Double the folk, double the lore

The Spokane Folklore Society’s annual Fall Folk Festival has expanded from one day to two this year.

Why? To give the folks what they want.

“There’s been lots of pressure from people who kept saying, ‘This is so much fun, why don’t you do it over two days?’ ” said Claudia Craven, the festival’s publicity director.

“Well, it’s a big step. The expenses go up, the number of volunteers go up. But we finally decided to do it this year on our 10th anniversary. It just seemed like a good time.”

The 10th annual Fall Folk Festival will run Saturday and Sunday on eight stages at Spokane Community College’s Lair Student Center.

The scope of the festival has expanded in other ways, too. A total of 90 performing groups, up from last year’s 65, will be spread through the various auditoriums, halls and meeting rooms in The Lair. Some 17 crafts vendors will set up booths featuring wares from such places as Kyrgyzstan, Nepal and El Salvador.

The attendance, estimated at 3,500 last year, also is expected to increase during this two-day event.

One number will hold steady, however. That’s “zero” – as in, how much the festival costs to attend. Admission remains free for all.

“All of this is made possible by donations from corporate sponsors and friends of the festival,” said Craven.

If you want to show your support, you can buy a festival button while you’re there.

The festival features an impressive array of folk and world music. Here are a few of the main categories:

“African, including two groups incorporating West African rhythms.

“Asian, including Thai, Chinese and Japanese music and dance.

“Celtic, featuring nine purveyors of Irish and Scottish music and dance.

“Hawaiian, including slack-key guitar.

“Medieval and Renaissance music and dance.

“Middle Eastern, including belly dance and other ethnic dances.

“Old-time styles, including Appalachian fiddle.

“Bluegrass from eight bands.

“Blues, from country to traditional.

“Western, including swing and cowboy music.

“Various folk styles from around the world, including German polka, Andean songs and an entire mandolin orchestra called Spokandolin.

For a complete schedule, go to www.spokanefolklore.org.

KPBX-FM (91.1, Spokane Public Radio) will once again broadcast a two-hour live show Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. Audience members are asked to be in their seats by 11:30 a.m.

Also, two big contra dances are planned on Saturday evening from 8 to 10 p.m. and again on Sunday from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Contra dance workshops will be offered for those who want to learn.

In fact, workshops will be going on all over the Lair, teaching people many different dance traditions including East Indian dance, Sufi dance, English country dance, Scottish country dance and belly dance.

Craven said that visitors might want to do a little Christmas shopping at the festival this year as well.

“The crafts tables are all ethnically oriented and you can find items you can’t find anywhere else,” she said.