Champlain Valley Folk Festival This Weekend!

The Champlain Valley Folk Festival at Waterfront Park in downtown Burlington, VT. Buy your tickets now and check out the our line up under Performance Schedule!

"Vermont hosts a number of signature annual cultural events in the summertime... But for people with an appreciation of folk and ethnic musical traditions in all their diversity and glory, none compares to the Champlain Valley Folk Festival..." -- Montpelier-Barre Times-Argus

Honoring Traditional Music and Dance in the Champlain Valley

Si Kahn on the Main stage with songs of family, community, work, and freedom.

"One of the front-porch friendliest festivals in the region" -- The Boston Globe

2010 Festival Performers (subject to change)

Annalivia • Big Spike • Bjärv • Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba • Adina Gordon • Rob Lutes • Lokum • Atlantic Crossing • Guy Mendilow Band • Will Mentor • Michael Miles • Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade • Anais Mitchell • Old Sledge • On the Border Morris • Will Patton Trio • Petting Zoo • John Roberts and Tony Barrand • Sheesam and Lotus • Bill Sims, Jr. and Mark Lavoie • Moira Smiley and Voco • Pete Sutherland • Ralph Sweet • Tidal Wave • Bow Thayer • Yankee Chank ...... and many more to come!

A Letter from the Board of Directors

Dear Friends of the Champlain Valley Festival,

Somewhat anxiously and with not a little sadness, but hopes high in our hearts, we announce another major change in the fortunes of our beloved folk festival. Please allow us to lay it out for you....

Kingsland Bay on a beautiful day: well, we all know what that's like - heaven on earth for sure. But unfortunately we've had our share of bad luck recently. Following two years of less-than-ideal weather - '08: during the festival, '09: a prolonged monsoon season that among other things saw us run up a huge un-budgeted tab for shuttle bus service - we came to you for donations to recover significant financial losses. You responded, and we thank you sincerely for your support. But in the balance we find several things un-recoverable: Owing to wear and tear issues, our relationship with the Parks Department is not what it once was - not to mention that significant funding and staffing cuts have meant their ability to be there for us has suffered greatly. Furthermore, our core staff and Board have found our abilities to muster our year-round planning energies have been impacted. Logistical and infrastructure issues have always meant "heavy lifting". To cut to the chase, the dawning prospect of battling the elements on an almost annual basis at the park where CVFF was born and bred has put us over the edge.

So - sigh - for the fourth time in our 27-year history we have found ourselves looking for a new home. And lo and behold, we are returning to one we tried out briefly many years back - the picturesque Waterfront Park in downtown Burlington. Folks who recall that one experimental year ('93) when the park itself was brand-new will be glad to hear how much more hospitable it has become. It's of course home to many festivals and events all year 'round. There is ample acreage for a number of small-stage activities along with the main and dance stages - the familiar CVFF mix. There's nearby (paved!) parking along with public transportation including a free shuttle. There is camping and swimming a short drive (or bike ride!) up the shore - we are reserving a large block of campsites for festival-goers there. There'll be onsite food and other amenities, as well as access to very nearby cafes and restaurants for other meal choices and late night jams (already being planned). And yes, our own wonderful dance floor will make the trek from Ferrisburgh too!

Though as usual all events will be undercover, we are 'double-covering ourselves' and have arranged to use some nice indoor spaces at the new Main Street Landing just across Lake Street for workshops, jam sessions and more.

This is a critical year, and having spent a few crucial winter planning months exploring our options, we are now working doubly hard to put on this year's festival (NOTE the dates: Friday July 30 through Sunday August 1st). We know as well as anyone how much the spirit of the festival has always been embodied in the Kingsland Bay setting, even through the years at UVM's Pine Grove (with no water in sight!) So we are doing and will continue to do everything within our power to transplant as much of the CVFF experience as we can to an urban setting. We feel in fact that we are honoring an early commitment, voiced by founder Mark Sustic himself, to be as accessible and inclusive to as many sorts of folks as we possibly can. We hope we can count on your support, patience and of course your ATTENDANCE! (Prices will be dropping dramatically this year - a pleasant result of the move for our ticket-buying audience.) It'll be a great year to introduce some new friends to our Festival who never made it out to the wilds of Ferrisburgh. And as always volunteers of all kinds are encouraged to sign up on the Volunteers page.

Thanks so much and we look forward to singing and dancing with you at Waterfront Park this summer!

The 'CVFF Crew'

27th Annual Champlain Valley Folk Festival July 30 - August 1, 2010
Festival Details Home Tickets Photos Directions Camping Volunteers Performance Schedule Map Prospective Performers Visit our Facebook page! Contact Us Donate Online Sponsors The following organizations have generously donated resources, without which this festival would not be possible. Please join us in thanking them for their support.	Champlain Valley Folk Festival This Weekend! The Champlain Valley Folk Festival at Waterfront Park in downtown Burlington, VT. Buy your tickets now and check out the our line up under Performance Schedule! "Vermont hosts a number of signature annual cultural events in the summertime... But for people with an appreciation of folk and ethnic musical traditions in all their diversity and glory, none compares to the Champlain Valley Folk Festival..." -- Montpelier-Barre Times-Argus Honoring Traditional Music and Dance in the Champlain Valley Si Kahn on the Main stage with songs of family, community, work, and freedom. "One of the front-porch friendliest festivals in the region" -- The Boston Globe 2010 Festival Performers (subject to change) Annalivia • Big Spike • Bjärv • Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba • Adina Gordon • Rob Lutes • Lokum • Atlantic Crossing • Guy Mendilow Band • Will Mentor • Michael Miles • Miss Tess and the Bon Ton Parade • Anais Mitchell • Old Sledge • On the Border Morris • Will Patton Trio • Petting Zoo • John Roberts and Tony Barrand • Sheesam and Lotus • Bill Sims, Jr. and Mark Lavoie • Moira Smiley and Voco • Pete Sutherland • Ralph Sweet • Tidal Wave • Bow Thayer • Yankee Chank ...... and many more to come! A Letter from the Board of Directors Dear Friends of the Champlain Valley Festival, Somewhat anxiously and with not a little sadness, but hopes high in our hearts, we announce another major change in the fortunes of our beloved folk festival. Please allow us to lay it out for you.... Kingsland Bay on a beautiful day: well, we all know what that's like - heaven on earth for sure. But unfortunately we've had our share of bad luck recently. Following two years of less-than-ideal weather - '08: during the festival, '09: a prolonged monsoon season that among other things saw us run up a huge un-budgeted tab for shuttle bus service - we came to you for donations to recover significant financial losses. You responded, and we thank you sincerely for your support. But in the balance we find several things un-recoverable: Owing to wear and tear issues, our relationship with the Parks Department is not what it once was - not to mention that significant funding and staffing cuts have meant their ability to be there for us has suffered greatly. Furthermore, our core staff and Board have found our abilities to muster our year-round planning energies have been impacted. Logistical and infrastructure issues have always meant "heavy lifting". To cut to the chase, the dawning prospect of battling the elements on an almost annual basis at the park where CVFF was born and bred has put us over the edge. So - sigh - for the fourth time in our 27-year history we have found ourselves looking for a new home. And lo and behold, we are returning to one we tried out briefly many years back - the picturesque Waterfront Park in downtown Burlington. Folks who recall that one experimental year ('93) when the park itself was brand-new will be glad to hear how much more hospitable it has become. It's of course home to many festivals and events all year 'round. There is ample acreage for a number of small-stage activities along with the main and dance stages - the familiar CVFF mix. There's nearby (paved!) parking along with public transportation including a free shuttle. There is camping and swimming a short drive (or bike ride!) up the shore - we are reserving a large block of campsites for festival-goers there. There'll be onsite food and other amenities, as well as access to very nearby cafes and restaurants for other meal choices and late night jams (already being planned). And yes, our own wonderful dance floor will make the trek from Ferrisburgh too! Though as usual all events will be undercover, we are 'double-covering ourselves' and have arranged to use some nice indoor spaces at the new Main Street Landing just across Lake Street for workshops, jam sessions and more. This is a critical year, and having spent a few crucial winter planning months exploring our options, we are now working doubly hard to put on this year's festival (NOTE the dates: Friday July 30 through Sunday August 1st). We know as well as anyone how much the spirit of the festival has always been embodied in the Kingsland Bay setting, even through the years at UVM's Pine Grove (with no water in sight!) So we are doing and will continue to do everything within our power to transplant as much of the CVFF experience as we can to an urban setting. We feel in fact that we are honoring an early commitment, voiced by founder Mark Sustic himself, to be as accessible and inclusive to as many sorts of folks as we possibly can. We hope we can count on your support, patience and of course your ATTENDANCE! (Prices will be dropping dramatically this year - a pleasant result of the move for our ticket-buying audience.) It'll be a great year to introduce some new friends to our Festival who never made it out to the wilds of Ferrisburgh. And as always volunteers of all kinds are encouraged to sign up on the Volunteers page. Thanks so much and we look forward to singing and dancing with you at Waterfront Park this summer! The 'CVFF Crew'
Contact us: info@cvfest.org Phone: 877-850-0206 Web issues: web@cvfest.org