The sixth annual American Roots Music Series opens Saturday at Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island. The series celebrates the roots of American music with local artists performing a variety of music styles, including traditional folk music from the Pacific Northwest.
The outdoor concert series begins at 7 p.m. Saturdays and will run through Aug. 4. The park is at 41020 state Route 20 in Oak Harbor.
Admission is free to the performances. The Discover Pass is required to attend the concerts.
All performances are in the West Beach amphitheater on the Whidbey Island side of the park, unless raining. If raining, performances will move to the East Cranberry Lake picnic shelter, also on the Whidbey Island side of the park.
Here is the performance schedule:
Saturday: DW Groethe, original cowboy songs and poems from a real Montana ranch hand.
July 14: Phil and Vivian Williams, traditional fiddle tunes and string music from the Northwest and Oregon Trail.
July 21: La Famille Léger, Acadien and Quebecois house music from eastern Canada.
July 28: A Moment in Time, Seattle African-American a capella gospel quartet.
Aug. 4: Hank Nelson and Bob and Mike Antone, music and stories from the Northwest timber communities.
The American Roots music series is part of a broader series of events celebrating Washington’s diverse cultures and presented by the Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program. The program is a partnership between the State Parks and Recreation Commission, the state Arts Commission and Northwest Heritage Resources with funding provided by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Washington State Arts Commission, and the Washington State Parks Foundation. For a full schedule of Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program events, visit parks.wa.gov/events.
FORT FLAGLER CONCERTS
The fourth annual summer concert series in the historic buildings of Fort Flagler State Park will continue Saturday.
The concerts are at 7 p.m. and will run through Sept. 1 at the park, 10541 Flagler Road, Nordland. Visitors can enjoy a variety of genres during the annual concert series performances in either Battery Bankhead or the historic military hospital at the park. Both historic buildings are remnants of the 19th century military fort established to guard the nautical entrance to Puget Sound.
The remaining schedule is:
Saturday: American folk music by The Eric Miller Band at Battery Bankhead.
July 28: Bluegrass and bluegrass blend music by Blackberry Bushes at Battery Bankhead.
Aug. 4: 1960s era folk music by Shady Grove at the historic hospital.
Aug. 18: Country and classic rock music by Chantilly Lace at Battery Bankhead.
Sept. 1: Alternative folk music by the Winterlings at the historic hospital.
A Discover Pass is required for vehicle access to the concerts. Concert admission is $8 per person, $15 per family and free to children younger than 13 years of age. Seating is limited. For more information about the concert series, visit flaglerflashes.blogspot.com.
NPS VISITS UP IN MAY
Visits to national park units across the country increased 2 percent in May, according to the National Park Service. Year-to-date recreation visits increased 58 percent for the first five months of the year. Recreation visits year-to-date increased to 93.2 million.
As reported last week, year-to-date visits at Mount Rainier National Park are up 15 percent through May, while they are down 7.3 pecent at Olympia National Park.
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