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2003 Festival |
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The 2003 Festival took place on two perfect days in early August. Outdoors, there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Indoors was intense: the audience was enraptured by sheer diversity, a thrilling procession of different cultures, instruments, and musicians across the stage. |
While about half the instruments and musicians were familiar, the other half had a flavor of wonderful strangeness. The emotions elicited by the music, however, were not at all strange: delight, enthusiasm, excitement, the wish to participate. |
 Deb Dawson & Penny Cloud |
 French Village Circle Dance |
Every concert on the main stage in the north room caused people to get up, push the chairs back to the walls, and join with their neighbors in a joyful circle dance or boogie. |
 Nuba troupe members in the audience | ||
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The audience was enriched by musicians and dancers whose costumes and rapt attention sharpened and brightened everyone's experience. Folk music forms are, like the people who perpetuate them, optimistic by nature, and this spirit suffused everyone at the Festival. But the whole Festival was not indoors or at the concerts. |
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 The Sorias in a rare moment of calm photo by Rhoda Teplow |
Miguel Soria and his family were busy all day both days dishing out fresh, delicious tacos from their little stand on the back deck, while Ellis from Mermaid Seafood sold sushi, and the Mendocino Satellite School did a great business with the beverages and snacks. The ice cream lady from Cowlicks had two great days -- it was ice cream weather.
Under the two outdoor canopies, informal gatherings of musicians and listeners continued the musical dialogue being carried on for a week at Lark Camp, the Festival's reason for being. Throughout the weekend, strolling players and storytellers assembled and enthralled small gatherings of children and parents. |
In forty booths, artists, folk-crafters, and vendors sold a distinctly international sampling of wares. The site never felt crowded, and the weather made strolling a perfect thing to be doing on an August day in Caspar. |
 Kevin Carr spins his tale at Sunday Storytelling |
Caspar Community Center 15051 Caspar Road - box 84 Caspar, California 95420 707.964.4997 gather@CasparFest.org |
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for more information, email Caspar World Folk Festival,
gather@CasparFest.org
: : last updated 18 August 2003 : 16:19 Caspar (Pacific) time : :
photos and text on this page
copyright © 2003 Michael Potts, Caspar Institute
printed with 100% recycled electrons! |