4th Annual Lake Erie Folk Fest Draws Patrons from Near and Far

The sounds of accordions, banjos, fiddles and drums filled the halls of the Shore Cultural Arts Centre during a culturally diverse celebration of music and dance this past weekend.

The 4th annual Lake Erie Folk Fest began Friday, Feb. 23rd, with a rousing school program presented by the Chardon Polka Band for students from Bluestone Elementary School, Conneaut Middle School and others.  The fun continued Friday night with a contra dance before the main event on Saturday, Feb. 24th when more than 50 free daytime events were enjoyed by residents of all ages from Euclid, Northeast Ohio and beyond.  

The festival featured music and dance from Brazil, Ireland, Appalachia, India and Cleveland. Artists from Arkansas, New York State, Northeast Ohio and Euclid were involved. A special performance by the Euclid High School Marching Band drum line was a highlight of the day.

Early estimates are that almost 1,000 people attended the festival's daytime events and 600 attended the evening concert.  Attendees dined at local restaurants during their visit to Euclid, and many commented throughout the day how wonderful the Shore Cultural Centre facility is.  There were also a few graduates who attended the event and were reminiscing about their school days in the building.

The annual folk festival is a collaboration between two non-profits groups, the Shore Cultural Centre for the Arts and the Northeast Ohio Musical Heritage Association. Previous festivals have featured artists from Michigan, Cape Breton, and Tuva.