The Champaign-Urbana Folk and Roots Festival held its yearly festivities from Oct. 3-5, with events ranging from performances and jam sessions to interactive workshops. Multiple locations around the C-U area hosted events throughout the three-day festival.
There were various hands-on opportunities to learn new skills, by dancing or learning how to play instruments. These included beginner-level harmonica, banjo, cello and guitar. Dance workshops included swing, contra, clogging and Cajun two-step.
Matt Turino is a member of the Turino Family Band, and was the instructor at the Cajun Two-Step workshop on Oct. 5. He was raised in the folk music community and has been a frequent performer at past festivals.
“We are lucky to have a diverse set of amazing musicians here,” Turino said. “It’s not a huge festival, and it’s quite small in a lot of ways, but it feels very personal and very connected.”
The diversity of events included in the festival allowed participants to choose what cultural traditions they wanted to experience. The workshops specifically allowed participants to be immersed and active in those traditions.
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The Cajun Two-Step workshop at the Independent Media Center was an opportunity to learn a style of dance. Members of the Turino Family Band and the Occasional Cajun Band provided musical accompaniment for the participants.
At the workshop, over 10 partners were encouraged to swap for each new song. Some seemed like professionals, swinging with grace alongside others learning for the first time.
“I think the people that play here can feel the community as a community where people get together to participate and be a part of the event,” Turino said.
The active participation was a large part of the event. Everyone present was encouraged to find a partner and experience the music together.
The C-U Irish Session at the Rose Bowl Tavern provided a slower-paced way to experience the festival. What began as a small table of musicians grew into a crowd as people jumped in and began to play traditional Irish folk tunes.
The performers seemed to communicate with each other through the music, with little discussion of the following song. The audience sat around the circle of musicians, waiting for the next song to play.
The session included various instruments such as the fiddle, Irish bodhrán drum, acoustic guitar, banjo and penny whistle. In addition to instrumentals, they sang “Eileen Óg,” a traditional Irish folk song.
Meg Miller has volunteered with the festival since its conception. Her daughter is also involved in the festival, with an event called “Meg and Nora.”
“Music is a part of us,” Miller said. “It is a natural thing, not just something to perform and be looked at. That’s the folk tradition.”
The engagement with different musical heritage is a main aspect of the festival. Each participant can learn and be a part of something they may have never heard before.
Dan Lewart has been a long-time supporter and participant in the C-U Folk and Roots music scene. He seemed to know almost everyone on the Cajun two-step dance floor.
“It’s great seeing old friends and making new friends each year,” Lewart said. “It’s a real treasure. It’s one of the things that makes Urbana great.”
