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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 3, 2018)
Festival to ‘brighten the days of January’ W eekend passes and single show tickets for the 16th annual Flor- ence Winter Music Festival are on sale now. Th e three-day extravaganza takes place at the Florence Events Center on Jan. 12 to 14 and showcases a variety of international touring talent and world class artisans, along with a wealth of lo- cally sourced cuisine and fi ne libations. “Th e overall idea is to bring business into Florence at a time of year when the local establishments need it the most,” said festival producer Howie Cusack. “We’re trying to brighten the dark days of January. We’ve got a three-day cele- bration of internationally known music and world-class artisans. No one else in our region has that.” On Saturday, Jan. 13, at “Th e Main Event,” the legendary Brit folk rocker Al Stewart performs his multi-platinum “Year of Th e Cat” hits, along with Or- egon’s favorite young storytelling trou- badour, John Craigie. Th e highly anticipated “Friday Night Th rowdown” pairs the Appalachian bluegrass stylings of Grammy winning icon Laurie Lewis and her band alongside the blistering Americana banjo and mandolin virtuosity of Jeff Scrog- gins & Colorado. “Th e stage will ignite, they’re so hot,” Cusack said of the opening act, adding that Lewis is welcome to play long into the night. Th e “Supersession 16,” which runs from 10:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 13, is a memorable musical marathon featuring the Celtic energy of the Portland-based Castle- town, the roots harmonies of northern California’s Calav- eras, the folk rhythms of Cabin Fever NW and the heartfelt songs of Pretty Gritty. “Castletown will start us off Saturday with a bang,” Win- ter Music Festival Coordinator Rachel Pearson said. “At 10:30 a.m., people will be dancing. And we’re ending with a bang, too.” Th e aft ernoon will end with the rockin’ western swing of rising Canadian favorites, Petunia & Th e Vipers. Th e Gospel Gumbo Gathering scheduled for Sunday af- ternoon, Jan. 14, presents some of the central coast’s fi nest choir members performing traditional and contemporary selections under the direction of Florence musician Marty Adams. Florence Events Center's exclusive caterer Pavilion Ca- tering will provide a lunch of hearty, authentic gumbo and cornbread. Th e festival closes with a roof raising performance by the popular Eugene and University of Oregon a capella group, On the Rocks. “Th ey brings in a little diff erent charge for this,” Cusack Coast Centras Free Monthsy Guide to Arts and Entertainment on the Oregon Coast M ARKETING : S USAN G UTIERREZ , M ARKETING D IRECTOR 541-902-3530, SGUTIERREZ@THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM E DITORIAL : C HANTELLE M EYER , F EATURES E DITOR PRESSRELEASES@THESIUSLAWNEWS.COM Welcome to Coast Central, a monthly publication focusing on arts and entertainment on and near the central and southern Oregon coast, from Florence to Bandon. Submit all press releases, photos, calendar events and gallery list- ings to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com. Deadline for submissions is the 15th of each month. Coast Central is published the first week of every month, so plan accordingly when submitting events. said. “We’re going to span the genera- tions with the Gospel Gumbo Gather- ing.” Th e University of Oregon students will wrap up the entire festival. “Th e day will be a celebration of faith, life and music rolled into one,” Cusack said. Th e festival, presented by Friends of the FEC and Sea Lion Caves, has a whole slew of Florence-area and Ore- gon-based sponsors, including Brand- borg Winery, KLCC and Ninkasi Brew- ing. Th e wine and beer vendors will be exclusive pourers during Florence Re- gional Arts Alliance’s (FRAA) Artisan Fair Jan. 12 and 13, also at the event center. Admission to the Artisan Fair is free. Vendors include FRAA members, lo- cal groups such as the Rhododendron Quilt Guild and many more fi ne artists. Cusack said, “We’re bringing artistry into a small setting where we can be up close and personal with people. Th e FEC, at the end of the day, is a really ex- cellent venue. Every seat in there is good.” Th e organizers hope that the caliber of music, art and vendors will encourage repeat visitors to Florence, espe- cially as some groups, including On the Rocks, will appear in the area for the fi rst time. “We’re all united in trying to do something good for the community and promote Florence,” Cusack said. “We’re trying to grow the businesses and provide something that hasn’t been done quite to this extent. ... Th ere’s a lot of tal- ent here in Florence, and we intend to tap every bit of it.” Tickets are on sale at the Florence Events Center, 715 Quince St. in Florence, and at eventcenter.org. For more information, call 541-997-1994 or visit winter musicfestival.org for complete details. I NSIDE COVER STORY: FESTIVAL FEATURES MUSIC, ART — WINTER MUSIC FESTIVAL IN FLORENCE .............. 3 EVENTS CALENDAR AND GALLERIES ..................... 4-5 WRITING BOOT CAMP OPENS JAN. 20 .................... 56 CROW ANNOUNCES CALL TO ARTISTS ...................... 7 COOS ART MUSEUM SHOWS FIBER ART ................ 13 MAIN STREET COULD FEATURE FLORENCE ........... 14 All photos used with permission. © Siuslaw News 2018 JANUARY 2018 • Arts & Entertainment • COAST CENTRAL • 3
