The sounds of “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In” will cascade across the Seattle Center on Sunday in a way that may never have been heard before.
| Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Monday
Public transportation: Seattle Center transportation hotline: 206-233-3989 Metro bus routes: Metro provides regular bus service to the Seattle Center on 14 routes. Info: 206-553-3000, TTY 206-684-1739, http://transit.metrokc.gov. Bus shuttles: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday through Monday, every 20 minutes from Northgate Transit Center to Seattle Center. Regular fares apply. Monorail: Park downtown and take the monorail. Westlake Center Station is at Fifth and Pine; get reduced parking rates at Bon-Macy’s garage at Third and Stewart when you present your monorail ticket stub. Hours: 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Monday; 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Trains depart every 10 minutes or less. One-way fares: adults $1.25; children 5-12 $1; seniors and disabled $1; children under 5 free. Info: 206-441-6038, www.seattlemonorail.com. Travel Green: For information on a free rideshare service, visit www.spaceshare.com. Carpool parking rates: $11 for single-occupant vehicles, $10 for vehicles with two occupants and $8 with three or more occupants. Alternate routes: Besides the major routes to Seattle Center via the Mercer Street or Stewart Street exits off I-5, consider using alternate routes, such as Highway 99, Denny Way or Elliott Avenue. Parking and access for disabled people: All buildings at Seattle Center are fully accessible. Disabled parking is available at all lots (if full, check with attendant). |
Organizers at this weekend’s Northwest Folklife Festival event hope to gather at least 852 harmonica-playing volunteers to set a record for the world’s largest harmonica band, currently held by a Polish group.
Harmonica expert Andy Mackie will try to keep the group together for 20 minutes of continuous playing, although five minutes would qualify for the record. Anyone with a harmonica can play along.
It’s one of many events that take place while the main draw of the festival operates from every corner of the center – more than 1,000 performances by about 6,000 musicians, dancers, and visual artists, and by countless visitors in participatory events; a festival run by 2,000 volunteers and 13 paid staffers and enjoyed by about 275,000 visitors.
And it’s still free of charge, although sense of community should nudge visitors into donating $5 per person per day to keep the festival open to all.
The festival “is more important, and more in need, today than ever before,” executive director Michael Herschensohn said.
“In a world dominated by opposites – love and hate, wealth and poverty, hope and despair – the festival is a celebration of the strength, hope and resolve that people and communities derive from their cultural diversity.”
At the heart of Folklife is music. Although the musicians live in the Northwest, the music comes from around the world. The only way to keep track is to get a copy of the program, find a quiet nook, and map out your plan to see as many acts as possible.
Here are a few of the musical highlights:
Friday: Singer Nerissa Nields reads from her new children’s book, “Plastic Angel”; young singer-songwriter bands; Latin music singers; country and western bands; a hip-hop dance; instrumentalists drawing from five traditions; solo blues singers; and a storytelling showcase.
Saturday: barbershop groups, fiddle showcase, sea chanteys and maritime songs, bluegrass, Hindustani classical music, urban groove, folk grrrls, indie showcase, and global chamber music.
Sunday: Ukranian show, ukulele extravaganza, Polynesian showcase, Scottish show, drinking songs of the world, rockabilly, Secrets of the Six String, Brazilian show, and red-hot blues women.
Monday: Japanese music, masters of the accordion, gospel, hot young bands, Arab show, alt-country, voices of Europe, reggae, and world jam.
This year’s cultural focus is “Generation to Generation: Passing on Our Traditions,” featuring masters of traditional arts who will show what they believe is important to pass on to the next generation, allowing audiences to become apprentices.
Passing It On is a Sunday concert with National Heritage Fellows, including the Johnny Gimble Band, three generations dishing up hot Texas swing; and Paul Dahlin and his band, Atka Spelman, cooling it off with lyrical Swedish melodies.
Folklife also offers demonstrations and stories about union and trade apprentice programs, a time-honored tradition.
The Folklife Documentary Film Fest continues the traditions theme. Films include two on Cajun music and traditions, two on small-scale American farmers, and one on railroad gandy dancers and their songs.
The Folklife benefit concert on Saturday features the Savoy Family Cajun band, Marc and Ann Savoy and their sons, Joel and Wilson.
Part of the joy of Folklife is to participate, the key action in the Rhythm Tent with percussion workshops for all ages. Rhythm masters and drumming circles will feature Folklife performers.
Experience Music Project’s contribution to Folklife will be “Knockin’ on Dylan’s Door,” a tribute, which includes Dylan-related activities such as musical performances, discussions, and films.
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