Woody Guthrie Festival Not to Be Missed
Jill Garner
It’s that time of year when the sun is beating down on the scorched Oklahoma earth, and the music is getting hot in Okemah at the annual Woody Guthrie Festival July 14th through the 17th. If you’ve never been, now’s the time to take a road trip and head out I-40 to hear some of the best musicians in the country right here in small-town Oklahoma. It’s about an hour and a half drive east of Oklahoma City and the only cost is $5 for parking.
The festival has been growing steadily the past few years with more and more people discovering the quality of the music in Okemah, the fun of the Brickstreet Café in downtown Okemah, the beauty of the old Crystal Theater, and the relaxation of sitting out under the stars in the field at night on a blanket or chair while musicians such as Jimmy LaFave, Kevin Welch, Ellis Paul, Carrie Newcomer, Audrey Auld, Arlo Guthrie, Steve Earle, Slaid Cleaves and many more play great music and help us forget how hot it is.
I’ve written a couple of articles in the past about a woman named Kris Delmhorst out of Northampton, Massachusetts who is an incredible
songwriter and singer. Imagine my surprise when I saw her name on the list of performers for this year’s festival! She will be on the pasture stage on Thursday, July 15th at 7:20. It’s hot at that time of evening so bring a hat, but she’ll be worth the drive. Please, treat yourself and go hear her. All the performers sell and sign CDs too so bring some extra money to take home some great new music and meet the performers.
Just a few other notable performers you might want to hear at the festival are Emily Kaitz, Mary Reynolds, Susan Gibson (formerly of the Groobees), Audrey Auld (I saw her last year and she’s fabulous), Tracie Merchant (from Dallas), and The Burns Sisters. Go to www.woodyguthrie.com for a complete schedule. You can take food and drinks to the festival, but you can’t have glass and you can’t haul the whole ice chest into the pasture for the night concerts. I find making a few trips to the car works just fine. It’s a great time, the music is wonderful, and it’s a unique experience and a festival that Oklahomans should be proud of.