Florence Previews Massive Winter Folk Fest on Central Oregon Coast

Published 08/12/2019 at 6:23 PM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Florence, Oregon) – Smack dab in the middle of the coastline – on that border between northern half and southern Oregon coast – Florence will seriously warm up this winter.

Three days of smokin' hot bluegrass, folk music and foot-stompin' Americana will light up the town on January 24 – 26, the with the 18th annual Florence Winter Music Festival. Nine top-tier bands are joined by exhibits and demonstrations by regional artisans, jam sessions, food, and drink.

Discounted tickets are on sale in two waves, with the biggest discount available through August 14. Prices increase slightly until September 20, then increase to full price on September 21, 2019. Admission to the workshops is $15 (but free to concert ticketholders) and only available in person at the Florence Event Center box office.

A complete festival overview, with artist profiles and early ticket discounts of this Oregon coast winter highlight, is available at WinterMusicFestival.org.

New this year will be workshops by the performers on songwriting, guitar skills and jamming.

The 2020 festival headliner is Livingston Taylor. Taylor deftly wanders through and blends a range of musical genres - folk, pop, gospel, jazz - fusing it with upbeat storytelling and hit songs he's written for his brother James.

The weekend starts on Bluegrass Friday with Canadian mandolin master John Reischman and the Jaybirds at 7:00 p.m. and Kathy Kallick Band at 8:30 p.m. Kallick, a Grammy and IBMA award winner, was described as “jaw-dropping awesome” by the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival.

Saturday is Americana Day beginning with the Pete Wernick Jam Method workshop at 9:00 a.m. led by Annie Savage of The Greg Blake Band. Jim Hurst's guitar workshop begins at 10:30 a.m.

Saturday's performances start with the soulful passion of blues and rock melded with the honesty of folk as presented by Mr & Mrs Something at 1:00 p.m., the deft finger work and smooth vocals of Nashville's sought-after guitarist Jim Hurst at 2:15, and the multi-award-winning country/folk/bluegrass music of the Greg Blake Band at 3:45. The evening session starts with a sizzling band that represents everything that's good about the new generation of acoustic music, blurring the lines between bluegrass, jazz, and rock: Circus No. 9 performs at 7:00 and then Livingston Taylor at 8:30.

Sunday features True North Duo's songwriting workshop at 10:30 a.m. At 1:00 p.m. the wildly creative Tyler Stenson, twice-named Portland's singer-songwriter of the year, brings his “elegant folk” music as heard on SiriusXM's Coffee House station to the stage. At 2:30 festival favorite True North's Kristen Grainger and Dan Wetzel, performing as a duo, deliver their trademark powerhouse of intelligent, memorable songs and lush instrumentals and vocals, to wrap up the weekend.

Livingston Taylor

In harmony with the music is the free Florence Regional Arts Alliance Winter Arts Festival. The group has assembled renowned local and regional artists and craftspeople to fill more than 20 booths with two- and three-dimensional art in a wide variety of media, personal care items, edibles, and adult potables. In addition to selling their works, select artists will demonstrate how their art or craft is created.

The 2020 edition will highlight Ninkasi Brewing Company. Food trucks will be back and the annual pie sale, sponsored by the Ladies of Elks, returns as another folksy festival favorite. Dedicated on-site jamming space is available beginning at noon on Friday and 1:00 on both Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets are available by phone or in person at the Florence Events Center Box Office (541-997-1994 or 715 Quince St., Florence) or online at WinterMusicFestival.org. Regular price admission for a three-day pass is $112, a two-day pass is $92. Tickets for Friday Night Bluegrass are $35, Saturday afternoon general admission Americana, $27, Saturday night headliners $49, and Sunday $27. All prices include customary ticketing surcharges. Doors open one hour before show time.

The Florence Winter Music Festival is produced by the 501 (c) (3) nonprofit Friends of the Florence Events Center, a volunteer organization that helps fund capital improvements and performance grants at the venue. Hotels in Yachats - Where to eat - Yachats Maps and Virtual Tours

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