---------- Happy 2004 FRFFers,
Our first issue of the year comes to you from the deep freeze of New England here in Sharon CT on a sunny, very cold, but sunny Super Bowl Sunday morning. Hope all of you are warm and toasty wherever you are and are having a great start in your endeavors for 2004. Three bits of news in this issue, fest dates, our winter HoliDAZE ticket sales starting on Feb 1 and the results of last year's Emerging Artist Showcase.
Read on. And don't forget, this is an occasional newsletter from the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival and is sent by request only. This list is never shared and is handled by a real person, that's me, just hit reply and let me know if you want to be removed, add a new address, change your address etc.
1- First and foremost the fest dates are July 22, 23, 24 and 25, 2004. The 4 day format begun in 2003 could not have been more successful and we plan to keep it that way. Our website is being updated right now with more info including artists booked so far.
2 - We are starting our HoliDAZE deep discount ticket sales. We tried this for the first time last year and the response was truly overwhelming. Many of you have been waiting patiently and we are ready to go with 4 Day and 4 Day with Camping Tickets. They are available now, Feb 1, exclusively from our toll free number, 866 325-2744.
A limited number of these categories, 300 all 4 day with camping and 150 all 4 day no camping are on sale until Feb 21 or supplies run out which by the way they did in 3 weeks last year. Please, no more than 8 tickets per person during this special pricing period. 4 Day with Camping tickets are $70 and include all 4 days entry to the fest with onsite camping. Gate price of this ticket is $110. The 4 day ticket sale price is $50. Gate price of this ticket is $90.
Get them while they last. Call toll free 866 325-2744. Visa and MC accepted. You can also send a check payable to Falcon Ridge Ltd. Please call first to hold your tix if you will be paying by check, we can't guarantee tix will still be available if you mail in without calling us first. Mail your payment to:
Falcon Ridge
Tickets
74 Modley Rd
Sharon CT 06069
The Ticket office will close From Feb 22-29 while we attend the international Folk Alliance Conference in San Diego but messages can be left at the toll free number 866 325-2744 or at 860 364-0366, the festival info line. Sales will resume on March 1 and online ordering will once again be available sometime in March.
3 - Here are the results of the FRFF audience surveys for the Top 3 Emerging Artists the audience would like to see return in 2004. Congratulations to each and every one of our 2003 showcasers for a fine showing! All showcasers had fans, some brand new, that voted for them and also purchased their merchandise at the fest. In addition to an automatic invite to do the Most Wanted Song Swap and workshop appearances at next year's fest, the top voted artists are also invited to do our annual spring preview tour in early May. This will be our seventh one. More details on that will be available shortly on our website and the next E newsletter.
From just over 1800 total surveys completely filled out this year, that's 300 more than the year before by the way, and 970 of them voting for their fave showcasers, the results are:
1 - Jeffrey Foucault - garnering votes from 25% of the voting audience
2 - Carla Ulbrich - with 23%
3 - George Wurzbach and Terence Martin - with 21 and 20% respectively so we are calling this a tie
Honorable mentions to many strong contenders this year, most notably KJ Denhert who finished fourth followed by Dan Pelletier, Rebecca Folsom, 5-Alone and Kate McDonnell, 5 strong honorable mentions this year. All of the above had more than 10% of the votes cast. In other words, it was a really well received showcase all around.
Much thanks to our 2003 judges who in the last 2 weeks of judging received over 250 submissions. There were 410 total submissions reviewed by Vic & Reba Heyman of Vic's Music Corner and official guardian angels of traveling folkies in the DC area, Bob McWilliams aka RadioBob of KANU and Westside Folk Concerts in Lawrence KS and Alan Rowoth of folkmusic.org fame and internet guru to the folk masses. Much thanks also to our stage manager extraordinaire, Donna Grande who compiled the survey results.
That's all for now, our very first E newsletter of the new year, thanks, Anne
Anne Saunders Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Always on the fourth weekend in July 16 years of Folk Music & Dance in the Berkshires July 22, 23, 24, 25, 2004 Long Hill Farm, Hillsdale, NY www.FalconRidgeFolk.com ------------------ Winterhawk - Bluegrass and Beyond Look for us on a new weekend and location in the future www.Winterhawk2000.com
