2006 - News Archive
PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release - August 25, 2006 :: Back To Top

Shelter Valley’s 100 Mile Diet

By David Sheffield

What if we committed ourselves to eat only food that was produced within 100 miles of where we live?  That’s a question Shelter Valley Folk Festival organizers have been asking themselves. Maria Calderone, co-ordinator for the event’s hospitality area, says "it’s a really conscious way to eat, because you have to get creative."

The so-called 100 Mile Diet started as an experiment by Vancouver residents Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon to live for one year "with the rhythms of the land as our ancestors did."  They chose the imperial measurement rather than 100 kilometres just to give themselves a little more breathing room.

The project caught the attention of people all over the world who now are planning single meals, a whole day or a week of meals using locally grown food.

Shelter Valley Folk Festival, coming up this Labour Day weekend, places a high value on supporting its local community, so the idea of sourcing food nearby was a perfect  fit. "It starts building a dialogue between the people growing the food and the consumer," says Ms. Calderone. "You are developing relationships that sustain the community."

She, along with assistant Debra Westbrook and crew chiefs Beth Sheffield and Janet Herbert, have arranged all the food and, along with a hospitality crew of 25, will be preparing meals for more than 250 community volunteers over the course of the weekend. 

Shelter Valley Folk Festival hospitality co-ordinator Maria Calderone, left, and crew chief Beth Sheffield.
Photo by David Sheffield

Another 50 festival village participants, as well as musicians and their families, bring to more than 350 the number gathered around outdoor tables at mealtimes.  Mindful of the increased number of people she is feeding this year, Ms. Calderone has planted a supplemental garden of fresh herbs and tomatoes.

In the area called The Harvest Table, food vendors will offer a variety of tasty choices to the festival’s weekenders.  Exotic cuisine such as jerk chicken and roti will be served by Caribbean Flavah from Whitby. The Shelter Valley grill sandwich and cheese quesadillas will be provided by Cobourg’s Oasis Bar and Grill. Organic salads and vegetarian chili will be dished up by a new vendor, Peterborough’s The Garden Market, and festival-goers will be able to purchase baked potatoes, corn on the cob and apple crisp, all made with ingredients from Northumberland County farms and orchards.

Food typically travels between 2,400 and 4,000 kilometres from farm to table, a figure that’s up 25 per cent since 1980.  The varieties of fruits and vegetables that are shipped long distances to a local supermarket are chosen for their ability to withstand industrial harvesting and extended travel. It’s not unusual to find, for example, low-priced California strawberries with flavour like cardboard on supermarket shelves in this area while freshly picked strawberries are available at a family-run farm market nearby.

"When you start looking at it," Ms. Calderone says, "there is an incredible variety of food available within a 100 mile radius of where we live."  Drawing such a circle around the Henkel farm near Grafton, the festival site, includes Algonquin Park, the Niagara Peninsula and the cities of Kingston and Rochester. A menu from inside that circle could include garden vegetables, wild blueberries, maple syrup, peaches and plums, a variety of meats, fish, wild rice and bread.

Favouring locally grown food for the Shelter Valley Folk Festival, which falls during harvest time in Ontario, may be a great idea, but Ms. Calderone isn't sure she could give up some of her favourite imported ingredients.  "If I were going to live entirely on the 100 Mile Diet, I would need to figure out how to grow olives here," she says.

Farmers and gardeners wishing to help the Shelter Valley Folk Festival feed its volunteers can make donations of locally grown produce by dropping off their bounty at the festival’s Cobourg office, 47 King St. W., on Wednesday, Aug. 30.  The office telephone number is 905-377-9556. 

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival, a grassroots family weekend of music, art, wellness and fine food, takes place Sept. 1-3. The volunteer-run, not-for-profit event this year features Canadian folk legend Murray McLauchlan and Universal recording artist Sarah Harmer among its acts. Tickets are limited and are available online at www.sheltervalley.com, at the festival office (47 King St W., Cobourg) or at the gate.
PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release - August 1, 2006 :: Back To Top

Shelter Valley Artists

By Melanie Browne

In only its third year of life, the Shelter Valley Folk Festival's artists' village is coming of age. Sixteen individuals and one small collective will offer an intriguing mix of painting, sculpture, mixed media works, musical instruments, jewellery and clothing.

Sixteen individuals and one small collective will offer an intriguing mix of painting, sculpture, mixed media works, musical instruments, jewellery and clothing.

In keeping with the grass roots philosophy of the festival, the artists and artisans displaying their work have their feet planted in the ground and, at times, their heads happily in the clouds.

Meet Maia Heissler's fantasy elfin civilization known as the "Forest Friends," or indulge in your own fantasy of living with the birds, bats or butterflies in one of Lucien Gagnon's garden sculptures.

You will not find a scrap of plastic, nor a whiff of mass production, anywhere.
Both Monika Becker and Yusan Ha's jewellery works incorporate such diverse elements as birch bark, sea bamboo and coconut shells. Veronica Derry's evolving textile pieces use vintage textiles along with the trims, papers and woven remnants that make up her unique images and objects.

Even artists' logos will be under wraps, as mechanically produced signs have been banned to ensure a commercial-free weekend.

The "resolutely outmoded" Elizabeth Barlow works with all natural fibres, scraps and recyclables to create cloth dolls winsomely dressed in historical clothing.

Rri Povey creates "happy clothes for happy people" in a cabin in the woods near Algonquin Park, while Alex Ferri brings a mystical sensibility to his woodwork creations.
Above - Carver Jim Gledhill at work in his Cobourg studio.
Carver Jim Gledhill's Celtic crosses.
The more traditional media have not been neglected. Painters, potters and printmakers will be out in force. Kathryn McHolm finds inspiration in her abundantly beautiful backyard habitat, while Francoise Romard's playful hand-built pottery is inspired by both the bounty of the Earth and the mud-pies of childhood. Jamie Ashforth's paintings and Janita Wiersma's prints and sculptures provide travel opportunities of the spiritual variety - exploring themes of transition, renewal, opportunity and possibility.

All artists will be present to share their techniques and ideas in an atmosphere of hands-on involvement, not to mention the more structured workshops in which anyone can experiment with materials and methods.

Hugh Hunter encourages all interested visitors not only to look at, but to pick up and play his hand-made banjos and dulcimers, just as Jim Gledhill invites lots of handling of his agate and mineral-studded wood creations. This year, once again, Max Sexsmith will share his knowledge of Inuit style soapstone carving in an on-site workshop.

Artists' village co-ordinator Barbara Buntin promotes a philosophy of inclusiveness and wholehearted support of artistic endeavour. The artists, once selected by the juried process, are given space, tents and opportunities to conduct their workshops with the support of the festival's multitude of volunteers.
A sampling of Cobourg carver Jim Gledhill's work.
Grafton-area's Elizabeth Barlow and a group of her cloth dolls, winsomely dressed in historical clothing.

Aida Sine's discovery that "creativity finds no boundaries" in her monoprint-making is an idea that could be applied all around at the festival, as could the artistic underpinning of Deb Shea of "Five Women and Some Art," whose aim is fostering community, co-operation and growth.

This is art off the grid, with a healthy dose of idealism, spiritual awareness and joy in the world. When you come to the Shelter Valley Folk Festival, leave your cellphone at home.

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival is an annual outdoor music event held Labour Day weekend (Sept. 1-3). Folk, roots and blues musicians will perform and conduct workshops on three stages. The festival also features a range of specialty foods, a wellness and sustainable living area with interactive displays, and a children's area with interactive arts workshops. The festival is a volunteer-run, non-profit community event.

Tickets are available on-line at www.sheltervalley.com and at selected venues throughout the area. For additional information, call the festival office, 47 King St. W., Cobourg, at 905-377-9556.

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Download full-size versions of these photos here:

1201 - Carver Jim Gledhill at work in his Cobourg studio.

1203 - Carver Jim Gledhill's Celtic crosses.

1204 - A sampling of Cobourg carver Jim Gledhill's work.

1214 - Grafton-area's Elizabeth Barlow and a group of her cloth dolls, winsomely dressed in historical clothing.

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release - August 1, 2006 :: Back To Top

SVFF Music

By Cam Christie

There is a "surprise" factor in every folk music festival. The audience arrives not knowing many of the performers, which makes for a "spontaneous and engaging experience," says Shelter Valley Folk Festival artistic director Aengus Finnan.
In all, 20 acts will take to the stage at the Henkel farm during the Labour Day weekend, Sept. 1-3.
Murray McLauchlan, an iconic singer-songwriter familiar to at least two generations of listeners, is the headliner. Other seasoned folk musicians on the roster include: Ian Tamblyn, the music industry "maverick" from Chelsea, Quebec, whom Finnan credits as Canada's first "independent" recording folk artist; Ken Whitely, a "gospel guru," music producer and bluesman from Toronto; and Holmes Hooke, artistic director of Hugh's Room, Toronto, an Irish-Canadian storyteller who entertained at the Mariposa Festival in Cobourg back in the '90s. Hooke also is this year's main stage emcee.
The majority of performers, though, are from the contemporary scene. The "surprise" here is folk rocker Sarah Harmer. The Kingston-based singer-songwriter and Juno award winner climbed on board the festival this month out of the blue. Most of the performers had been picked months before,
Making the selection wasn't easy; this year the festival received about 600 applicants.
Finnan made many of his picks at one particular music industry gathering, the Folk Alliance, which convened in February this year in Austin, Texas.
It's there that he first heard the velvet voice and wispy compositions of Lori Cullen.
"I instantly understood that the spirit of who she was would work for our audience," he says.
"People come to the festival trusting in a amazing experience," and in Cullen Finnan's confident she'll deliver.
Among the other new music selections: Digging Roots, a First Nations duo with a sound evoking Ian and Sylvia, but with a modern edge; Dala, two "smart and sassy" female urban songwriters and multi-instrumentalists; the Undesirables, a male duo whose performance chisels away at the notion of audience-artist separation; and the Funky Mamas, a wild troupe of musical moms from the Guelph area whose specialty is entertaining children.
"I set up each act individually and relative to the audience - actual people I know," Finnan says.
Shelter Valley received a Canada Council grant this year, which will add musicians' symposiums to the program. At these events, the audience will hear musicians converse about their lives, the tools of their trade and influences on their music.
Other performers likely to contribute at these gatherings: Nathan Rogers, son of the legendary Stan Rogers; Genticorum, a Juno-nominated trio from Quebec, steeped in the French-Canadian folk tradition; Ndidi Onukwulu & Madagascar Slim, a young Nigerian-Canadian female singer backed by the virtuoso male electric blues guitarist; and April Verch, an Ottawa Valley step dancer and champion fiddler.
The festival's largest ensemble, Septado Varieades, is being saved for the closing act on Sunday at noon. Finnan met this band members last year near their home in Santiago, Cuba.
Shelter Valley 2006 will ring off with the audience doing the merengue to a salsa rhythm, but that's no surprise - that's where this festival is headed.
The Shelter Valley Folk Festival is an annual outdoor music event held on Labour Day weekend (Sept.1-3). The festival also features an artists' village, a range of specialty foods, a wellness and sustainable living area with interactive displays, and a children's area with interactive arts workshops. The festival is a volunteer-run, non-profit community event.
Tickets are available on-line at www.sheltervalley.com and at selected venues throughout the area. For additional information, call the festival office, 47 King St. W., Cobourg, at 905-377-9556.

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PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release - July 20, 2006 :: Back To Top
1. Shelter Valley looking for good SongWriters
2. Sarah Harmer joins 2006 Roster

Ladies and gentlemen of Northumberland...dust off your guitars... Shelter Valley is still looking for a few good local songwriters!

A run-away hit last year, drawing songwriters from near and far, the Shelter Valley Folk Festival is once again holding a Local Songwriters' Showcase from 7-9pm on Friday August 4th, on an outdoor stage beside Victoria Hall, in downtown Cobourg.

While original submissions for the SVFF Songwriters Showcase have been arriving since January anyone still interested in applying is reminded to submit two original songs on tape or CD to the Festival by mail to Box 29 Grafton ON, K0K 2G0, in person at the Festival’s downtown Cobourg office at 47 King St W (beside the CIBC), or as an MP3 emailed to . Additional information is available year round on the application page of www.sheltervalley.com.

All submissions must be received by 5pm Monday July 24th.

Unlike Canadian Idol the Shelter Valley Songwriter’s Showcase is based on original compositions and judging is based on the songwriting rather than "performance", states Festival Director Aengus Finnan.

Based on the songwriting (not the production quality of the recording) ten songwriters will be selected to perform their two original songs on an outdoor stage beside Cobourg’s Victoria Hall on August 4th. From there three songwriters will be selected to appear on the mainstage of the Labour Day Weekend Festival.

The judging process for the showcase involves the decision of the Festival Director, a music industry guest, one of last year’s showcase winners Alyson McNamara, as well as input from the audience who are all given a survey sheet to help select their favourite songwriter.

The audience and judges criteria for selecting the three final songwriters focuses on the lyrics, musical composition, and sincerity of sound rather than the stage performance or production values.

Audience surveys are available only to those who arrive in advance of the 7pm performance and will not be available for walk-up audience during the event. Completed surveys will only be accepted at the end of the event.

Notes and survey will be discussed by the judges following the Showcase and 3 performers will selected and announced online at www.sheltervalley.com the next morning (August 5th).

“There are incredible songwriters of all ages in our community, and this is a chance for everyone to share their work. You don’t have to be a seasoned veteran of the music scene to be good... in fact some of the best songwriters work on the factory floors and farms of this country.” concludes Finnan.


*** Special Notice ****

JUST ANNOUNCED.....

Universal recording artist and environmental spokesperson Sarah Harmer asks to join SVFF's 2006 roster!

The festival is thrilled to announce that internationally acclaimed Canadian songwriter Sarah Harmer will join Murray McLauchlan and an incredible roster of artists for this year's festival.

You know her songs from commercial radio but Sarah is a passionate advocate for grassroots community, environmental conservation, and renewable energy. See www.sarahharmer.com for more information about this fantastic artist.

And be sure to remind your family and friends that the Shelter Valley Folk Festival is an outdoor family event held Labour Day Weekend (Sept 1-3) that celebrates the Arts, Wellness, Sustainable Living, local Harvest Foods, and the finest in Folk, Roots, and Blues Music. Advance Weekend and Day Pass Tickets are available at the Festival office (47 King St W., Cobourg), online at www.sheltervalley.com, by phone (905) 377-9556, and at select area outlets.

Visit www.sheltervalley.com for more information!

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PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release - July 18, 2006 :: Back To Top

ONE WEEK LEFT TO REGISTER for Festival’s LOCAL SONGWRITERS SHOWCASE This is the last week for local songwriters to apply for the Shelter Valley Folk Festival’s Songwriter’s Showcase held Friday Aug 4th in Cobourg as a free outdoor public event.

Unlike Canadian Idol the Shelter Valley Songwriter’s Showcase is based on original compositions and judging is based on the songwriting rather than performance”, states Festival Director Aengus Finnan.

Interested area songwriters are requested to submit two original songs with printed lyrics on tape or CD to the Festival by mail to Box 29 Grafton ON, K0K 2G0, in person at the Festival’s downtown Cobourg office at 47 King St W (beside the CIBC), or as an MP3 emailed to . Additional information is available on the application page of www.sheltervalley.com.

Based on the songwriting (not the production quality of the recording) ten songwriters will be selected to perform their two original songs on an outdoor stage beside Cobourg’s Victoria Hall on August 4th. From there three songwriters will be selected to appear on the mainstage of the Labour Day Weekend Festival.

The judging process for the showcase involves the decision of the Festival Director, a music industry guest, one of last year’s showcase winners Alyson McNamara, as well as input from the audience who are all given a survey sheet to help select their favourite songwriter.

The audience and judges criteria for selecting the three final songwriters is focused on the lyrics, musical composition, and sincerity of sound rather than the performance or production values.

Audience surveys are available only to those who arrive in advance of the 7pm performance and will not be available for walk-up audience during the event. Completed surveys will only be accepted at the end of the event.

Notes and survey will be discussed by the judges following the Showcase and 3 performers will selected and announced online at www.sheltervalley.com the next morning.

“There are incredible songwriters of all ages in our community, and this is a chance for everyone to share their work. You don’t have to be a seasoned veteran of the music scene to be good... in fact some of the best songwriters work on the factory floors and farms of this country.” concludes Finnan.

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival is an outdoor family event held Labour Day Weekend (Sept 1-3) that celebrates the Arts, Wellness, Sustainable Living, local Harvest Foods, and the finest in Folk, Roots, and Blues Music.

Advance Weekend and Day Pass Tickets are available at the Festival office (47 king St W., Cobourg) online at www.sheltervalley.com, by phone (905) 377-9556, and at select area outlets.

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Suggested print photo: file photo of Northumberland’s own Alyson McNamara, an area high-school student who was one of the Festival’s showcase winners last year and who returns as a judge this year.

For more information related to the Songwriters Showcase or for interviews please contact Festival Director Aengus Finnan at 905-377-9556 or by email at

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release - July 17, 2006 :: Back To Top

INVITE:   Australian trio FRUIT "Meet & Greet Mini Concert" at Shelter Valley Folk Festival Office - July 20th 1pm

Twice listed as “Best of the Fests” by the Globe & Mail,
The Shelter Valley Folk Festival
invites you to attend a
Meet & Greet
and mini-concert by
sensational Australian trio
FRUIT.

1:00pm - 1:30pm
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Shelter Valley Folk Festival Summer Office
47 King Street West, Cobourg

www.fruitmusic.com.au

FRUIT is an internationally acclaimed all-girl Australian trio described as an explosion of jazz, a splash of funk and a spritz of grooving harmonies.

“The most beautiful harmonies to surface in Australian music today”
 ~ Brisbane Courier, Australia

FRUIT's promotional concert for the festival is SOLD OUT at the Oasis! But they are happy to meet with press, tourism officials, dignitaries and the public at this very special afternoon engagement.

FRUIT appear in Northumberland through the generous support of Bird & Partridge Lawyers, Patron Level Sponsors of the Festival.

R.S.V.P. to Rebecca Goddard-Bowman, SVFF Event Coordinator or Katie McKeown, Summer Office Manager, SVFF Office at 905-377-9556

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE MEDIA RELEASE  - July 6, 2006 :: Back To Top

The SHELTER VALLEY FOLK FESTIVAL
Invites one and all to a “Coffee-break” Office Launch
&
introduction of HRSDC supported “Summer Student Office Manager”
KATIE McKEOWN (photo right).

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival continues its preparation for an exciting 3rd year as a nationally acclaimed signature cultural event.

In preparation for a busy summer the Festival will be holding the grand opening of its Summer Office on Tuesday, July 11, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. The office is located at 47 King St. W., Cobourg (adjacent to CIBC).

Please join us for your morning Fair Trade coffee and locally baked goods.

The opening will provide an opportunity for media, dignitaries, tourism specialists and guests to field questions about the line-up of entertainment and events for the 2006 festival as well as to meet Katie McKeown, who is employed for the summer as the Festival’s HRSDC supported Office Manager.

Ms. McKeown has returned home to Cobourg from 3rd year studies at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick and will be overseeing the Festival’s downtown office operations.

Access to HRSDC funding to hire a summer student came as part of the Festival’s significant growth this year through incorporation as an Ontario not-for-profit Charity. This growth and registration built on the CFDC-supported implementation of a three-year business plan.

“We are proud once again to provide a vibrant downtown location for the Festival, and to continue to enhance the presence of the Arts in our community as a registered Not-for-Profit organization. We are particularly thrilled to be providing summer employment in the Cultural Sector for a local student and welcome Katie to our team. This helps significantly build on the generous and invaluable contributions of the almost three-hundred volunteers who put this signature event together each year,” states Aengus Finnan, Artistic Director.

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival is a grassroots family event that celebrates juried art, wellness, sustainable living, harvest foods and the finest of Folk, Roots, and Blues music on the Henkel farm in the heart of Northumberland County each Labour Day Weekend. For more information visit www.sheltervalley.com or call 905-377-9556

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For further information, please contact Rebecca Goddard-Bowman, Event Coordinator
or Katie McKeown, Summer Office Manager at 905 377 9556.

PRESS RELEASE

Grafton, ON - May 1st, 2006 :: Back To Top

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival announces its 2006 Line-up

On behalf the Board and Operating Committee of The Shelter Valley Folk Festival I am delighted to announce the roster for our 3rd annual "grassroots" event as Early Bird tickets go on sale today.

Held each Labour Day Weekend (Sept 1-3, 2006) on the Henkel Farm just east of Cobourg Ontario (an hour east of Toronto) the Shelter Valley Folk Festival is a family oriented celebration of community, juried arts, wellness, sustainable living, harvest foods, and the finest in Folk, Roots, and Blues music.

Complete information, tickets, camping reservations, volunteer opportunities, a brief movie, and links to all performers can be found at: www.sheltervalley.com

With deep thanks to the many talented artists who applied this year, the following is the 2006 ROSTER:

  • Maverick balladeer Ian Tamblyn (PQ)
  • Heart-melting duo Dala
  • Winnipeg songsmith Nathan Rogers (MB)
  • Ottawa Valley fiddle sensation April Verch
  • Gospel guru Ken Whiteley
  • First Nations artists Digging Roots
  • Jazz diva Lori Cullen
  • The World music of Ndidi Onukwulu & Madagascar Slim
  • Acclaimed troubadour Melwood Cutlery
  • The Cuban rhythms of Septeto Variedades (Cuba)
  • Roots duo Hoogstraten & Mills (MB)
  • The French traditional music of Genticorum (PQ)
  • Pop-song humourist Nathan Caswell
  • The unforgettable Un-Desirables
  • Nashville writer Alan Rhody (TN)
  • Local songwriter Saskia Crescentia
  • Family sensation the Funky Mamas
  • Storyteller Emcee Holmes Hooke

And

  • Canadian Legend Murray McLauchlan

Special thanks to the Canada Council of the Arts for their support of this year's Festival as we introduce an Artist's Symposium element to the program.

Thanks also to the Community Futures Development Corporation for implementation support of a similarly funded CFDC Business Plan.

Sponsors interested in learning more about the Vision and Values of the Shelter Valley Folk Festival and making a donation online can visit our sponsor page at www.sheltervalley.com

Early Bird tickets are available May 1-31st and volunteers are always welcome (online registration now open).

We hope to see you at the Shelter Valley Folk Festival this Labour Day Weekend,
and have a great musical summer Canada!.

PRESS RELEASE

Grafton - April 6th, 2006 :: Back To Top

Subject: Juried Arts Application Extended for Folk Festival

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival is extending the deadline for applications to the Artists' Village for the third annual festival, taking place September 1, 2 and 3, 2006.  The application process is well under way, providing the jurying committee with a wonderful range of artists and media to choose from.  In addition, the committee has decided to offer an extension to April 21, 2006 in order to ensure that artists who wish to consider taking part in this unique event have the opportunity to apply.

The Artists’ Village has been a vibrant part of the first two festivals and this year promises to be an equally exciting blend of returning favourites and new discoveries. Displays and demonstrations of painting, sculpture, photography, pottery, instrument building, fibre arts, jewellery and woodcarving provide an atmosphere that draws the festival visitor into the Artist’s world.

Barbara Buntin, the festival’s Artists’ Village Coordinator, is enthusiastic when describing the dynamics of the Village.  “Walking through the village brings the visual art world to life, our artists are passionate about their work and eager to share, discuss and demonstrate their creative process. Every piece has been lovingly made by the artist’s hands and presented with a willingness to describe their inspiration and motivation.”

In addition to the displays and ongoing works in progress, festival visitors can also take part in workshops during the day and be inspired to make their own works of art.

The jurying committee searches for a broad range of artists working in a variety of media with the common thread of originality and artistic integrity.   The artist’s chosen to participate are treated as invited guests of the festival, unlike most other shows that charge the artists to display their work.  “We’re invested in recognizing the commitment required by the artists to bring their work and display and demonstrate through out the weekend, they contribute so much to the lively and welcoming nature of this event” says Buntin.

If you are interested in becoming a part of this artistic adventure, there is still time to submit an application.  The committee will be accepting forms and pictures of original work up until the extended deadline of April 21, 2006. The final selections will be announced on May 1, 2006.

Application forms, a list of previous artist contributors and a wide range of festival related information is available online by visiting the Festival's website or by contacting the Artists' Village Coordinator, Barbara Buntin @ 905-372-8535 / .

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival is an outdoor family event held Labour Day Weekend (Sept 1-3) that celebrates the Art, Wellness, Sustainable Living, local Harvest Foods, and the finest in Folk, Roots, and Blues Music. Early Bird Tickets are available online as of May 1st. For more information please visit www.sheltervalley.com or call (905) 377-9556.

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For interviews related to this article please contact:
Barbara Buntin
Artists’ Village Coordinator, Shelter Valley Folk Festival
905-372-8535 /

PRESS RELEASE

Grafton - March 14th, 2006 :: Back To Top

A Few Good Hands - Folk Festival seeks Key Volunteers

A few days after the final songs were performed and the each tent taken down at the Shelter Valley Folk Festival last Labour Day weekend, organizers sat down and began planning Year 3.

The Festival's operating committee, affectionately called the "Yellow Shirts" due to their recognizable-at-a-distance attire worn during the event, is responsible for organizing and overseeing all of the logistical and operational elements of the event, including the management of over 250 volunteers, upwards of 100 performers and participants, and over 1000 audience members during the three day family event, which was recently nominated for a local Tourism award.

Festival Director Aengus Finnan stated that "in truth we never really stopped since the moment we ended last year's fabulous festival. Our greatest challenge and achievement over the past few months, with the help of a CFDC grant and the support of Alnwick-Haldimand Township, was the implementation of the first phase of our strategic plan which included our incorporation as a Not-for-Profit organization. Now we are back in full swing planning year 3".

Volunteer Coordinator Andrew Buntin expressed that "the immediate task is to fill some vacancies on our operating committee. We need a few key and committed coordinators to serve as "Yellow Shirt" volunteers to help us move forward with the 2006 festival in the areas of: Fundraising, Public Food, and Marketing.

Buntin explained that while registration for the 250 general volunteer positions will not commence until the first of May "these specific roles are immediate and substantial. Yellow Shirt volunteers can look forward to contributing anywhere from 50-100 volunteers hours beginning immediately and wrapping up in the fall. Duties, in addition to the event itself, include attendance at monthly operating committee meetings, coordination of sub-committees, and reports to the executive."

Referring to the specific volunteer roles Buntin stated that "Our lead for Fundraising of this "grassroots" event will need to be creative, proficient and able to direct and inspire a volunteer team. The Public Food coordinator will need to organize the involvement of select culinary participants, oversee local purchasing, managing the festival-run food booth, and most importantly maintain our impeccable relationship with the Health Unit. This position really requires someone who can blend a bit of a business sense with a basic understanding of food. And In Marketing we require a coordinator who has a comfort level interacting with all area media, as well as an understanding of marketing and promotional strategies. They will be responsible for reviewing and implementing the Festival's annual marketing campaign and overseeing a volunteer team."

In addition to area-specific duties the Yellow Shirts work as a team and each are responsible for being aware of the philosophy and functioning of all other areas of the Festival. All are asked to contribute to general discussions decision making. And as a Not-for-Profit community organization Yellow Shirt volunteers keep records of all area activities, budget, and documents generated.

"We have a fantastic volunteer base, one that is committed to the community vision of this organization. And we have had great people in as Yellow Shirts over the past 2 years, but it is a large commitment when you consider the year round organization required to run this event, and we hope that a few more folks in Northumberland might be inclined to take up some torches here" concluded Buntin.
For more information or to apply for any of these positions interested volunteers can contact Volunteer Coordinator Andrew Buntin at
905-372-8535 or andrewbuntin@sympatico.ca.

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival is an outdoor family event held Labour Day Weekend (Sept 1-3) that celebrates the Arts, Wellness, Sustainable Living, local Harvest Foods, and the finest in Folk, Roots, and Blues Music. Early Bird Tickets are available online as of May 1st. For more information please visit www.sheltervalley.com or call (905) 377-9556.

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Photo attached

Photo title: "Volunteer Coordinator Andrew Buntin waves from the Shelter Valley Folk Festival Truck"

PRESS interviews: please contact Volunteer Coordinator Andrew Buntin at
905-372-8535 or