Professor Louie and the Crowmatrix (above) will headline this summers’s Cornstolk Folk Festival at Lazy Brook Park in Tunkhannock (top). The seasoned musicians, who call Woodstock, NY, home, have worked with rock and folk legends for years, including The Band, Bob Dylan, Joe Jackson, and Asleep at the Wheel. They formed Crowmatrix in 2000 and have honed a distinct Americana, roots rock sound that has garnered them international acclaim.
Tickets for the Cornstock Folk Festival, which will be held from Friday to Sunday, Sept. 2 to 4, are now on sale. Free camping is included with the purchase of weekend passes, which will be discounted $20 through Friday, June 10. The three-day celebration of roots and acoustic music will be held at Lazy Brook Park near the intersection of Routes 6 and 92, two miles east of Tunkhannock.
Cornstock has developed a reputation for featuring a variety of acts that cover the spectrum of folk music, from bluegrass and Americana acoustic rock to breezy reggae and other forms of grass-roots music.
“The bands performing at Cornstock are the best bands you’ve never heard of,” said Jillian Hannigan, who coordinates the festival with her husband Anthony Hannigan. “They may not be household names, but their talent is indisputable.”
In addition to Professor Louie and Crowmatrix, the impressive lineup includes Roy Williams & the Human Hands, the Brummy Brothers, Bobtown, Poor Man’s Gambit, Vintage Drive and Launch PAD. Regional and local acts, many of who have become mainstays at Cornstock include Hickory Project, George Wesley, Coal Town Rounders, Bug Tussle, JP Williams Blues Band, Sassafras, Dishonest Fiddlers, Couple Days, Texas Rose, and Take 2.
While most of those on the roster are well-established groups, Launch PAD is comprised of Pappy Biondo and Dylan Starsky from Cabinet and Anthony Hannigan of Hickory Project. They will host one of the festival’s two late-night shows and are indicative of impromptu jams that pop up throughout the grounds over the weekend.
Festival guests may purchase day passes for Friday, Saturday or Sunday or weekend passes, which include free camping on Friday and Saturday nights. Those who spend the weekend enjoy the leisure of taking breaks from music for walks through the idyllic park, a refreshing dip or float in Tunkhannock Creek, and browsing the many vendor stands on site. There will also be a number of artisans and crafters and opportunities to relax under the guidance of yoga instructors.
Weekend passes are currently available at the discounted rate of $40 per person. For more information about the Cornstock Folk Festival and to purchase tickets, visit www.cornstockfestival.com and like Cornstock Folk Festival on Facebook.