Folk festival adds venues

All-event passes are still available for the 2013 Sisters Folk Festival, which runs September 6-8 in Sisters. The entire town of Sisters will welcome festivalgoers for three days of the best in American music, from blues to bluegrass. Artists include The California Honeydrops, The White Buffalo, Shook Twins, Ray Bonneville, Joshua James, Baskery and Festival encore artist and Grammy nominee John Fullbright.

More than 40 acts will perform on nine stages. All-Event passes are $115 for adults. Children five and under are free, and youth tickets are $50 for those 18 and under.

"We are looking right now at ticket sales and may release a limited number of single-day tickets," said Festival Director Brad Tisdel. "Our deciding point will be mid-August, where we will balance the comfort and accessibility of our venues against our ability to provide more tickets. We want those that have invested in the festival to have an intimate, comfortable, and ideal music experience. Many of the venues are listening venues, and there will be performances that are geared for dancing and celebrating great music and community."

This year, with the addition of a new venue and fine-art gallery at FivePine Lodge and Conference Center from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, festival organizers will be running a shuttle from The Belfry, to Sisters Art Works, the Village Green and then to FivePine every 15 minutes to make it easier for attendees to get to venues without driving. Bikes are strongly encouraged and bike valets will be set up at the two largest venues through a partnership with sponsor Blazin Saddles of Sisters.

During the dinner break on Saturday, there will be a poetry reading at Paulina Springs Books by Oklahoma poet-laureate Nathan Brown, a fine singer-songwriter in his own right.

"We want to celebrate and showcase great literary artists as well at the festival, and Nathan brings accessible writing that is fresh and new. Nathan Brown will also be working with creative writing students at Sisters High School in the week leading up to the Festival," states Tisdel.

"The Sisters Folk Festival has helped nurture many small, beautiful venues in town, which provides up-close access to the artists and their performances. The Depot Café, The Open Door at Clearwater Gallery, and Angeline's Bakery all have a sense that you are in for something special, and that intimacy brings out the best in our performers, and besides, they all serve excellent, well-crafted artisan food."

For tickets and information, visit www.sistersfolkfestival.org or call the office at 541 549-4979. All-event passes are also available at Paulina Springs Books in Sisters and Redmond, and the FootZone in Bend.