MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – Musicians will gather to play the winter blues away during the second annual Winter Roots Festival.
City of Marquette Arts & Senior Service Coordinator Tristan Luoma says he’s excited to bring the festival back for another year.
“We’ve a lot to be proud of in Marquette, a lot of wonderful local performers, historians, people who have been around for decades who know so much about the influence of roots music in not just Marquette, but the U.P. as a whole,” said Luoma. “We really deserve to celebrate that and celebrate them.”
The Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center, Hiawatha Music Co-Op, Peter White Public Library, Carroll Paul Memorial Trust Fund of PWPL, Friends of Peter White Public Library, City of Marquette Arts and Culture Center, Marquette Area Blues Society and Ore Dock Brewing Company come together to orchestrate a celebration of folk music and dance this Saturday.
“It is a collaboration of different groups throughout the community and it features a lot of local musicians,” explained Carolyn McManis, Library Programming Coordinator at the Peter White Public Library.
Saturday’s day-long event will consist of music and dance performances and workshops held at five community venues: the Marquette Arts & Culture Center, Peter White Public Library, Hiawatha Fold, NMU Forest Roberts Theatre, and Ore Dock Brewing Company.
“To attend any and all of the events, you need to purchase a button. They are $10 apiece,”said McManis. “You can buy them either here at the library, at the Hiawatha Fold or at the Beaumier Heritage Center.”
Kids under 12 years old get in for free.
The festival starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Marquette Arts & Culture Center with a Musical Petting Zoo and Community Guitar Art Project.
“This year, we have a folk showcase at the Forest Roberts Theatre which will have NMU students, faculty, as well as local musicians all kind of jamming together and individually between four and six in the afternoon,” said McManis.
The Winter Roots Festival will conclude with a performance by Ypsilanti-based bluegrass and Americana powerhouse, Black Jake and the Carnies, at Ore Dock Brewing Company from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Luoma is excited to, “Give the community a chance to engage this kind of music in the off months because we have so many successful summer festivals, so it was our goal to bring people out of the cold and warm up with some great music and great times.”
Click here to visit the Winter Roots Festival Facebook event for a complete list of performances and workshops.