See Ya' at Winfield!

See ya at Winfield! 
To tens of thousands of acoustic music lovers and performers, See ya at Winfield! is more than a casual statement pertaining to a certain town in south central Kansas. 

Winfield means Walnut Valley Festival and National Flatpicking Championships; it means camping on the banks of the Walnut River; late night jam sessions; family reunions; maybe even a little craziness. 


For the musicians, Winfield is a homecoming, a much-anticipated gig where they can perform with admired colleagues on the festival stages, then join late-night jam sessions with 
amateur pickers around fire pits.

The festival began in 1972 to host the National Guitar Flat-picking Championships. In its forty years, it has grown to a five-day event which also hosts the International Finger Style Guitar Championships, the International Autoharp Championship, National Championships for Mountain Dulcimer playing, Mandolin, Flat Pick Guitar, Hammer Dulcimer, and Bluegrass Banjo. There is also a Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle competition.

This annual Brigadoon (as Dan Crary called it) would have been called a happening back in the 1960s. (Maybe that's why you see so many in tie-dye attire.) Floods, cold, tornadoes, heat waves, recessions, and the 9-11 disaster have not disrupted the festival, but have merely added to the legends and lore, the stories that begin with "remember that year when...?"

Lawrence, Kansas-based Bluestem, performing traditional western songs on Stage 1

Many think of Winfield as a bluegrass festival.  Yes, it is a great venue to hear lots of fine bluegrass pickin,' but my wife and I schedule our days to take advantage of the variety - Celtic, folk, traditional old-timey, cowboy and western, Cajun, gospel, country swing, early rock, and just about anything acoustic that could be considered Americana or roots music. In other words, something for just about everybody. Four "official" stages are busy on the grounds, several more "unofficial" stages in the campgrounds, plus jamming just about anywhere.

Stage 2, The Greencards, 2007

There is a long list of famed acoustic musicians associated with the Walnut Valley Festival. Many of my readers will recognize these  names of past performers: Alison Krause & Union Station, Mark O'Conner, Cherish the Ladies, Peter Ostroushko, Doc Watson, Robin & Linda Williams, New Grass Revival, and The Dixie Chicks. More recently, festivals which Nancy and I have attended have included noted artists (not present this year) such as The Greencards, David Munnelly Band, Misty River, Mountain Heart, Mountain Smoke, Sons of the San Juaquin, The Infamous Stringdusters, and Nickel Creek.

Nancy and I arrived at the barn (I'll explain that later) mid-afternoon on Thursday, left our luggage in the barnyard and headed for the fairgrounds. That's always a sentimental homecoming for me because my Grandfather Hackney brought me here a couple of times for the fair - and the horse races. We bought our admission tickets long ago, so we only need get our wristbands at check-in, and began our weekend with a casual stroll down the midway. It's a comfort to see that all of the vendors are in their customary spots, meaning we have our choice of funnel cakes, Indian tacos, bison burgers, turkey legs, fried pickles, fried catfish dinners, reubens, and on and on. New this year - hillbilly hash and fried peaches! That's two separate dishes, by the way.

As a rule, we listen to music all day and into the night. Not so this year. Partly due to the weather, and partly due to my back and neck soreness stemming from a minor auto collision in July, we just couldn't hang on as in previous years. Then, a wicked lightning storm forced event organizers to close down the outdoor stages on Friday evening (a prudent decision without question). We missed out on several performers that we were keen to hear. Hopefully next year. Following are some of the great musicians we did hear, and additional views from the festival.

Tommy Emmanuel on Stage 1

Aussie guitarist Tommy Emmanuel is a perennial crowd favorite, at Winfield and wherever he goes. His technical skills rival or surpass that of the world's elite classical guitarists, and he has creatively expanded the versatility of the instrument with percussive effects and feedback sounds that amaze listeners. Check out Tommy's web site (link below), or some of his YouTube videos.

Hot Club of Cowtown on Stage 1

It seems that every year there are a couple of performers or groups that really grab my attention - that ring my bell. One of those this go-round was Hot Club of Cowtown. Their energetic brand of western swing had me tapping my boots, and when they slowed it down with a ballad, Elana James displayed a terrific voice and a lot of style. Elana (formerly known as Elana Fremerman) is a KC-area native from Prairie Village. The ensemble is based in Austin, Texas.

 
It has been a tradition, at least in recent years, to include a Celtic ensemble in the festival line-up. After all, there is a direct link from Celtic music to American mountain music and other forms of folk music. This year we were very fortunate to hear Eileen Ivers and Immigrant Soul. Eileen was an original cast member of Riverdance, a founding member of Cherish the Ladies, has performed with numerous major symphony orchestras around the world, and somehow found the time to win nine (yes, 9) All-Ireland Fiddle Championships. She and Immigrant Soul all hail from a hotbed of Celtic music - New York City. Interesting sidelight: her Irish tenor singer was an original member of The Blues Brothers.

Tom Chapin and Michael Mark, Stage 2

Tom Chapin fans at Stage 2 (Hi, Jane!)

Many of us have never experienced Winfield without Tom Chapin and Friends. This was his 18th year at the event, and he has developed a large and loyal following which not only enjoys his original songs, many of which were written for children, but sings along and knows the motions. Nancy used his "A B C" song in the music classroom for years. Always a festival highlight for us!

Stephanie Bettman & Luke Halpin at Stage 3

We just got in on the last couple of songs of a set by Stephanie Bettman and Luke Halpin,  performing "folk/Americana music with blues, jazz, and bluegrass influences." The first thing I noted was Stephanie's lovely, pure voice, which at times reminded of Joan Baez.  We made mental notes to check out more by this engaging duo from Denver making their first appearance at Walnut Valley Festival. Didn't happen. The weather and my aching back conspired against that. Hope they are invited back so we can hear more!

Bill Barwick, guitar and vocals; Steve McCartney, standup bass and coyote sound effects

Bill Barwick is definitely no stranger to Winfield. His gravelly, basso profundo voice and his vast repertoire of cowboy/western songs and stories have graced these festival stages for 18 years. Always a treat to listen to Bill, whether he is performing his own set, or accompanying  or sitting in with other performers.

Trevor Stewart and the Chapman Stick

Rare is the year when we don't hear or see something, in this case an instrument, that was completely unfamiliar to us. 2011 - Trevor Stewart performing on the Chapman Stick. As you can see in the photo, the instrument has a long fret board spanning the guitar and bass ranges. The strings are tapped, not plucked, using two hands. Electrical amplification is necessary.

The Wilders, 2009 Walnut Valley Festival

2011 - Some of the Wilders' "honky-tonk" fans

If you don't have body parts movin' while listening to The Wilders, you just might be dead. This Kansas City-based group can play numerous styles, but they are at their best when kickin' off a soulful Hank Williams country classic or rocking the joint with a hard-driving honky tonk fiddle tune.

Talented young singer, 2011

2007 - Rockin' Acoustic Circus, or something like that!

Acoustic Kids One of the important annual events is held on Friday and Saturday mornings - Acoustic Kids time on Stage 2. It is not a contest, but an opportunity for some deserving young talents to show off their chops in front of a large and appreciative audience. Some of those performers have returned to Winfield to compete in the contests and/or perform on the "big stage."

It would be impossible to present a balanced picture of the Winfield experience without talking about the campgrounds. Furthermore, it would not be possible to describe that camping experience in one paragraph, or a couple of photos. Many families or groups have been camping together at Winfield for decades. Many show up for land rush to reserve and set up their camping area and begin camping a week before the festival begins. Many of the camping areas a wildly and creatively decorated; some are set up by groups from certain states. Children are everywhere! It is a family experience.

2009 - Crab Camp

2011 - La La Land

The music doesn't stop when you leave the fairgrounds and enter the camping areas. If anything, there is more! Jam sessions are going 24/7 (so I am told), lending credence to those who say Winfield's motto is "Sleep when you're dead." There are a couple of stages in the campground area, of which the best known is Stage 5.

Stage 5

Prairie Acre at Stage 5

I want to give a "shout out" to The Prairie Acre, the Lawrence, Kansas, band which appears in these two pictures. They enjoy playing music and make music FUN. Their style? What is usually described as "old-time." It's pickin' and grinnin' with an emphasis on grinnin.' They also happen to be extremely talented. (You might note that this picture is blurred. Taking a picture of these guys while they are playing is like taking a photo of a hummingbird - you better have lots of light and a fast shutter speed.) I would hope this group gets an opportunity to perform on one of the main festival stages in the near future. 

 

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Nancy and I are not Winfield old-timers, but we're not exactly Winfield Virgins either. 2011 was our seventh festival. We did miss the 2010 festival in order to spend five weeks in Italy. Campers? Not us - we spend our nights in The Barnyard Room in what was once the hayloft of a barn. But before you think we're roughing it, let me explain that the barn is now a bed and breakfast. The old barn was disassembled and moved, piece by piece to its present location, then cleverly converted to the Barns at Timber Creek B&B by Martin and Cheryl Rude, faculty members at nearby Southwestern College.   We're what festival veterans refer to as flush and shower campers. (They could add heating and air-conditioning to that phrase, too, creature comforts which we have found to be very important on more than one occasion.)

For those who might wish to attend the festival and are not campers, I should note that rooms are booked well in advance at motels in the area, and that the Rudes have a long waiting list of folks wishing to stay at the Barns on festival weekend.

LINKS:

Walnut Valley Festival: www.wvfest.com/
Winfield Convention & Tourism: www.winfieldks.org
The Barns at Timber Creek B&B: http://timbercreekbarns.com/

LINKS TO PERFORMERS LISTED IN THIS ARTICLE:

Tommy Emmanuel: www.tommyemmanuel.com
Hot Club of Cowtown: http://hotclubofcowtown.com/
Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul: www.eileenivers.com/
Tom Chapin: www.tomchapin.com/
Stephanie Bettman & Luke Halpin: www.stephaniebettman.com/
Bill Barwick: www.billbarwick.com/ 
Trevor Stewart: www.trevorstewartmusic.com/
The Wilders: http://thewilders.us/
Prairie Acre: www.theprairieacre.com/


MORE LINKS - OTHER FESTIVAL PERFORMERS WE ENJOY - GREAT GROUPS OR SOLOISTS THAT WERE NOT MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE:


Still on the Hill: www.stillonthehill.com/

Dan Crary and Thunderation: www.thunderation.com/
Notorious: www.notoriousfolk.com/
Bluestem: www.sunflower.com/~bluestem/
Beppe Gambetta:  www.beppegambetta.com/
Kenny & Amanda Smith Band: www.kenny-amandasmith.com/ 

8 Wonders of Kansas ~ The Guidebook, and an Exhibit

Left: spiral ring, lay-flat edition; Right: limited edition hard bound

With the spiraling price of gasoline, this spring and summer will find more of us looking for places to go and see that are closer to home. That, plus the on-going Kansas Sesquicentennial celebration, made for perfect timing the recent release of the 8 wonders of Kansas! Guidebook.

I give this book two hearty thumbs up, and not only will use it 

extensively in my future travels, but have picked it up 

from time to time just to enjoy the photos and stories.

Over the last couple of years, thousands of Kansans and fans of the Sunflower State have participated in elections sponsored by the Kansas Sampler Foundation* to select first the Original 8 Wonders of Kansas, then the 8 Wonders of Kansas Architecture, Art, Commerce, Cuisine, Customs, Geography, History, and People. All finalists from each category are represented in the guidebook, with special emphasis on the winning entries.

The organization and layout of the 8 wonders of Kansas! Guidebook are first rate, resulting in a very readable, easy-to-use book. The text is written by "Kansas' Number One Cheerleader," Marci Penner, who has the gift of writing engaging, succinct commentary. And who better to provide the photo illustrations than Harland Schuster, a farmer/stockman from Morrill, Kansas, an accomplished photographer who knows Kansas? This book contains over 800 (yes, 800) photos of the 216 entries, many of which provide a unique perspective on the subject at hand.  

8 wonders of Kansas! Guidebook is available online from the Kansas Sampler Foundation, and at a number of locally-owned Kansas book stores. My numerous KC metro area readers should be able to find it at Rainy Day Books within a few days of the posting of this blog. It's already available at the Raven Book Shop in Lawrence and several locations in Topeka.

* The Kansas Sampler Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve, sustain, and grow rural culture by educating Kansans about Kansas and by networking and supporting rural communities. It is not to be confused with the Kansas Sampler chain of t-shirt shops. 

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If you are passing through Abilene this spring or summer, I encourage you to visit the Eisenhower Center, even if you have done so in the past. Between now and September 5, the Eisenhower Library is hosting an exhibit featuring the 8 Wonders of Kansas. I was surprised and impressed at the collection of Kansas artifacts made available to the Kansas Sampler Foundation and the library for this exhibit.  The photos below give a brief introduction to the exhibit:

Helmet and shoes belonging to Amelia Earhart, photo of Carrie Nation behind bars

Artifacts from the Dragoons at Fort Scott

Exhibits honor famous black Kansans George Washington Carver (above) and Gordon Parks

Gemini space suit and helmet from The Cosmosphere, Hutchinson

Antique horse from C.W. Parker Carousel, Big Jay

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Nancy and I timed our exhibit visit to coincide with the kickoff ceremony for the 8 wonders of Kansas! Guidebook, as did quite a few other folks. Many were people associated with the sites featured in the book, some were book store owners eager to pick up their first stock orders, and there were ardent Kansas Explorers like us.

Harland and Marci happily signed numerous guidebooks.


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For lunch, we went to one of Abilene's signature eating establishments, the Kirby House. The Kirby House is an elegant, 1885 Victorian mansion built by one of the city's first bankers. Lunch and dinner are served daily in the eight main rooms of the house. Located downtown at 205 NE Third Street. (no web site)

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Mark your calendars, reserve the dates ~ The 2011 Kansas Sampler Festival is almost upon us. It takes place Saturday and Sunday, May 7 & 8, at Ray Miller Park, Leavenworth. The YouTube video above is from last year's event, also held in Leavenworth. My favorite part is the food concessions, but I'm certain most of my friends will be far more interested in learning about places to see and things to do in Kansas, and the educational stuff. Right. Leave a bieroch and a piece of pie for me, please. (Sour cream raisin, rhubarb or gooseberry preferred, definitely not coconut cream.)


If you live in northeast Kansas and think you will put it off until next year, you should know that the 2012 and 2013 festivals will be held in Liberal. I've made the drive many a time and can tell you it's a long ways from here.

All content except Kansas Sampler Festival's YouTube video

© 2011 Frank Thompson

Kansas 150 - The Kickoff!

Friday Morning, January 28th ~

On the Steps of the Capitol Building

This celebration of Kansas statehood was far more subdued than that first one 150 years ago. Although times are difficult, life in Kansas is far easier than on that turbulent day in 1861 when James Buchanan scratched his name on a document making Kansas a state. A state free of slavery. The bloody battles previously limited to the border between Missouri and Kansas Territory would soon engulf the entire nation.  

I imagine the first statehood celebration to have been a wild, raucous affair, - shouting in the streets, guns fired into the air, lusty singing, and perhaps a jug or two of whiskey - in stark contrast to this day.  Kansas Day 2011 is a day for the politicians and dignitaries. A day for pomp and ceremony - marches by a military band, a 19-gun salute, and as one wag in period costume snorted, "much speechifyin'". The rest of the year is set aside for the grassroots celebrations, the peoples' parties. From here on out, it will be town bands in  gazebos, fiddles and banjos in the park, and barbershop quartets in the civic auditoriums. I'm looking forward to this year's rodeos, parades, tractor pulls and watermelon feeds with gusto. Let the festivities commence!

Eugene Williams, general manager of KTWU, the public television station in Topeka, served as Master of Ceremonies.

The colors were posted by the Wa-Ta-Se American Legion Post of Mayetta, Kansas, located near the reservation of the Potawatomi Nation.

Governor Sam Brownback. He reminded those present of the difficult times of the past 150 years, how the struggles of our ancestral settlers were overcome by their strength, courage and steadfastness - traits we will need to show as we wrestle with our own difficult times.

Dr. Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg, Poet Laureate of Kansas, read Celebrate This Kansas depicting what it means to “live where the earth and stars converge.” Read the poem in its entirety at: http://arts.ks.gov/kansas150poem.shtml


The highlight? Easy. Rep. Barbara Ballard led those assembled in a singing of our state song, Home on the Range, accompanied by the 35th Infantry Division Band, followed by Ruffles and Flourishes* and the firing of a 19-gun salute. I believe the Ruffles and (two) Flourishes was played because there was a two-star general in attendance, but why 19 guns? If any of my readers know the answer to that question, I'd like to hear from them. My understanding is that 19 is usually reserved for vice-presidents, five star generals, cabinet members, and the like. 


A video of the singing:

Governor Brownback spoke at some length with a number of the seventh grade students from a Topeka middle school who were in attendance. He appeared to be genuinely enjoying himself.

Friday Afternoon ~

At the Kansas Museum of History

Kansas 150 - the sesquicentennial - promises to be a busy year for the state's history museum. A special exhibit, 150 Things I Love About Kansas, is on display through the end of the year. I went to the museum to view the exhibit, but seeing the numbers of school children visiting that day, and the activities planned for them, decided it might be more fun to watch that, as I could came back another day for the "150 Things" showing.

Dorothy and her friends from that wonderful world over the rainbow were there, and the youngsters loved it!

This witch doesn't look so wicked to me, and these little cuties are anything but frightened.

From the 150 Things I Love exhibit, a display dedicated to - wheat of course!

Movie posters from an earlier time - advertising the horse operas of my childhood and before.

These children are learning about quilt making. I wondered how many of them had even seen a sewing machine before.

Still lookin' for a brain, scarecrow?

A classy and handsome couple show off the finery of another era:

Saturday Morning ~

At the Shawnee Indian Mission, Fairway

It was January 29 - Kansas Day. There was a granddaughter's birthday party at noon and a KU-K-State basketball game to be viewed at six. But that still left time to visit this important state historical site in the morning.

Operated by the Methodist Episcopal Church, this mission gave manual training and schooling to Indian children, mostly Shawnees and Delawares, from 1839 to 1862. The building also served briefly as a state capitol, as claimed by one pro-slavery contingent intent on founding a state government.

A pro-slavery group known as the Bogus Legislature drafted a constitution** (The Bogus Constitution) here. The document was based on that of Missouri, the state from which most of them had immigrated. The room pictured below now houses historic artifacts, but was the site of the penning of the constitution.

Those of us assembled listened to the (controversial) Reverend Thomas Johnson, who served for many years as the leader of this mission, and for whom Johnson County is named, and his wife Sarah.

They spoke as if today were January 29, 1861, and they had just learned that President James Buchanan had signed the bill granting statehood to the Free State of Kansas. We heard Sarah talk of their years on the frontier, teaching life skills (white man's life skills, that is) to Indian youngsters, and of the difficulties of surviva in this unsettled land.

When the Reverend Johnson arrived, the talk became more political and more passionate, as we learned of his role in the Bogus Legislature, of his own pro-slavery leanings, that he himself owned slaves. [For many years I have wondered why the county in which I live is named for a member of the pro-slavery faction who seemed to hold Indians in low regard. I now know, but still find it regrettable that we honor this man in such a way.]

Skilled reenactors George and Diane Bernheimer portrayed the Johnsons. The previous day, I had seen them appearing at the statehouse ceremony in roles as Kansas first governor and wife, Charles and Sara Robinson.

Birthday celebrations call for birthday cake and punch. Anita Faddis, Site Administrator at the Shawnee Indian Mission, cut the cake.

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*     Ruffles and flourishes: something I remembered from my four-plus years as a musician in the Air Force; a    set of brief fanfares for people of rank. For instance, the President of the United States receives four ruffles and flourishes prior to the playing of Hail to the Chief.

**   It is my understanding that four different factions set up provisional governments, complete with a constitution, prior to Kansas' entry into the Union. In addition to the Bogus Constitution mentioned here, those were at Lecompton (pro-slavery), Lawrence (abolitionist), and Wyandot (abolitionist). The Wyandot version became the state's official constitution.

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Helpful  Related Links:

Sesquicentennial Events (an exhaustive listing): http://ks150.kansas.gov/Pages/Calendar.aspx

Kansas Museum of History: http://www.kshs.org/portal_museum

Shawnee Indian Mission: http://www.kshs.org/portal_shawnee_indian_mission

Looking Ahead to 2011...

Best wishes to all my Kansas Journeys 
readers for a happy, prosperous, 

and most of all - a blessed 2011!

In case you've wondered, my recent sabbatical* from Kansas Journeys postings does not signal an end to my sunflower state wanderings or an end to my series of blogs. I will be back in 2011. Whether it's better than ever remains to be seen, but there will be a multitude of places and events to visit, and plenty of things to write about. I'm hoping that trusty old Isuzu Rodeo will continue to serve me well o'er many a back road, but I have my doubts.

My readers outside of the KC Metro are mostly aware that in the new year, Kansas will celebrate its sesquicentennial (150 years of statehood), but east of Topeka, Lecompton, and Lawrence, there has been no publicity that I have seen or heard. None. Nada. Zilch.** Of course most of the local media is Missouri-based, but even they know the importance of their Kansas constituents' buying power. I suspect they would give coverage if informed. 

In my own grassroots efforts to spread the word, I've found that my acquaintances had been completely unaware of that fact, but each expressed interest and asked what kinds of celebrations are planned. I'm glad they asked. One of my major goals for this space in the new year will be to publicize some of the more interesting events and to report on those which I am able to participate.

Celebrations? The vast majority planned are of a local grassroots nature. Cities, counties, and organizations of all types will be staging events, some large, some small. There will be parades, rodeos, art exhibits, lectures, bean feeds, concerts, just about any kind of appropriate entertainment imaginable. The State of Kansas has made a decision, prudent to my way of thinking, to not sacrifice dwindling finances for a grand and glorious public celebration, but to devote what resources it has at its disposal to assist in the coordination and publicizing of local events.

Kansas Day is January 29. It's unfortunate Kansas was admitted to the Union in mid-winter rather than on a sunny day in June. However, surrounded by the turmoil and bloodshed leading up to the War of Rebellion (some call it the Civil War though it was quite uncivil), politicos of the day were not in a mood to consider how we might wish to celebrate our birthday and century and a half later. There will be a ceremony at the capitol building, and events at the State Museum of History. More on that in a later posting.

Don't hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions regarding Kansas travel, or if you have comments or suggestions regarding my Kansas Travel blog. My email address: kansasexplorer3128@gmail.com

I'm closing out the year by of showing the wonderful family with which I've been blessed

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*Sabbatical - Nancy and I spent five weeks exploring Italy in the fall, and since that time, I have been totally absorbed in editing the resulting four thousand photo images and compiling a photo memory book for publication. All the while we've been taking time out to play with our three beautiful granddaughters, two of whom were born this year.

** New Year's Day Update - This morning's KC Star ran a full-page feature of eleven things to look for to in '11. First is the opening of the Kauffman Performing Arts Center. Second is sesquicentennial year, Kansas' 150th anniversary and the same for the War of Rebellion (Civil War). Good - that is a start.

Link of Interest: http://ks150.kansas.gov