Nearly three dozen music acts from across the province and as far away as Edmonton will converge in Penticton this weekend for Folkanagan.
The weekend of entertainment at the Shatford Centre is bringing together musicians for a fundraiser in support of the growing, annual music festival in Fort St. James — the Music on the Mountain Festival. In spite of the goodwill the festival has, there is great challenges obtaining enough funding for staging the event. Just two months ago singer/songwriter Dave Soroka suggested an idea to do a benefit concert in Penticton on Facebook. It only took days before the idea caught fire among musicians and Folkanagan was created.
Included on the long list of performers is local artists Ari Neufeld, Maiya Robbie, Toupey and Chris, and Danielle Savage. Amongst the list of performers coming from across the province, some musicians will be connecting to the weekend event through remote technology in order to provide their musical contribution to the mix.
Workshops will also take place over the weekend in the main auditorium on Sunday morning starting at 8 a.m. This includes Contact Dance who uses points of contact as a foundation for exploration through movement. The workshop will offer an introduction to the philosophy and basic principles of contact dance by creating a space for participants to move together freely in a safe and comfortable way. Timeless Voices is a workshop where participants will learn about vocal improvisation through a cappella singing. Participants will be guided through a warm up for your body and voice creating long tones and then joining another group to explore interlocking patterns and rhythms.
Learn how to turn the saw into a unique percussion instrument from Mysterycwby or celebrate the joy of drumming and song in the interactive, all-ages expression rhythm workshop.
Ticket prices for Folkanagan (May 11 and 12) are $20 for a two-day pass ($25 at the door). Single day passes are $15 for Saturday and $10 for Sunday, seniors and under 18 are $10 ($15 at the door). Children 12 and under are free and there is a buddy rate of $30 ($40 at the door for any couple). Tickets can be picked up prior to the event at the discount rate at the Shatford Centre located on 760 Main St. Until May 10 when you buy 10 weekend passes you get one free.
Doors open at noon on Saturday with music going from 1 to 11 p.m. On Sunday, doors will open at 8:30 a.m. with workshops starting at 9 a.m. until noon then music until 5 p.m.