Claremont Insider: No Folk Fest This Year

Thursday, May 14, 2009

No Folk Fest This Year


Turns out there won't be a Claremont Folk Festival this year. The Daily Bulletin reported last month that the event was cancelled as a result of some unspecified scheduling conflicts.

Bulletin reporter Wes Woods II interviewed Claremont Folk Music Center owner Ellen Chase-Verdries for the article (no longer posted online):

Chase-Verdries declined to name the acts that caused the scheduling conflicts.

The festival was also not helped by the retirement of Sycamore Elementary School Principal Tom Cooper, who was a "big part of putting this on and in charge of the venue," Chase-Verdries said.

Sycamore Elementary has hosted the festival.

Chase-Verdries said she did not want an interim person from the school being pressured to run the festival.

"Not to sound too `New Age-y,' but there were enough signs from the universe that it would be an uphill battle" to put on the festival, Chase-Verdries said.

Chase-Verdries said in the article that the event will return in May, 2010. Last year's event, with Ben Harper, Jackson Browne, and the ageless Taj Mahal, was fantastic. Let's hope the event makes it back next year.