NEWS RELEASE
Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu)
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
http://www.nsula.edu/news
7/3/2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES – Some of the most interesting cultural traditions in Louisiana will be discussed as part of the 28th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival July 20-21 in Prather Coliseum on the Northwestern State University campus in Natchitoches.
The Festival will be held from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. on Friday, July 20 and from 8 a.m. until 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 21. Tickets are $11 for a weekend pass purchased in advance, $8 for an all-day pass, $5 for the evening only and $ 3 for children 7-12. Children six and under admitted free.
The 2007 Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival is supported by grants from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and the Natchitoches Area Convention and
Visitors Bureau.
This year’s theme for the Festival is “Passing It On – The Next Generation,” highlighting next generation artists who are carrying on family and community traditions.
Planned narrative sessions include “Tunica Songs,” “Czech Dance Traditions,” “Egg Knocking,” “Quilting: Piecing and Passing On,” “Basketry: Weaving Cultural Traditions” and “Miss Lillie’s Creole Kitchen.” Other scheduled narrative sessions are “Furniture: Passing on Material Culture,” “Healing Traditions,” “Traditions in the Lumber Industry,” “Tatting: Threads of Culture,” “Northwest Louisiana Anglo Foodways” and “Hadley Castille & Cajun Music Traditions.”
For the fourth year, the Folk Festival will host the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship on Saturday, July 21, from. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Prather Coliseum’s Main Stage. Fiddlers from around the state will compete for cash prizes and ribbons in two categories – Trophy Division and Championship Division. Fiddlers can enter in either division, but not both. The Trophy Division is not competitive for the state championship and is open for the following age groups: 12 and under, 13-18, and 60 and above.
The top two fiddlers from each group in the Championship Division – ages 0-21, 22-59, and 60 and above -- will compete for cash prizes and the opportunity to be recognized as the state’s best fiddler. The winner will perform that evening at 6 p.m. on the Festival’s main stage in Prather Coliseum. Last year’s Louisiana State Fiddle Champion was Emily Young of DeRidder.
For music lovers, this year’s festival will include many of the types of music heard in Louisiana including country-western, Cajun, blues, ballads, bluegrass, gospel and zydeco.
Friday night’s headliners are the Hardcore Troubadours, playing country music and Scotty Pousson & Pointe Aux Loups Playboys, performing Cajun music.
On Saturday night, the headliners will include Cajun performers Hadley Castille and the Sharecroppers and the Rivers Revue, playing blues and rhythm and blues.
Also scheduled to perform during the Festival are Kennedy Family Gospel, the Rio Creoles, the Hoodoo Papas, Goldman Thibodeaux and the Lawtell Playboys, the Back Porch Band Howell & Caskey, Briggs Brown and Bayou Cajuns, Manning’s Gospel Singers, Southland Bluegrass, Gal Holiday and Honky Tonk Revue and Thomas “Big Hat” Fields and his Footstompin’ Zydeco Band.
Festival visitors are always interested in the crafts area where traditional craftspeople demonstrate their work and sell items. Many of these artists use natural resources such as vines, river cane, white oak, and moss in creating the crafts that are part of their culture. More than 30 craftspeople are expected to attend.
For more information on the Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival, call (318) 357-4332 or go to www.nsula.edu/folklife.
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