Margaret M. Doyle was tending her Espresso-A-Go-Go tent at the National Folk Festival when something like a whirlwind came dancing across the ground toward her. "I thought it was locusts - some kind of weird Sunday thing," Doyle said. It was a dust devil, a tube of swirling, rising air full of dirt and trash. It caused foam cups to rise like helium balloons, and plastic bags shot hundreds of feet into the air.
Want a good indication of how successful the 69th Annual National Folk Festival has been? Yesterday, they ran out of ice and water for the entire three-day festival.
The Holmes Brothers had a scare Friday, when 68-year-old bass player Sherman Holmes became short of breath. He was taken to a hospital, but was back on stage yesterday and in fine form. A crowd gathered where the trio autographed copies of their CDs. Lisa Long and Lucy Watson, both of Richmond, came to the festival at the urging of friend Fleming Morris, who wanted to see the trio he has admired for years. The two newcomers to the Brothers' music were not disappointed, and all three had their own way of describing what made them so good.
We learn by experience, right? So it would be madness to ignore the advice of experienced National Folk Festival-goers. Check out these tried-and-true tips for this weekend's Folk Fest.
This weekend is the National Folk Festival. Do you know who's bringing the most interesting instrument? Which artist shared a stage with Van Morrison? You'll find these answers here.
