Folk festival to have down-home feel

Before working as a volunteer at the first Nashua River Valley Folk Festival at the Bolton Fairgrounds in Lancaster, Mass., last summer, Kathy Pierce wasn't a folk music aficionado.

Now, she's getting ready to host the event in her own backyard - literally.

Jean Syria, who co-organizes the event and the long-running Lancaster Coffeehouse with partner Denise Hurley, said they weren't able to come up with an agreement with the Bolton Fair board for a return engagement of the festival to the fairgrounds for 2008 that would allow them to recoup their investment.

A "sizable amount of money was lost" at the first festival, Syria said.

As they began investigating prospective new locations, Pierce, who lives on three-and-a-half acres of land on Packard Street, said, "Why not come over and take a look?'"

Perfect in size, the coffeehouse's soundman also checked out the site and told Syria and Hurley that he could make the festival work there.

Remarkably, considering the enormousity of her offer, Pierce has only attended one Lancaster Coffeehouse concert in its 11 years. That visit did, however, leave a lasting impression.

"It was a wonderful time of people getting together to enjoy the music," Pierce said. She knows how passionate folk music fans can be, recalling the afternoon she was working as a dispatcher at the Lancaster Police Department when someone came in asking for directions to the coffeehouse.

"He said, 'There's this folk group I follow everywhere playing there,'" Pierce said. "I was impressed that someone could be so devoted to a performer and they were providing them this outlet."

Finally, last August, Pierce too got the bug.

"I was never one for folk music, but being down on the field in front of the stage at the first festival I said, 'This is wonderful,'" she said. "I'm very Irish, so when the Glengarry Brothers performed, I went bananas. I didn't understand folk music before that day but I do now. It's from the soul."

Pierce has twice gone to Ireland, where she enjoyed listening to musicians jamming in the local pubs. When she vacationed at Epcot Center in Florida, she found herself drawn to the Kilters, a Canada-based Irish music outfit.

"I'm basically into Irish music," she said.

Once she agreed to host the festival, Pierce's property needed a "festive" and official sounding name. It became the Pierce Homestead.

"I'm the third owner of this property," she explained. "Last year I was clearing the steps and I found the inscription, 'Lynch' which must have been the first family. We bought it from the Babcocks. I've been in the house for 35 years. My kids grew up here. So it definitely is a homestead."

Besides her home - which will serve as the performers' hospitality "green room," the land is all open space.

"About 10 or 15 years ago, we mowed the back side of it to open it up," Pierce said.

It should be perfect for the estimated 1,000 to 2,000 people Syria hopes will attend this year's festival, which takes place from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 10. The lineup will feature co-headliners Richie Havens and Lori McKenna, Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, Mustard's Retreat, Northern Lights and Susan Werner.

David Tamulevich, a member of Mustard's Retreat and co-owner of the Roots Talent Agency, which represents many of the acts who've performed at the Lancaster Coffeehouse, will host an agent/manager workshop for singer-songwriters.

Expected topics include how to put together an attention-getting press kit and the pitfalls performers fall into while trying to make a name for themselves and how to avoid them. Syria is also considering having a side stage or perhaps a place in the program for up-and-coming acts.

Early Bird tickets for the festival are now available for $30 (with tickets for children 6 through 12 available for $10; five and younger get in free) until April 1. All sales are final with no refunds. VIP packages are available for $125 (adults) and $55 (children). Community Newspaper Company, the parent company of MotherTown, is a media sponsor.

The organizers were glad to be able to announce this year's lineup in time for festival tickets to be sold as Christmas gifts.

"We sold a bunch of VIP ones," Syria said, noting only 100 of the packages are available. "People like them. They sit under a tent, get coffee all day and if they want, they're able to sit up close to side of the stage upfront."

Some neighbors have offered use of their land to help with parking.

"I asked one of our local farmers to do a hayride to bring people from some of the parking lots," Syria said. There also will be a drop-off location at the site for blankets, chairs and coolers. "We want to make it as convenient as possible for people. They can bring picnic baskets but no glass bottles, no pets - and that includes snakes."

Syria hopes to have a good representation of local food vendors. Pierce helped secure Murph the Hot Dog Man, a local landmark at Bartlett's Pond in Lancaster, after he dropped by the police station one day.

"I asked him if he'd do it and he said he'd just charge us for his costs and donate the rest to the event's affiliated charities," she said.

Proceeds are targeted to the angel trees of the Lancaster Police Department and Perkins School and the Item Appeal.

And if you're not into meat-based products, don't worry.

"We'll address the vegetarians and vegans, too," Syria promised.

People interested in having a food, craft or information table at the event as well as businesses willing to sponsor a festival performer to help defray the cost of the event should contact the organizers at 978-365-2043.

Tickets for the Nashua River Valley Folk Festival can be purchased in person at the Clinton Item and Sunrise Boutique in Clinton and online at lancastercoffeehouse.com.

Brian Goslow is a regular contributor to MotherTown.