Honesdale Roots and Rhythm announces 2007 Dates

Greater Honesdale Partnership & Wayne County Arts Alliance
Announce Details and Sponsors for the 2nd Annual “Honesdale Roots & Rhythm Music & Arts Festival”
To be held onSaturday June 23, 2007, in Central Park, Honesdale PA.

October 25th Honesdale, PA: - In a press conference held earlier today in the Community Room of the Wayne County Visitors Center in Honesdale PA, Honesdale Roots & Rhythm Music & Arts Festival Co-Chairs and Founders Gail Tucker (Greater Honesdale Partnership) and John Rocklin (Wayne County Arts Alliance) officially announced the date of the 2007 festival, confirmed artists, their media sponsors and sponsors (to date), and the raffle and t-shirt fundraiser details.

The second annual Honesdale Roots & Rhythm Music & Arts Festival will be held on Saturday June 23, 2007, in Honesdale’s Central Park, rain or shine. The festival is FREE to all who attend, and will kick off at approximately 10:00 a.m. with music playing on Main Street until noon, with music starting on the main stage at 1:00 p.m., three hours earlier than last year.

Also announced was the addition of an acoustic stage in the park which will host music between the main stage performers. Michael Cloeren, host of Mountain of Blues radio show and founder and producer of The Pocono Blues Festival will once again be the festival’s Master of Ceremonies.

The committee is excited to announce that the Headliner for the 2007 Festival will be, from Chicago’s Southside, blues man Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials. Recently, Lil’ Ed was featured on Late Night With Conan O’Brian when the show was broadcasting from Chicago.

Also featured on the Main Stage will be Wayne “The Train” Hancock the master of hillbilly swing, a roots Renaissance man, and a country singer’s country singer. Opening the festival will be Red Molly, playing a variety of stringed instruments, and singing in tight three-part harmony, creating their distinctive, rootsy sound.

The festival committee also announced that Peter Florance of Florance Custom Guitars and Voodoo Pickups has graciously donated another beautifully handmade guitar for the raffle, valued at $2,500.00.

Graphic designer Jeff George of Jeff George Design and creator of the Honesdale Roots & Rhythm Music & Arts Festival logo will be the artist painting the guitar this year. Also being offered as part of the raffle is a Bose Wave radio system with multi-CD changer, which, when coupled with a CD from each Main Stage performer, will have a value of $900.00, graciously donated by Deborah Bailey, publisher of Connections Magazine.

Additional items on the ticket this year include A John Rocklin 18” x 20”, limited edition, framed photograph, valued at $800.00, Two Flex Tix Packages (16 tickets each) for the 2007 Wildflower Music Festival, which may be used in any combination, at any concert (with the exception of the Special Performance Concert) throughout their regular season, valued at $600.00, and a three-day ticket package for two to the 2007 Pocono Blues Festival, valued at $150.00.

The raffle tickets are available for a donation of $5.00 each and are currently available from committee members, the Greater Honesdale Partnership, and the following Honesdale area locations: Music & Video Express (619 Main Street), The Dime Bank (at their Honesdale, Hawley, & Damascus locations), The Honesdale National Bank (Main Office at 733 Main Street, Corporate Office at 724 Main Street, and their Rte. 6 branch office), Mary Beth Bridals (849 Main Street), Glinsky’s Kitchen Capers (652 West Park Street), and the Himalayan Institute Main Street (630 Main Street). More locations will be announced as they materialize. Only 5000 tickets will be printed.

The Committee also unveiled the official art work for the festivals T-Shirts, designed by Jeff George and manufactured by Dan Cox of Aura Tie Dye. The shirts will come in two designs and will retail for $20.00 and $15.00 each.

This event is completely sponsored and funded by the generous gifts of time and monetary donations made by corporate sponsors, small businesses’, and individuals from the local and surrounding communities. Without these commitments, this festival would not be possible. To produce a one day event of this nature and magnitude takes thousands of dollars, hundreds of people, countless man hours, and is a year in the making. This year, we are thrilled to announce that The Dime Bank and The Honesdale National Bank are two of the platinum sponsors of the Festival, and Wayne Bank has come on board as a silver sponsor.

The media sponsors of the event include: The Weekly Almanac, Weekender, Connections Magazine, The Wayne Independent, and The River Reporter. The TV sponsor again this year will be WNEP Channel 16 The News Station, and our radio sponsor will once again be Bold Gold Media Group, with 95.3 DNH, Sunny 105, Thunder 105, and the Game Radio Network.

This year there will be pre and post festival events scheduled for various venues and locations throughout the greater Honesdale and surrounding areas, with live music and entertainment for all. Details will be announced in early 2007.