MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT TO DELIGHT AUDIENCES AT
THE 2006 KUTZTOWN FESTIVAL

More Information: Dave Fooks, 610-683-1537
e-mail fooks@kutztown.edu

Again in 2006, there will be no empty moments at the Kutztown Festival.

The annual folklife festival at the Kutztown Fairgrounds, July 1 – 9, will be filled with continuous entertainment, music and dancing on six stages.

And off-stage, strolling musicians, reenactments, special presentations, and distinctive events such as the hoe down free-for all and a colorful 4 th of July parade will keep visitors busy wondering what they should choose to see or do next.

Pennsylvania Dutch fiddling fills the air every day. Time-honored folk, country, and religious melodies reflect traditions that go back in the Pennsylvania German community to the 19 th century. “Music has always been an important part of their life and it is has a very special place in their heritage. The music is a unique expression of a wonderful culture that is German in background but is strongly influenced by a pioneering American experience,” says Festival Executive Director Dave Fooks.

Echoing Heart, the Blue Mountain Gospel Express, Jim Haner, the banjo man, Beverly and Luke, and Steve Walker will offer traditional country and folk music. Keith and Karlene Brintzenhof will lead audiences in singing old Pennsylvania Dutch “Sing, Spiel unn Danz” favorites.

The brassy sounds of the Heidelberg Band and the Sauerkraut Band will return in 2006 to provide upbeat music both on stage and on the midway as the strolling bands perform for visitors throughout the fairgrounds. A quieter tone is offered in the beautiful, centuries-old Mennonite devotional music sung by an a capella choir.

Music is to be learned as well as heard, according to members of the Acoustic Roadshow. They will display the talents of local musical performers and also provide visitors with the opportunity to play simple melodies on the guitar.

There is audience participation, too, on the children's stage where children (and adults, as well) are invited to take part in sing-alongs offered by Karen Terry Ludwig. And the duo, Echoing Heart invites kids to join them in performing children's folk songs.

Unsurpassed Pennsylvania Dutch comedy is presented on-stage by humorists Bill Meck and Leroy Brown who delight their audiences with humorous stories told in the dialect and in English.

Visitors are invited to link arms in a square dance “free for all” Wednesday and Friday evenings on the hoe down stage, while each day Lester Miller and the Country Boys present three performances of the festival's famous jigging and hoedown dancing in front of appreciative audiences.

Pageantry and music come together in the 4 th of July Parade with the Festival's craftsmen, entertainers, and presenters, the Heidelberg and Sauerkraut bands, and a full color guard leading visitors to the Festival's main stage for the traditional Independence Day ceremony.

Now in its 57th year, the Kutztown Festival features a wide variety of good family fun. In addition to lots of Pennsylvania Dutch food, there are 220 nationally-recognized, juried folk artists and traditional American craftsmen; nearly 2,500 locally hand-made quilts on display and for sale; antiques and collectables, 6 stages of entertainment, music, dancing, and a wide range of children's activities.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission for adults is $10, seniors $9. Children 12 and under are admitted free. There is ample free parking and free shuttle service is offered from the Festival parking areas to the fairgrounds. For a free brochure, please call 1-888-674-6136 or 610-683-1597. Visit the Festival website at http://www.kutztownfestival.com

xxxx