Shelter Valley Folk Festival, Sept. 3 to Sept. 5, 2010

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Folk Festival Executive Director moves on
Grafton :: Back To Top
November 10

After 6 years of service Aengus Finnan leaves the position of Executive Director for the Shelter Valley Folk Festival, effective December 31, saying “it has been an amazing personal and professional journey, and it is simply time for me to move on”. Finnan will continue to serve the Festival in the volunteer role of Artistic Director.

The Board of Directors wishes him well and is confident about the future of the organization as they prepare for the 6th annual festival year.
Board Chair Andrew Buntin states “while transitions can be challenging for any organization, we are excited by the opportunity to welcome change while honouring the foundational work by Aengus and our countless volunteers."

As the founding visionary of the Festival, Aengus played a key role in everything that the organization has become combining an extraordinary blend of creative insight with plain hard work. Above all, his ability to pull people together around shared values has been inspirational for the Festival community.

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival, a registered federal charity based in Northumberland County, celebrates Grassroots Community Culture through an annual Labour Day weekend event, a winter concert series, and an “artists in the schools” outreach program.

Described by the Toronto Star as “gentle, humanistic, environmentally attuned, and abundantly caring” the festival presents juried visual arts, wellness, sustainable living, harvest foods, and the finest in Folk, Roots, and Blues music.

A statement from the Board indicates “there is no way to fully thank Aengus for all he has done, and continues to do for the Festival, but we are confident that the Festival itself will be the truest testament to that effort. We will continue to give, and to grow together into the next phase of the Shelter Valley Folk Festival.”

To that end, the Board is currently conducting an internal search for an Interim Executive Director who will take over until a public posting can be made for the permanent Executive Director’s position beginning April 1st.

Finnan concludes “it has been an honour to work with so many great people to create such a meaningful event”.

Andrew Buntin
Board Chair, Shelter Valley Folk Festival
905-372-8535

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Shelter Valley Folk Festival ~ a Registered Federal Charity: 80142 0142 RR0001
LABOUR DAY WEEKEND (Aug 29-31, 2008)
www.sheltervalley.com

Photo above: Aengus Finnan, Executive Director
Photo credit: David Newland

Record Attendance at Songwriters Showcase as Shamus Hannah, Michael Wallace, and roots duo Gettysburg are selected to perform at Shelter Valley Folk Festival
Cobourg :: Back To Top
August 1

On Thursday evening, July 31st, a record-breaking crowd and a jury of three heard the top 10 local songwriters perform as part of an open-air audition held by the Shelter Valley Folk Festival.

In the end Shamus Hannah (below right) of Cobourg, Michael Wallace of Campbellford, and the songwriting duo of Gettysburg (from Bewdley and Port Hope) were selected as the three finalists to perform at the fifth annual Shelter Valley Folk Festival this Aug 29th to 31st. The Festival’s 4th annual Songwriters Showcase attracted an audience of over 250, all toting their lawn chairs to Cobourg’s King Street to help kick off Downtown Cobourg’s 40th Anniversary Sidewalk Sale.

In the audience, feet tapped and pencils scratched as everyone listened attentively to the music and judged it according to the quality of the lyrics and melody as well as originality. Volunteer Artistic Director Aengus Finnan asked the crowd to “focus on the quality of the songs, their lyrics and melody,” and not to be “distracted or swayed by showmanship” .

Judges on this year’s jury who joined Finnan included Mandy Martin, Editor of Northumberland Publishers; Bridget Foley of Star 93.3. “There were some exquisite lyrics” stated Martin, while Foley commented that “it is challenging to look past the “show” and listen to the lyrics, but is was a rewarding process.”

Local songwriter Shamus Hannah made the top ten two years ago and returned this year to place in the top three with his heart-warming songs. Hannah is a long time volunteer at the Festival and recently recorded his first CD “live” at the Human Bean coffeehouse in downtown Cobourg. A father of three Hannah states “Songwriting is the best way I know to deal with some of life's most difficult and trying times”

Crowd favourite Michael Wallace brought rhythm and politics to the stage with his dynamic songs. Michael is originally from Campbellford but calls Peterborough homes these days where he has been working with a band for the past few years.

Gettysburg, comprised of Denholm Whale and Dylan Todhunter of Bewdley and Port Hope had atmospheric sounds, gentle harmonies, and disarmingly subtle lyrics and were the youngest performers in the line-up. “Everybody in this crowd is obviously a music lover.” Exclaimed Denholm while band-mate Todhunter added, “The crowd was really supportive and responsive.”

“I was really proud to be part of the Shelter Valley Folk Festival tonight,” said Katharine Partridge, volunteer Business and Production Manager and Past Chair on the Board of Directors, “because I would be proud to see any of the ten songwriters on our Festival stage. The talent was consistently amazing and the audience appreciated that.” She continued, “When attendance here at the Showcase is so high and talent is so apparent, it bodes well for our Labour Day weekend event because it shows the value that the community places on the Festival.”

Finnan concluded “It was a great night. We were thrilled to have over 35 applications this year, 250 visitors to the showcase, and 113 ballots cast by members of the public who scored all 10 acts. It’s a real sign of interest and engagment.”

The Folk Festival thanked Kelly Jessup, who organized Downtown Cobourg’s 40th Anniversary Sidewalk Sale, for including the Songwriters Showcase in the weekend’s festivities as well as the judges and public for attending the event and showing their support for the craft of songwriting. Songwriters who were not selected this year are encouraged to try again next year.

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival is a Registered Federal Charity that presents a Labour Day Weekend family festival (August 29 - 31, 2008), and a new community outreach initiative called “Artists in the Schools.” Currently in its fifth year, the Festival celebrates music, juried art, wellness, sustainable living and harvest food in what the Toronto Star describes as a “gentle, humanistic, environmentally attuned and abundantly caring” manner. Tickets for the Festival are available at 48 King Street West in Cobourg, online at www.sheltervalley.com or through the Ticket Hotline: 1-866-612-SVFF or 905-355-1244. New volunteers and financial donors are always welcome.

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For more information, please contact:

Artistic Director: Aengus Finnan
Assistant Communications Coordinator: Siobhan McAuley

905.355.1244 / festival@sheltervalley.com

Inquiries regarding ticket information and 2008 roster, please visit
www.sheltervalley.com

Good and Lovely Discoveries to be made:
Shelter Valley Folk Festival Songwriters Showcase
Cobourg :: Back To Top
July 21

It’s time for Northumberland folk music fans to get their ears to the ground and take their lawn chairs to the street. On Thursday evening, July 31st, at 6pm, the Shelter Valley Folk Festival will host its fourth annual Songwriters Showcase, an open-air event celebrating ten talented local songwriters during Downtown Cobourg's 40th Anniversary Sidewalk Sale. Audience members are invited to vote for their favourite songwriters based on the quality of the lyrics and melody as well as originality and presentation. Combined with input from a three-member jury, the results will be tallied and three artists will be selected to perform on the Folk Festival’s Labour Day weekend Sunday main stage. Results of the showcase will be announced Friday morning, August 1st, on the Festival web site.

The Songwriters Showcase is a fantastic opportunity for local up and coming musicians. Last year, The Good Lovelies were selected as one of the ten acts to audition at the Showcase, and were among the three acts chosen to perform at the Festival based on their songs. The experience was the springboard that launched them into the ranks of full-time, touring musicians. Caroline Brooks of Whitby, Kerri Ough of Port Hope, and Sue Passmore of Cobourg have left their day-jobs behind and are currently touring Canada on a dizzyingly fast-paced Rags to Riches tour.

Their combination of clever song writing, solid musicianship, and witty repartee keep audiences’ hearts aflutter and their toes tapping long after the show is over. Passmore and Ough are La Jeunesse alumni, experience that no doubt contributes to the band’s bang-on three-part harmonies. Sporting a medley of instruments from guitar to banjo and mandolin to glockenspiel, they will come full circle this Labour Day weekend by returning to the Shelter Valley Folk Festival as hired performers alongside such luminaries as Canadian icon Valdy and Juno award winning songwriter Lynn Miles.

This year’s Showcase attracted 35 applicants from across Northumberland County and beyond, as far East as Kingston and Belleville and as far North as Peterborough. Recorded submissions came in on tape, CD, and MP3, and were accompanied by song lyrics. “Some lyrics came handwritten on scraps of paper, others were liner notes in professional CDs,” says Aengus Finnan, Artistic Director of the Festival, with a smile, “and some songs were recorded on home stereos, while others were obviously done in studio.” It’s easy to see the excitement on Finnan’s face as he imagines young songwriters chasing their dreams. “In the end, the format or performance make no difference. The Showcase is about the songs. Are the lyrics strong? Is the melody unique? The Showcase is intended to encourage excellence, talent, and craft. Yes, we do celebrate the finest of those who apply by sending them to the Festival, but the Showcase is a concert, not a competition.”

This year’s featured songwriters include: Stacey Bannon of Orono, David Curtis of Brighton, Joe Forster of Cobourg (currently residing in Kitchener), Shamus Hannah of Cobourg, Stuart MacDonald of Cobourg, Jim Martin of Cobourg, Kody Paul of Cobourg, Kim Rogers of Peterborough, Mike Wallace of Campbellford, and the songwriting duo of Dylan Todhunter and Denholm Whale of Bewdley and Port Hope respectively. The jury members include the Festival’s Artistic Director, a member of local media, and a music industry representative. Audience members will each be given a ballot and will be asked to cast their votes based on melody and lyrics rather than showmanship or entertainment value. “We like to emphasise an appreciation at the audience level for the craft of song writing,” says Finnan. Last year, over 200 music fans brought their lawn chairs to downtown Cobourg to take in the concert. This year the Festival hopes to attract an even larger audience.

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival is a registered Federal Charity that presents a Labour Day Weekend family festival (August 29th – 31st, 2008), and a new community outreach initiative called “Artists in the Schools.” Currently in its fifth year, the Festival celebrates music, juried art, wellness, sustainable living and harvest food in what the Toronto Star describes as a “gentle, humanistic, environmentally attuned and abundantly caring” manner. Tickets for the Festival are available at 48 King Street West in Cobourg, online at www.sheltervalley.com or through the Ticket Hotline: 1-866-612-SVFF or 905-355-1244. New volunteers and financial donors are always welcome.

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For more information, please contact:

Artistic Director: Aengus Finnan

Assistant Communications Coordinator: Siobhan McAuley

905.355.1244 / festival@sheltervalley.com

Inquiries regarding ticket information and 2008 roster, please visit www.sheltervalley.com [This site]

Artist Website (press photos, bios, music): www.goodlovelies.com

Munching Henkel Farm Dirt: Arrogant Worms at Shelter Valley Folk Festival
Cobourg :: Back To Top
July 14

The Henkel family couldn’t be more pleased with the Shelter Valley Folk Festival. This year, the Festival is bringing worms to their farm where the Labour Day Weekend event is held. “This will be the fifth year that we’re hosting, so we’re starting to get the gist of this folk music thing,” says Mrs. Henkel. “But,” Farmer Henkel adds, “I said to Aengus, ‘Son, it’s time that you start learning a thing or two about farming. A farmer’s always got to give back to the land.’ And he listened. He’s bringing worms – some newfangled variety called Arrogant Worms. I say, what the heck! Worms are worms.”

Confidential sources report that Aengus Finnan, Artistic Director of the Festival, isn’t sure how to break the news to the Henkels. “These worms aren’t worms. The Arrogant Worms are a band,” he said in a wire-tapped conversation with Board President, Andrew Buntin. “They aren’t even a new band,” Buntin replied, referring to the Arrogant Worms’ seventeen years in the business of performing some of the funniest songs written in Canadian soil.

Making fun is the Arrogant Worms’ stock and trade. Mike McCormick, Chris Patterson, and Trevor Strong began their antics in 1991 on campus radio in Kingston, Ontario. Since then, they’ve recorded ten independent albums: their self-titled debut album in 1992, followed by Russell’s Shorts, C’est Cheese, Live Bait, Christmas Turkey, Dirt, Idiot Road, Toast and, most recently, Beige. They have consistently topped the sales charts for their distributors and have sold over 150,000 albums to date. They’ve even performed with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra in a show recorded for national television, and they have one of them fancy website dew-hickies found at www.arrogant-worms.com.

Indeed, it is their show that keeps audiences coming back. The Arrogant Worms have provided tuneful and silly escapism all over North America, Australia, and the United Kingdom in venues of all shapes and sizes, from small clubs and theatres to Central Park and the Grand Canyon. No matter where they are, they are having fun and the audience is too. Musically, the worms have munched on rock, folk, ballads, country, Celtic folk, and children's music. Everything from politics and history to family dynamics and sports has been their fodder. Some of their most popular songs include Canada’s Really Big, Carrot Juice is Murder and Celine Dion (you soft-rock my world).

Festival-goers will be treated to the Worms’ witty stage banter and lusciously luring music as the closing act in the Festival’s opening concert on Friday evening, August 29th. In a guest appearance, Canadian songbird Lynn Miles will emcee – please note that Miles is not actually a bird. Other musicians featured in the Festival include Bob Snider, Brian MacMillan, Dala, Danny Michel, Don Ross, The Good Lovelies, John Bottomley, Kyrie Kristmanson, Kobo Town, Laura Smith, Old Man Luedecke, Penny Lang, Ray Bonneville, Rita Chiarelli, Rick Fines and Suzie Vinnick, Rose Cousins, and Sheesham and Lotus, with guest appearances by Darlene and Valdy.

The worms go munching one by one, hurrah, hurrah ….

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For more information, please contact:
Artistic Director: Aengus Finnan
Assistant Communications Coordinator: Siobhan McAuley
905.355.1244 / festival@sheltervalley.com
Inquiries regarding ticket information and 2008 roster, please visit www.sheltervalley.com
Artist Website (press photos, bios, music): www.arrogant-worms.com

Fresh Faces at Folk Festival
Cobourg :: Back To Top
July 9

There are a couple of fresh faces working about the Shelter Valley Folk Festival office this summer. Through the support of Canada Summer Jobs funding provided by Human Resources and Social Development Canada (HRSDC), the Festival has hired local students, Ms. Catie Calnan and Mr. Adam Webb, to oversee the Cobourg summer office operations and to assist in public relations and the marketing of the organization's signature Labour Day weekend event.

Rcognizing the Festival's positive impact on the local community, its steady growth and the need for capacity support, HRSDC has provided funding to employ two students this summer - an increase from the single role provided for in past summers. Executive Director Aengus Finnan states, "This is an exciting time for the festival. In addition to celebrating five years of grassroots community culture, we are proud to be providing meaningful summer employment for two local students in the cultural sector, a vast but often overlooked part of the local economy."

Andrew Buntin, President of the Festival's Board of Directors, adds, "SVFF has attracted a number of volunteers with advanced expertise who are willing not only to move the organization forward but also to share that expertise with our summer students. In this way, we are able to benefit from additional staff at a time when we are putting the final touches on plans for the Festival, and we are able to support young people as they plan for their own futures. We look forward to a long, mutually beneficial partnership between HRSDC, SVFF and the young people of our community."

Ms. Catie Calnan and Mr. Adam Webb

As office manager, Ms. Calnan is responsible for day-to-day operations and assists the many members of the festival's volunteer Operating Committee. Her administrative duties include database management, ticket sales, and volunteer registration. Ms. Calnan, a long-time resident of Shelter Valley's hamlet of Vernonville, attended St. Mary's Secondary School and was a volunteer at last year's Festival. She now studies Psychology at Queen's University in Kingston. "Being this summer's office manager lets me meet so many great people, every day," says Ms. Calnan. "Working alongside a team of talented, hard-working volunteers in an environment that fosters the arts is rewarding on so many levels".

A considerable change of scene from previous retail positions to this summers' more administrative role, Ms. Calnan explains that her dedicated involvement with the Festival is derived from her passion for drama and music. "I have experienced first-hand the sense of community and inclusivity that the Festival creates," says Ms. Calnan. "Just like the high school musicals I acted in (Bye-Bye Birdie and Annie), the coming together of devoted individuals for one spectacular event really is something special."

Working alongside Ms. Calnan this summer is Mr. Webb, the Festival's communications and marketing assistant. A fourth year Communications student at Carleton University, Mr. Webb's daily tasks range from media relations to creative design.

Mr. Webb is a graduate of Clarke High School and currently resides in Newcastle. "Going places, doing things and meeting people is what I'm all about," remarks Mr. Webb. "Put those three particulars together and that's why the Shelter Valley Folk Festival appealed to me." When not writing for the campus newspaper or taking road trips to remote destinations, he enjoys composing music ranging from rock to electronic. "A folk festival is a new scene for me," says Mr. Webb, "but the experience is involving and uniquely challenging - you just can't learn this in school."

Finnan explains that "while these are entry level positions, they are important roles for the organization and are vital opportunities for students to put theory and skills to work in a practical setting where expectations are high, details are critical, and timelines are tight. We're thrilled to have Adam and Catie with us. They are part of the SVFF team, along with almost 200 volunteers, and together we're working on the hundreds of elements involved in orchestrating this event."

The Festival's summer office is located at 48 King Street West in downtown Cobourg and is open 7 days a week from 9am to 5pm until the eve of the festival. Visitors are welcome to drop in to meet Adam and Catie throughout the summer.

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival is a registered Federal Charity that presents a Labour Day Weekend family festival (August 29 - 31, 2008), and a new community outreach initiative called "Artists in the Schools." Currently in its fifth year, the Festival celebrates music, juried art, wellness, sustainable living and harvest food in what the Toronto Star describes as a "gentle, humanistic, environmentally attuned and abundantly caring" manner. Tickets for the Festival are available at the Festival's Cobourg summer office, online at www.sheltervalley.com or through the Ticket Hotline: 1-866-612-SVFF or 905-355-1244. New volunteers and financial donors are always welcome.

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For more information or to set up an interview, please contact (905)-355-1244 or festival@sheltervalley.com

Executive Director: Aengus Finnan
Assistant Communications Coordinator: Siobhan McAuley
Summer Office Manager: Catie Calnan
Summer Communications & Marketing Assistant: Adam Webb

Shelter Valley Folk Festival Launches ‘Artists in the Schools’ program!
Cobourg :: Back To Top
June 23

Last Thursday students from three local schools experienced history in the making as the Shelter Valley Folk Festival launched an “Artists in the Schools” outreach program. As a Federal Charity, part of the Shelter Valley Folk Festival’s mandate is to increase public appreciation of the arts. The school performance was the first of an annual Outreach program designed to provide cultural workshops and performances for Northumberland area schools.

Thursday’s hour-long show featured the zany antics of children’s performer, Magoo [at right], and was held at Grant Sine Public School, located in the upper-east end of Cobourg. Also attending were students from St. Joseph’s Elementary and Northumberland Montessori School.
Packed with dynamic creative energy and tons of fun, the event brought together three unique school systems as part of the Festival organization’s philosophy of promoting inclusivity and a sense of community.

With songs ranging from “the Dinosaur Dance” to “A River runs through Udora”, Magoo had children and teachers alike singing and playing along. With enthusiasm, fortitude and zeal he leapt between playing guitar, mandolin, and donning a dinosaur costume.

Kevin Dunn, Principal of Grant Sine Public School commented that “The program was thoroughly entertaining and educational. It was great to have all three schools systems included, transcending institutional boundaries. Magoo was Great!”

“We are thrilled as a Charity to begin to deliver this type of programming for our community. The United Way’s Community Matters report identified many schools and communities who could benefit from this type of service and we are honoured to be able to provide it” stated Aengus Finnan, Executive and Artistic Director of the Shelter Valley Folk Festival.

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival is a registered Federal Charity that presents a Labour Day Weekend family festival (August 29 - 31, 2008), and Community Outreach Initiatives. Currently in its fifth year, the festival organization celebrates Music, Juried Art, Wellness, Sustainable Living and Harvest Food in what the Toronto Star describes as a “gentle, humanistic, environmentally attuned and abundantly caring” manner. Tickets for the Festival are available at 48 King St West, Cobourg, online at www.sheltervalley.com or through the Ticket Hotline: 1-866-612-SVFF or locally at 905-355-1244. New volunteers and financial donors are always welcome.

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For more information, please contact:
Artistic Director: Aengus Finnan / 905.355.1244 / festival@sheltervalley.com
Communications Assistant Coordinator: Siobhan McAuley / 905.355.1244 /festival@sheltervalley.com

Calling all Songwriters!
Cobourg :: Back To Top
June 5

Shelter Valley Folk Festival Annual Songwriter's Showcase Calls for Creations
The Good Lovelies made it happen, so did Taylor Abrahamse of Bridgenorth, and Jess Dunkin of Port Hope. They are all local songwriters who won chance to perform at the Shelter Valley Folk Festival. And so could you!

The call is out again for local songwriters to submit two original songs for a chance to be selected to perform at the 2008 Shelter Valley Folk Festival Songwriter’s Showcase. The Showcase is held in downtown Cobourg on July 31st during the Town’s annual Sidewalk Sale. It's an opportunity for local musicians who create original music to perform on an outdoor stage as part of an audition for the Labour Day weekend Folk Festival. The deadline for song submission is July 1st.

So, if you have an original song floating through your head, perhaps a melody and touching turn of phrase to go with it, you are invited to submit your songs for consideration. Simply record your music, send it to the Shelter Valley Folk Festival office (Box 29 Grafton ON, K0K 2G0), by email to festival@sheltervalley.com or by dropping it by the downtown Cobourg summer office at 48 King St. West.

All entrants are requested to submit two original compositions with lyrics as an MP3 or on CD or cassette by July 1st. Initial selection and audition judging is based on the songwriting quality and style rather than the performance. Artistic Director Aengus Finnan notes, "We are trying to focus on the creative process, the images and ideas of local songwriters, not necessarily on the showmanship or performance."

From the submissions, ten successful songwriters will be invited to perform their two selected songs on an open air stage on Thursday July 31st. At the evening performance, the audience is asked to help rate the songwriters through a survey. Together with a panel comprised of a music industry guest, a past showcase performer, and the Festival’s Artistic Director, they help determine which three songwriters will perform on the Mainstage of the Labour Day weekend event.

The 5th annual Shelter Valley Folk Festival (a Registered Federal Charity) is a family weekend of Music, Juried Art, Wellness, Sustainable Living & Harvest Food held on the Henkel Farm just east of Grafton, August 29 - 31, 2008. Tickets for the Festival are available at the Festival’s summer office (48 King St. West, Cobourg), through the new Ticket Hotline 1-866-612-SVFF / 905.355.1244, or online www.sheltervalley.com. New volunteers and financial donors are always welcome.

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For more information, please contact:
Artistic Director: Aengus Finnan / 905.355.1244 /festival@sheltervalley.com
Assistant Coordinator: Siobhan McAuley / 905.355.1244 /festival@sheltervalley.com

Shelter Valley Folk Festival seeks 2 Summer Students
Cobourg :: Back To Top
May 22, 2008

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival, funded by HRSDC, is seeking two summer students for the positions of 1) Summer Office Manager and 2) Marketing/Communications Assistant.

SUMMER OFFICE MANAGER main tasks include:
Management of public summer office in Cobourg
Public relations in person, by telephone, and through email
Ticket sales, cash management, daily cash reconciliation
Registration of volunteers, scheduling and training of office volunteers
Administrative support for organizational and/or festival volunteer crew chiefs, (including marketing & communications, fundraising, production, performer services)

MARKETING/COMMUNICATIONS main tasks include:
Management of public relations campaign from Cobourg office
Coordination of special events & promotional efforts
Generation of press releases, ad copy and design
Lead on timeline, collection, design and layout of festival program
Administrative support for organizational and/or festival volunteer crew chiefs, (including marketing & communications, fundraising, production, performer services)

Both positions require:
Excellent people skills and telephone manner.
Comprehensive computer skills (Word, Excel, database management, design, web savvy).
Experience working with volunteers.
Driver's license and access to vehicle preferred.
Some evening and weekend work.

Wage: $9.00 per hour / 37.5 hours per week

Application Deadline: Sunday June 1st, 5pm
Interview Date: Wednesday June 4th and Thursday June 5th
Start Date: Monday June 9th / End date: Saturday Aug 30th

Candidates for both positions must be: Canadian, 15-30 years of age and currently enrolled as a full-time secondary or post-secondary student returning to school in the fall. Students majoring in subject areas related to the job tasks are encouraged to apply.

Please send a 1 page cover letter specifying what job, or both, that you are applying for, accompanied by a maximum 2 page resume by e-mail to or fax at 905-349-2293. Please enter "Summer Job" in the Subject line.

Applicants are thanked for their interest and will receive a notice of receipt by email; however, only successful candidates will be contacted for interviews. No follow-up calls please.

For more information about the festival please visit: www.sheltervalley.com

Celebrating Five Years of Grassroots Community Culture & The Finest in Folk Music
Cobourg :: Back To Top
May 1, 2008

Hailed as a "Best of the Fests" by the Globe & Mail, and as "gentle, humanistic, environmentally attuned, and abundantly caring" by the Toronto Star, Northumberland County's own Shelter Valley Folk Festival is celebrating its 5th anniversary this year and is thrilled to announce that as of May 1st the "All Canadian" Line-up has been released, Early Bird tickets are now available, new ticket options have been introduced, and volunteer recruitment has begun.

Board Chair Andrew Buntin, alongside members of the Festival's Board and volunteer operating committee gathered on the shores of Lake Ontario to kick off the sale of May 1st Early Bird weekend tickets offered at a discounted price until May 31st only. As of June 1st the full range of Festival "Day and Weekend" ticket options become available. This year, in response to audience requests, the Festival is pleased to introduce a limited number of "Saturday Night" tickets also (available June 1st).

"So, you can now enjoy the Festival in many ways; come for the weekend, come for the day, or come for the evening" stated Mr. Buntin.

Tickets are available through the Festival website (www.sheltervalley.com), at the Festival's summer office in downtown Cobourg, and also through a newly available ticket hotline - 1-866-612-SVFF (7833) or locally through the Festival's new office number 905-355-1244.

Also as of May 1st anyone interested in volunteering for the Festival (a Registered Federal Charity) may visit our website (www.sheltervalley.com [this site]) to register for one of the 350 volunteer roles required to mount this signature cultural event.

The Festival anticipates needing about 350 volunteers for this year's event, including a wide variety of roles ranging from summer ticket sales and marketing support, to onsite parking and security, cooking meals for volunteers, assisting with arts programs in the family area, and merchandise sales during the festival weekend.

Mr. Buntin explained "We're looking for people to help in advance of the Festival as well as during and after the Festival has closed for the year. At the present time we're particularly looking for people to help in the area of communications - promotion, marketing, copy editing, design and layout." Full volunteer job descriptions are listed on the volunteer page of the Festival's website.

The Festival's Artistic Director, Aengus Finnan was also on hand, and on the shores of Lake Ontario to announce this year's All Canadian line-up which he described as "talent from sea to sea to sea", including local artists who are now touring nationally, audience favourites from past years, Juno award winners, and a stellar roster of the finest Folk, Root and Blues musicians on the scene.

"We're celebrating our 5th year this Labour Day Weekend and are thrilled to announce a line-up of select past performers, exciting new-comers, and exception artists" stated Finnan.

The 2008 roster of musicians includes the return of Canadian Legend VALDY who appeared on the Festival stage in year one and who will act as Emcee on the Saturday night Main-stage and provide the closing Sunday afternoon concert. Also returning to Emcee Friday night and perform is Juno Award winner and True North recording artist Lynn Miles, as well as Darlene, a consistent volunteer and audience favourite.

New to Shelter Valley are acclaimed songwriters Brian Macmilan, Danny Michel, and Ottawa's innovative darling Kyrie Krismanson. Arriving from the East Coast are artists Rose Cousins, Laura Smith and Old Man Luedecke while John Bottomley and Penny Lang bring their rich West Coast sounds to Northumberland County. Blues masters Rick Fines & Suzie Vinnick return to the Festival joined by the legendary Ray Bonneville from Montreal and Italian-Canadian blues sensation Rita Chiarelli.

CBC favourites Bob Snider and 2005 returnees DALA will both be in attendance, as well as the Backwoods Ontario rock-a-billy square dance duo "Sheesham & Lotus". In the instrumental guitar world there are some particular guru's and Shelter Valley is bringing in the most revered of them all: Don Ross.

Closing Friday night's Main-stage is the side-splitting music comedy trio "The Arrogant Worms" who promise not to leave a dry eye on the field with their songs and antics. Perhaps most exciting is the Saturday night Main-stage closing act, a Toronto-based Trinidadian Calypso band named Kobo Town who are sure to have everyone dancing under the summer stars.

Finally, The Good Lovelies, a home-grown act who were winners of last year's "local songwriters showcase" and who have since released a CD and begun touring the Canadian folk festival scene will bring their sweet sounds and stories to the Festival Main-stage to help wind up the Sunday performances.

"It is certainly a challenge to comb through some 600 submission to select the final 20 acts, but I think this is our best line-up yet, and one to celebrate" stated Finnan.

Links to all artists' sites where samples of their music can be heard are found by visiting the performer page at www.sheltervalley.com

The Shelter Valley Folk Festival (a Registered Federal Charity) is a family event held Labour Day Weekend (Aug 29-31, 2008) on the Henkel Farm just east of Grafton celebrating Juried Art, Wellness, Sustainable Living, Harvest Foods and the finest in Folk, Roots and Blues music.

For tickets, schedule, information and to volunteer or donate please visit www.sheltervalley.com or call 905-355-1244. The Festival's new Ticket Hotline is 1-866-612-SVFF (7833).

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