BHB Folk Festival packed full of fun

Wyoming artists, crafts persons, musicians and storytellers will come together Aug. 6-7 in Hot Springs State Park (Thermopolis) for the Annual Big Horn Basin Folk Festival. The Festival celebrates Wyoming’s own with live music, a juried art show and sales, artisan demonstrations and hands-on activities for kids and adults. There is no charge to the public to attend or participate.

New this year is a “Storytelling Circle” featuring regional storytellers and poets. It will be open Saturday, 11:30 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The public is welcome to join in.

Also new this year is an evening music performance. Spencer Bohren, who grew up in Casper but now lives in New Orleans, will be joined by The Tremors, the Casper duo of Cory McDaniel and Dale Bohren, Spencer’s brother, Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., in the Pavilion.

Other musicians who will perform include Miss V “the Gypsy Cowbelle,” Kirby (cowboy country folk); Low Water String Band with Dave Munsic, Lander (traditional string band); ) the Shore, Laramie (traditional folk music and dance; Heaven Bound, Basin, (gospel); Jeff Troxel (finger-picking-style guitar); The Tremors (Cory McDaniel & Dale Bohren), Casper (eclectic); Mike Hurwitz & the Aimless Drifters, Alta (original cowboy country); and Connie Dover, northern Wyoming (traditional Celtic).

An open-to-all acoustic music jam will be held Sunday afternoon around 4 p.m., after the final scheduled performance.

The Juried Art Show & Sale features artists and artisans selling their own works, including wood furniture, jewelry, woodturned bowls, photography, as well as weaving, needlefelting garments and hats. Participants are chosen for their quality of artwork and come from throughout the state. Steve Schrepferman, Cody potter, is serving as juror to select qualified artisans.

Kiwanis Trading Post area has a variety of vendors, from craftsmen to food vendors and nonprofits. Kiwanis will offer their burgers and brats on Saturday at noon. New to the food vendors this year is Hot Springs County Senior Citizen Center, which will be selling their famous cinnamon rolls.

This year’s demonstrators include regional craft guilds as well as individual artisans. Among the guilds represented are Wild West Rug Hookers, Smoking Waters Art Guild, and Northern Wyoming Woodturners. The woodturners will be demonstrating pyrography and wood gilding during the day.

David Osmundsen, Arrowhead Forge, Buffalo, will be working on his portable forge throughout the festival. Jack Mease, Lander, will demonstrate rawhide braiding. Other skills that will be demonstrated include needlefelting, hat making and leather work.

Karl Milner, Gillette, will do a black powder demonstration ,; his son, Teddy Milner, will demonstrate tomahawk throwing.

Kid-friendly hands-on activities include beading, leather work, a make-and-take painting workshop and Miss V’s mini-workshop on how to make music using ordinary household items.

Another special kid-friendly feature this year is a “Color Thermopolis” mural sponsored by Smoking Waters Art Guild and Thermopolis Community Fund. The mural is 12 foot long and five foot high with an outlined scene of Thermopolis that can be wiped clean after each session.

The festival activities are open to the public without charge because of our generous sponsors. The festival is organized by Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation and supported by major grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, Wyoming Arts Council, Hot Springs State Park, Hot Springs Educational Endowment Fund and Hot Springs Travel & Tourism. The Storytelling Circle is sponsored by Wyoming Humanities Council and Big Horn Basin Storytelling Guild.

Additional support comes from Thermopolis Chamber of Commerce, Smoking Waters Art Guild (SWAG), Thermopolis Kiwanis, Las Fuentes, CAPTEL and Pinnacle Bank.

Over 4,700 people attended last year’s festival. For schedules and a full list of participants, activities and updates, check the website http://www.wyomingfolkfestival.com.