Olympia has deep roots in music. From our local schools to music venues, the history of the Pacific Northwest sound vibrates through our city. The Oly Old-Time Music Festival brings some of those beats to the forefront through a weekend long musical journey through the roots of traditional American music.
“This is our eighth annual festival,” explains event coordinator, Juli Kelen. “We want to have a place to create and celebrate this form of music, dance, and crafts. We want to celebrate these traditional American arts. We really want to support members of our community, especially our young people. This music really attracts many of the youth in our area.
“Old time music just tends to draw a varied crowd,” continues Kelen. “It’s just such inclusive music that encourages participation from everyone. It has a theme of ‘do it yourself’ work ethic that resonates with the community.”
During the festival, expect to see incredible performances and even dance. “We are really excited about our headliners this year,” says Kelen. “One of our great performers is Bruce Molsky. He is a master fiddler and multi-instrumentalist. He really does it all. He is a tremendous musician that cannot be missed.”
“Another headliner is Pharis and Jason Romero,” adds Kelen. “This is their second time at the festival and the crowds really seem to respond to them. Both create a line of well-made banjos that are sought after in the banjo community so banjo enthusiasts will not want to miss them. We will have performances all weekend long and a dance on both Friday and Saturday night.”
Another way the community can take part in some old fashioned fun is through the many workshops being offered throughout the weekend. “We have two full afternoons of workshops on Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13. We will have fiddle workshops for various levels and several different banjo workshops as well. We will also have a dance calling workshop and vocal workshops from the pros. The workshops are totally free.”
If this is your first time attending the festival, here are some tips and tricks provided by the event organizers. Remember that parking is free on Saturday and Sunday but if you are planning to attend on Friday, don’t forget to feed the meters until 5:00 p.m. Second, if you plan to attend multiple days, consider purchasing a $35 pass. Tickets are also available at the door. Finally, be sure to plan ahead. Take a look at the extensive workshop schedule and plan your timing since the workshops are held at three different venues.
Take advantage of this affordable festival and head to downtown Olympia to revive American history through old-time music, dance, and performances.
Oly Old-Time Music Festival
Thursday, February 11, 2016 – Sunday, February 14, 2016
Olympia Ballroom & Urban Onion Lounge
116 Legion Way SE, Olympia, WA
