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, _ Northumberland Today.com I Monday. February 23, iypttf i ,, E i. . _ I - " . , - » - , _ l IrlrCc-cii - , "ii'ii in I Ili . ,7h" a - , rr . ’-, " t li ;., . _ _ I , ttN ‘ IS F'" as - "1' " l tl s “f L' .. ' ,t, t _ i , "- I . v, r a fax. Ir3t"g' IEl Ill tt lt? LC) tcs--'- , t ' , “*3. alFa .r's'., "Pct", ' M e 8it"l' tart t , r . - f t , 'c, _ "T It ‘ P" c, ” V L ‘ .‘\ . t% , "if 3-1}; t . ii g lr r ',. "a-'r , 5i At a?“ y ill? " 'liliii i t / ‘3 _,. _ .r "; t. Ext . , hr: I '2 I ME., r u, Q vT l ' :i'-.'- /'o ' ~ t a r i ", a C iv,"h3. fi r y a 1 ' I 1. Na”. 2, , 'k if E i e tSi "th- ' r. of?“ ' " . 'ss': if V" " P _ ) . . g " I ____ ' _ JOYCECASSIN Sun Media The Shelter Valley Folk Festival board is in place and ready to go for the September event. Picture are, from left, David Sheffield, Elizabeth Scriven. Barb Harnden,Andrew Buntin. Leslie Benson, Arnie Henkel, David Newland and Candace Shaw. T , MUSIC: Board reports interest in performing and planning event is strong I e or a ey 0 es Iva unrng up . BYJOYCE CA S b She shared survey results show- this year's lineup and, as in the ' l , ' o th “Wig: com ing13% ofpeople were back for the past, it will not be based on head- l Jtuisslrl nor u y, fifth year, 34% were iirst-time visi- liners. If you’ve ever driven past the dis- tors and 90% were there for the The call for performers closed I play board in Grafton prior to the entire weekend. Ian. 1 with more than 600 submis- T Shelter Valley Folk Festival, you're "And that's what we want," said sions that Finnan and his crew [ 1 probably used to seeing how many Partridge. "We want people to come must sift through to determine who sleeps before the event begins and, and experience the whole event." will best fit the festival? image. I as of today, it's just 192 more sleeps She said people didn't necessarily "We had an allsCanadlan lineup r until the event Sept. 4 to 6. like just one aspect of the weekend, for our fifth year and it was an _ l It's been a successful five years they thought all of the entertain- incredible year," he said. "There are 4 and the Shelter Valley Folk Festival ment, including music, workshops, so many incredibly talented board is busy preparing for year six. children's area, camping, etc., were artists." A large group of enthusiastic vol- important to them, Finnan started the festival six unteers and supporters of the Some 98% said it was user- years ago and volunteered his time grassroots festival met at the friendly, 98% would recommend for the first four, being paid for the annual general meeting in Grafton the festival to others and 82% said pleasure the past one-and-a-half _ town hall Feb. 13,, when it was _ excellent service was provided, said years, but he said it's time for new revealed how they went from a Partridge. faces and ideas. dream to areality . Excellent service is not hard to "One can only do a job for so ' _ "We've had five successful festi, understand when the festival had long," he said. "There's a time for vale and all have finished in the 285 volunteers to ensure it, she the founder to he in the rule and a . black," said chair Andrew Buntin. said. time for new voices and new per- "lt's almost unheard of." "Volunteer service is so critical to spectives." _ It's gone from a small venture to the event, and we had up to 7,000 And there appears to be a lot of one that's known across the coun- volunteer hours last year," interest in the executive director try, the continent and the world, David Dillon, chair of the nomi- role. Buntin said numerous appli- said artistic director Angus Finnan. nations committee, said 15 names cations for the position can in by . . "Shelter Valley Folk Festival is were put forward for nominations the recent deadline. well known in the folk festival cir- to the board this year and there "There were a lot of strong appli- cuit," said interim executive direc- were four successful candidates. . cents and a lot ofthem," he said. "A tor Kathy Partridge. "The buzz Andrew Buntin was re-elected, as lot were from the broader' comnui, about this festival at conferences is was Leslie Benson, and for the first nity, not just this one. very good." time, David Sheffield and Trevor "We expect to have anew exern1- _ In 2008 they were about 40 tickets Mills were elected to the board, tive director in place by April I.” away from being sold out and they "This festival has been founded " said Buntin. hope to surpass that this year. and sustained by volunteer energy," As well, this year's lineup for the "We had record attendance with said Dillon. Labour Day weekend event is 1,600 tickets sold on the Saturday" Finnan said there is an incredible expected to be firm by May 1 when said Partridge. amount of interest in being part of tickets go on sale, he said. 7 1:: II'IW'I"""-