New Acts Add Variety to Festival Entertainment

Visitors to this year’s 70th annual Kutztown Folk Festival will be treated to a variety of new acts while still enjoying many longtime performers.

Appearing opening day on the Main Stage will be the Philly Brass Band. Performing upbeat tunes complete with their ten-foot-long alpine horn, they are sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Also, out of Philadelphia, Stella Ruze takes the Main Stage later that evening. This young vibrant Americana folk band has been described as “something at the intersection of folk, jazz, and pop.”

Saturday, June 29th, the Hoedown stage will see the first of five daily performances by Germany’s own New Platz band. New Platz, making their trek across the Atlantic, is part of the cultural exchange “Wunderbar Together, Germany and the U.S.”

The second half of the Festival’s opening weekend will see Steel Creek performing Sunday evening on the Main Stage. “Being one of the region’s most popular country bands, we certainly look forward to having Steel Creek at this year’s Festival,” said Festival Director Steve Sharadin.

Friday, July 5th marks the Festival’s ever-popular “Friday Night Happy Hour,” where all visitors enjoy $5 admission after 4 p.m. Setting the stage for a swinging good time will be swing band favorite Crash Gorden & Debra Dynamite, at the Main Stage.

Anchoring the other end of the Festival grounds on Friday will be the 4th annual “Showdown at the Hoedown.” MC Dave Kline takes the crowd on an incredible dance showdown as two of the Festival’s long-time favorite groups, the Miller Family Square Dancers and the Celtic Martins, partake in a back-and-forth dance display. Later that evening Festivalgoers can learn to square dance as Keith Brintzenhoff brings back a past favorite, the “hoedown free-for-all.”

Other new and returning stage highlights include The Sauerkraut Brass Band, Dave Kline & The 4th of July Band, Cat Elwell & Saucony Creek, Ed Goldber & Odessa Klezmer, The Jay Players, Yingling Porter on Tap, Butch Imhoff’s Acoustic Roadshow, Doug Madenford, and Boulevard Express.

Seminar stage highlights will include daily presentations on hex signs and spirituality, as well as comedy by Bill Meck and Leroy Brown. Don’t forget the Liar’s contest!

The Children’s Stage will again be standing room only for most shows as the Hanna Family presents their famous Festival puppet show four times per day, while third-generation E.C. Hanna performs his popular magic show three times per day.  Also joining the Hannas throughout the day is “Marty’s Miraculous Flea Circus.”

With five stages of continues entertainment and dozens of other features and attractions, visitors are encouraged to visit the Festival’s newly enhanced day-by-day, hour-by-hour schedule.