life.

Robinlee will share “The Healing Power of Music” at her Workshop at the Open Mic Stage. She believes that music is a powerful way to build bonds in our increasingly disconnected lives. For more info, go to robinleegarbermusic.com.

And last but not at all least…

The Festival is a 501(c)(3) Illinois non-profit organization, made possible in part by Radio Partners WDCB, WFMT, and WNUR, the City of Woodstock, and Real Woodstock (realwoodstock.com), but the Festival’s main support comes from individual donors.

The purpose of the Festival is to bring quality folk music – local, national, and international – to Northern Illinois. We build community through music. The Woodstock Folk Festival began as a one-time event in 1986 and quickly became an annual event held on the third Sunday of July on Woodstock Square.

For more information about future Woodstock Folk Festival events, visit us here on our website, woodstockfolkfestival.org. For more information about Woodstock and events throughout the year, go to realwoodstock.com.