Wyoming's music at the folk festival

The Big Horn Basin Folk Festival, taking place in Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis on August 5 and 6 will feature another great line-up of local and regional musicians. The music will run from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday, August 5 and from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 6, based at the park pavilion.

“Each year, the line-up for the Festival gets better and better,” Toddi Darlington, one of the organizers of the event, stated enthusiastically. This year’s performers include old favorites and new faces: Connie Dover, Sunshine Basin, traditional Celtic; Darrell Lonebear, Northern Arapaho, Wind River Reservation, hand-drumming; Dave Munsick and the Little Big Band, Sheridan, country cowboy; Heaven Bound, Basin, Sunday morning gospel; Jared Rogerson, Pinedale, country, Americana, Western, and folk; Miss V, “Gypsy Cowbelle,” Thermopolis, traditional and original country cowgirl, banjo and guitar; Mount Sinai Synagogue Dancers, Cheyenne, Jewish/Israeli dance; Rattlesnake Ridge, Worland, country/rock/blues; Round the Bend, Laramie, traditional American & European folk; banjo, guitar, accordion and pipes; and Whiskey Slaps, Laramie, traditional styles with contemporary picking & harmonies, guitar, mandolin and stand-up bass.

The Big Horn Basin Folk Festival is sponsored by Hot Springs Greater Learning Foundation and Hot Springs State Park with support from Wyoming Arts Council, Wyoming State Legislature and Hot Springs Travel & Tourism. Additional support is from Hot Springs County Education Endowment, Thermopolis Community Fund and Pinnacle Bank. The two-day event also features the Kiwanis Trading Post with other arts and crafts for sale as well as a Food Court.

The Festival is the same weekend as the Gift of the Waters Pageant Days. The pageant tells how the hot springs were given to the state by the Native Americans on the Wind River Reservation. Following the Gift of the Waters Pageant Parade on Saturday, Shoshone dancers will perform at the flagpole in downtown at 11 a.m. The pageant will be performed at 6-7 p.m. in the area around the Big Spring on Saturday and Sunday.

For more information and schedules: http://www.wyomingfolkfestival.com.

For more information on the Kiwanis Craft Fair and Trading Post and Food Court, interested vendors should contact Linda Herrin, jandlherr@rtconnect.net .