Item #1: 2008 Festival Press Release

Item #2: Board of Directors: 1 Vacancy

Item #3: Folk @ THE CAFE Continues

Press Release
CONTACT: ARTISTIC DIRECTOR BRAD MCEWEN
TEL: 519-621-7135
EMAIL: mill_race@yahoo.com

July 2, 2008

 Mill Race Festival – still improving after 16 years!

CAMBRIDGE — The streets of downtown Cambridge will once again be filled with unique musical sounds and colourful dancers as the Mill Race Festival of Traditional Folk Music kicks off for its 16th year.

It takes place during the Civic Holiday weekend, starting Friday, Aug. 1 (from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m.) and continuing on Saturday, Aug. 2 and Sunday, August 3 (from 1 p.m. to 11 p.m.) in downtown Cambridge.

In the effort to continuously improve the experience for festival-goers, a new stage, the Civic Square stage, has been added this year on Dickson Street, near the new City Hall.

Meanwhile, the Main Street stage will have a full slate of performers on the Saturday of the festival, while the Mill Race park amphitheatre, off of Water Street, continues to provide a beautiful backdrop for music all weekend.

There is also, as always, a wonderful children’s stage with children’s musicians, clowns and fun activities.

Also as a new venue this year, the Royal Canadian Legion building on Ainslie Street will host weekend sing-arounds where people can bring their guitars and sing in an informal folk club setting.

The local pubs, the Golden Kiwi and Cafe 13, will be places where people can enjoy food and a good brew with traditional music.

With more than 30 music and dance groups performing at the festival, this is a truly unique event, not only in terms of the sheer number and variety of high quality performances, but also in the fact that it is still a FREE ADMISSION festival, supported by donations.

Drawing from England, Scotland and Ireland, to the Middle East and Asia, all the way around the world back to our home in Canada, this festival focuses on preserving traditional forms of music and dance from different cultures.

Bringing English, Scottish, Irish and Celtic flavors are Crucible; Johnny Collins, Jim Mageean and Graeme Knights; Rallion; Deborah Quigley & Martin Gould; Farewell to Erin and Rant Maggie Rant.

There is also Silk Road, with music from China; M’rabet Ensemble, with sounds from the Arabic, Turkish and Andalusia traditions; Rembetika Hipsters, mixing a popular Greek blues music genre with other Middle Eastern and Balkan flavours; Roger Scanurra and Ritmo Flamenco, with their Flamenco music; Tilt Kao, with traditional music from Estonia and Baltic neighbours, and Zubrivka, a Ukrainian folk band from Toronto.

Foxtail, an award-winning bluegrass band is also playing the festival this year, as well as the Cambridge-based Allison Lupton Band and Tethera, a local group specializing in traditional English music.

On the children’s stage, popular performers such as Andrew Queen and the Fuzzy Fellers, Jake, Robert Davis, plus Relative Harmony, will have kids and adults singing and dancing.

Different groups of Morris Dancers will move around during the festival, doing traditional dances in colourful costumes. The arts and crafts booths will also add to the flavour.

Attached is the text of the festival program details and biographies for the various performers. The biographies of performers can also be found online at:

http://www.millracefolksociety.com/

We are also selling a full version of the Mill Race program, which contains the schedule of all the acts. People can purchase advance copies of those programs at the following locations:

CAMBRIDGE:

MacAulays Music 1118 King st East Cambridge, (Preston) On. 519-653-5060 www.macaulaysmusic.com

The Golden Kiwi Pub 47 Dickson St. Cambridge (Galt) 519-622-3722 www.goldenkiwi.ca

Cafe 13 Main St. Grill 13 Main St Cambridge (Galt) 519-622-1799 www.cafe13.ca

Classical Guitars & Accessories 19 Queen Street East Cambridge (Hespeler) 519-651-0588 www.classical-guitars.ca/

 McDougall Cottage 89 Grand Ave. South  Cambridge (Galt) 519-624-8250 www.region.waterloo.on.ca/  (click visiting; region owned museums)

 Cambridge Tourism 750 Hespeler Road Cambridge, ON 519-622-2336 www.cambridgetourism.com

Enchanted Castle 51-53 Main St Cambridge, ON 519-621-6824 www.enchantedcastlegallery.com/

KITCHENER:

 A Second Look Books 33 Queen St., S. Kitchener, ON N2G 1V8  (519)744-2274

 WATERLOO:

 Words Worth Books 100 Kings St. S. Waterloo, ON N2J 1PS 519-884-2665 www.wordsworthbooks.com

Contact:
Brad McEwen: 519-621-7135
Email: mill_race@yahoo.com
Web site: www.millracefolksociety.com

Part of the Grand River Folk Community www.grandriverfolk.org

This announcement is also available as a PDF file.

BOARD of DIRECTORS

Planning for the 16th annual Mill Race Festival of Traditional Folk Music is about to begin. But planning for such a special event takes hard work and dedication. Without the help of volunteers and the Board of Directors, this festival would not be possible.

There is one key position on the Board that is vacant. In order for this unique music festival to take place, we need to fill the following position:

SPONSORSHIP CO-ORDINATOR

The duties of the Sponsorship co-ordinator shall be:

Annually review and update timelines in accordance with the marketing coordinator and other committee personnel.

To annually review the Sponsorship Package/Options and update them.

Choose organizations from the Cambridge Business Directory and determine the name and position of the appropriate contact person

Develop and maintain a database of current and prospective sponsors. Where available, record details of when corporate decision making is made regarding community sponsorship

Compose letters to be sent to the various corporations and businesses for the purpose of obtaining sponsorship funds and/or services in kind.

Send letters and packages for photocopying.

Organize follow up calls to these individuals.

Ensure that Corporate Sponsors are appropriately recognized, according to Sponsorship Package/Options, by communicating sponsorship details to the Marketing Coordinator, according to the deadlines established for promotional materials. Responsible for ensuring that corporate logos and accurate corporate titles are provided.

Communicating sponsorship details to the Finance Coordinator, so that billing and collection of all funds can be done in a timely manner.

Prepare and mail letters of thanks to all sponsors.

Search out and apply for any available grants.

Maintain accurate records of annual giving/sponsorship.

Prepare annual report.

The Sponsorship Co-ordinator will work with a sub-committee.

Contact: Anyone who may be interested in filling vacant positions and would like more information can contact Brad McEwen at mill_race@yahoo.com or call him at (519)-621-7135.