A few hundred dedicated musicians and campers sit together to play folk music, a little country, some old rock and and even newly penned ballads on days when the temperatures broke the hundred degree mark. These happy campers come from all the corners of the world to be in Okemah Oklahoma to join in for the celebration of Woody Guthrie's birthday. It's a touching tribute given freely and with great heart by musicians and music lovers, an inspiration to activists and musicians of all stripes and eras and it's laughs and games for the children.
Woodyfest home page
In the interests of full disclosure I suppose I should admit that I genuinely love attending this yearly event. I'm not the only one to feel that way. Some campers arrive in the small Oklahoma town early in the week to grab the space around the few shade trees available at the old Okemah Rodeo Grounds. We also have musicians - some professional and some amateur doing exactly the same thing, they show up days in advance of their scheduled gigs so they too can enjoy the people, the views, the walks, the venues and in general soak in the soul healing atmosphere of small town Oklahoma.
Woodyfest 2009
A tour of the parking lot shows license tags from Washington and Oregon, Texas and Arkansas, Maine and California, a survey of the campgrounds would find folks from New Zealand to Austria to Canada. I'm always amazed at the distances some people travel to play music at the commemorative festival for Woodrow Wilson Guthrie - Woody to all of us.
Why?
Why do celebrated artists make the trip to play their hearts out in the July heat? Why do campers spend their days there with the temperatures in the hundreds? That a young singer/song writer from the rough and rowdy "Indian Nations" could inspire so many, near and far, for so long is a remarkable achievement and ultimately very humbling when we see how much one man really can do when he puts his heart into it.
wikipedia
"...there's definitely something special going on in that scene. It's almost an American music festival secret. It's like beyond description....like, something is happening there that's literally changing the universe....it's rearranging the molecules of the planet...such really soulful musicians." -- Jimmy LaFave
This festival has a special spirit and it's free. Anybody can go and nobody gets turned away, everybody gets to play and everybody gets to sing..if they want to.
The Woody Guthrie Folk Festival celebrates the life, the talent and the dreams of Woody, his family and the thousands of artists and activists they've inspired. The spirit of 'Family' permeates the campgrounds and performing stages all through the 5 day gathering, it seems just being there is enough to validate your reason for being there. The atmosphere is very welcoming and relaxing, banjo, mandolin and acoustic guitar music drift through the air at all hours and people smile at each other a lot.
We could all use a lot more of that.