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Local Festival Time: Missed One and a Busy Month Ahead

Summer brings festival season. Clifftop and Galax are just around the corner, but there are a slew of events coming up that are closer to home where there will be plenty of old-time jamming to enjoy. Meanwhile, I'm still struggling to find time to play music amid other summertime activities. 

July and August are especially busy for Northeast Ohio's old-time music community, with a full slate of events packed into a tight window. I'm sad to say I missed Music in the Valley earlier this month, but there are two more festivals to look forward to next month.

Following the disruptions to events the last two years from the COVID-19 pandemic, this seems like especially challenging time for organizers. It was such a welcome experience to return to the Lake Erie Folk Festival in April. I hope the rest of the local events experience plenty of success to bolster them for the future. 

This is a good reminder to show support for the things you enjoy, or they might not be around much longer. 

Music Along the River arrives Aug. 12-13 in Harpersfield, Ohio. A good friend and expert banjo wrangler is one of the organizers, so I'm hoping to finally make my way up north to Astabula County to enjoy some good times. 

Raccoon County Music Festival returns Aug. 20 to Century Village in Burton, Ohio. This has long been my favorite local festival, and I'm very excited that it's back. However, life likes to throw the occasional monkey wrench into the works. 

PorchRokr is an annual music festival that takes place in my neighborhood of Akron, Ohio. The first year included a performance by the Blue Eagle String Band, which once counted the late Christian Wig as a member. The festival rotates between different parts of Highland Square, and this year my street is included. When the organizers stopped by a few weeks ago to ask if they could use our porch, we said yes. It dawned on me the other day that it was the same day as Raccoon County. Ugh. 

I'm happy to see our local festivals returning, and I hope they get the support they deserve. The good news is that the relay race I've been training for is this weekend, so I should have a little more time to dedicate to fiddle and banjo. 

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