2008 Florida Folk Festival

The 56th Florida Folk Festival, a three-day celebration of the music, dance, stories, crafts and food that make Florida unique begins Friday, May 23. From Irish fiddle tunes and kumquat pie, to the wide varieties of music brought by immigrants, the state’s cultural heritage reflects the lives of generations of Florida families and communities. Throughout the Memorial Day weekend more than 300 performances give voice and meaning to Florida’s heritage.

This year’s Festival proudly takes a step back to festival tradition and Florida performers. Audiences are sure to be charmed this year when "The Real McCoy", Grammy Award winning Nashville recording artist, Charlie McCoy, performs on the main stage Saturday night at the Florida Folk Festival. Charlie McCoy is a critically-acclaimed and much sought-

Charlie McCoy

after multi-instrumentalist whose 44 year career as a Nashville session recording artist spans the entire catalogue of modern country music. He got his early start in Nashville by playing harmonica on Roy Orbison’s hit song "Candy Man." McCoy has played on thousands of albums contributing his musical talents on the harmonica, guitar and bass to the greatest artists of all time, including Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Paul Simon, Roy Orbison and many others.

Sharing top musical billing this year are: award-winning performing songwriter Amy Carol Webb; one-man-band blues maestro Ben Prestage; National Campus Entertainment Hall of Fame inductee Del Suggs; Florida Folk Heritage Award Winner Jeanie Fitchen; seasoned songstress diva Mindy Simmons; Haitian Vodou Pop by Papaloko & Loray Mistik

Haitian Vodou Pop by Papaloko & Loray Mistik

("Mistik Thunder"); Florida’s pre-eminent all girl folk music group from Gainesville, Patchwork; proficient bluegrass mandolin picker and folk musician Red Henry joins son Chris Henry; exciting bluegrass, acoustic, folk and old-time music by Gatorbone; and extraordinary singer and finger style guitarist Jim Carrick.

This year’s Festival theme is cattle ranching. Cattle ranching in the present-day United States began in Florida in the 16th century. Today, more than a million cattle graze on five million acres of Florida land and the state ranks 12th nationally in beef production. Learn more about Florida's cattle ranching traditions in the 2008 Folklife Area.

At the Florida Folk Festival you can sit with the masters who keep cultural traditions alive. In jam sessions, demonstrations and workshops, try your own hand at playing mandolin, telling stories, or making a pine needle basket. Learn how to collect your family’s history, call a square dance, or the importance of native plant and animal species. Take a shopping excursion and visit with Florida’s traditional and contemporary craftsmen. Then dine on collard greens and cornbread, chicken pilau and hoppin’ john, shrimp gumbo, barbecue, curries, gyros and lime fizzes. As the sun sets, settle in for concerts by moonlight or dance the night away at the Heritage Stage. At the end of the day you’ll have discovered new corners of the state from the people who call Florida home.

Join the crowds along the Suwannee River at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, home of the Florida Folk Festival for 56 years. The Festival is presented under the auspices of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of Recreation and Parks. The festival will run through May 25.