The Walnut Valley Festival, typically held each year in Winfield, KS, has announced a weekend of online workshops in March.
Festival coordinators believe that they will be able to host a live, in-person event in September 2021, but based on the reaction to the virtual instrument seminars they offered during their 48th festival this year, held online as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, Walnut Valley Association Workshop Coordinator Karen Deal said that they wanted to offer something again sooner the 49th event.
“We had such a positive response from both the instructors and the participants that we felt like this was something we could offer to support both groups. The instructors receive the lion’s share of the registration fees, which supports them at a time when they still have very few live gigs going. And the participants have a chance to, at least mentally, get out and take part in a group activity, even if it is still from their own living rooms! While we see some very positive signs that we will be able to offer these workshops live in September, it seems likely that folks still might not be able to take part in live workshops in late March.”
Billed as 2021 Spring Hands On Workshops, they will be held March 20-21, 2021 on Zoom. Each 90 minute session is available for $50, with the shorter, children and family-oriented 60 minute workshops offered for $30. Several top bluegrass artists and teachers are included in the lineup.
Here is the complete list of offerings.
- Aubrey Atwater – Tin Whistle and Special Interests
- Helen Avakian – Finger Style Guitar
- Stephen Bennett – Finger Style Guitar
- Ron Block – Finger Style Guitar
- Greg Cahill – Bluegrass Banjo
- Elaine & Larry Conger – Mountain Dulcimer and Bass Mountain Dulcimer
- Elwood Donnelly – Harmonica and Special Interests
- Betse Ellis – Fiddle
- Steve Eulberg – Hammer Dulcimer
- Cathy Fink – Clawhammer Banjo and Children’s workshops
- Juni Fisher – Songwriting
- Bing Futch – Mountain Dulcimer
- Andrew Hatfield – Mandolin
- Chris Jones – Songwriting
- John McCutcheon – Songwriting
- Marcy Marxer – Ukulele and Children’s workshops
- Andy May – Beginner Guitar and Beginner Mandolin
- Adam Miller – Chromatic Autoharp
- Erin Mae Lewis – Chromatic Mountain Dulcimer & Children’s workshops
- Jo Ann Smith – Diatonic Autoharp
- Kenny Smith – Flat Pick Guitar
- Linda Tilton – Ukulele
- Pete Wernick – Jammin’
- Jake Workman – Flat Pick Guitar
Registration is available now, and the number of participants for each session is limited. Don’t wait to sign up if you would like to take part.
A detailed description of each workshop can be seen online.
