If you were on the streets of Princeton on August 20 and 22 last year you would have experienced streets crowded with smiling people and heard bagpipes, fiddle music, cowboy songs or loggers’ poetry wafting through the air. The town square would have been filled with people in strange costumes and blackened faces dancing to button accordion music. This was the Third Annual Princeton Traditional Music Festival.
Plans are gearing up for this year’s Festival to be held on August 19 to 21 . “We’ve had several meetings of the Festival Organizing Committee,” says Rika Ruebsaat, Artistic Director of the Festival. “We plan to invite about 6o musical performing groups and seven dance troupes.”
“This year’s Festival will be even bigger than last year’s,” says Jon Bartlett, Festival organizer. “It will begin with an outdoor participatory Irish Country dance with a live band and a dance caller on Vermilion Avenue next to the town square on Friday evening. Everyone is welcome – no experience necessary and you don’t even have to bring a partner.”
There will be music on two stages, one in front of the Museum and one on the town square, from 10 am till 6 pm on the Saturday and Sunday. “You’ll hear everything from accordions, flutes and banjos to blues and cowboy poetry,” says Ruebsaat, “and the streets will be filled with morris dancers.”
The Committee would love to involve you in this year’s Festival. “Last year’s volunteers had a great time,” says Bartlett. “The people who billeted performers all wanted them back again. We also need people to help with setting up, dismantling and other tasks.”
If you’d like to help out, call Jon and Rika at 250-295-6010. If you want to find out more about the Festival you can go to the web blog – www.princetonfestival.wordpress.com -- or email them at princetonfestival@telus.net.