Coshocton Dulcimer Days now in 45th consecutive year
COSHOCTON – One of the longest-running dulcimer festivals in Ohio is celebrating its 45th consecutive year this year. Coshocton Dulcimer Days will be held Friday, June 14 through Sunday, June 16 in Historic Roscoe Village. Admission to the festival is free.
Headliners to perform at the concert on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Roscoe United Methodist Church will be Aaron O’Rourke and David Mahler.
“Our headliners this year are both young men and we’re kind of looking to feature or highlight some of the younger faces, the younger talent in the dulcimer world,” said Louise Cardenzana, secretary and treasurer of the festival.
This year, a returning face many in the dulcimer music world would know, Tish Westman, is back after being absent from the festival for a few years. Westman will be leading workshops throughout the weekend, along with many other dulcimer instructors, which will be held inside of Central Ohio Technical College. A total of 58 workshops will be conducted during the festival on Friday and Saturday. Beginning at 1 p.m. Friday, they will range in difficulty from “very beginner” to “advanced”.
“The workshops are more manageable because they are smaller so folks can feel like they are not going to be lost in a sea of faces,” said Cardenzana. “They don’t mind asking questions because it’s not a big mass group of people. Here, you only pay for what you’re going to do. People can come and take one or two classes if that’s all they want to do and all they have to pay for.”
All workshops on Friday end at 5 p.m. Jam in the parlor will also be during this time, from 1 to 5 p.m. and at 7 p.m., the traditional jam begins in Montgomery Hall inside of COTC which is held until 10 p.m. There will also be a variety of vendors on the streets of Roscoe throughout the festival selling dulcimers, psalteries, strings, sheet music, CDs, and other related items.
Saturday workshops begin at 9 a.m. and run until 5 p.m. and mini-concerts will be held from 9:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. All workshops are $15 each. There will also be a jam on the first floor all day and the day culminates with the headliner concert at 7 p.m. at Roscoe United Methodist Church.
Sunday begins with a Gospel sing at 11 a.m., jam session all day, and the festival ends with the Mid-East Regional Dulcimer Championship at 1 p.m.
Cardenzana said the annual festival draws many people from throughout the United States. She said she has already had people reserve tickets from Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.
“They fill up the hotels and campsites,” said Cardenzana. “Because we don’t have a meal associated with the festival, people have to find somewhere to eat, so they visit our restaurants. I’ve had people come who say they’ve never been to Coshocton before and they’ll have to bring their families back. People will come back throughout the year to Coshocton.”
Raffles will also be available this year with many beautiful instruments and Coshocton products available. A newly-designed t-shirt will also be available for purchase for $15.
The Coshocton Dulcimer Days Festival is looking for new leaders to take over the festival next year and in the years to come.
“We are more than willing to work with anybody to pass on what we know,” said Cardenzana. “We are not opposed to the festival changing either.”
For more information on the festival, visit www.coshoctondulcimerdays.com.
Category: Arts & Entertainment
