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The 31st Walnut Valley Festival: Music From The Heart
The third week of September 2001, brought a different feel to the Cowley County fairgrounds. The vast Kansas skies, normally filled with countless numbers of fluffy white jet vapor trails were as empty and blue as the hearts of people across the land. The tragic events of September 11, caused everyone to take a closer look at the things that mattered most to them. Families had come hundreds of miles to meet friends and share another Walnut Valley Festival. After a couple days to reflect, the thousands gathered at the 30th annual Walnut Valley Festival came together as only a family can in difficult times. Numerous cards and letters have been received at the Walnut Valley office expressing gratitude for going on with last year's event.
Almost a year later, those same families are making plans to return. The 31st annual Walnut Valley Festival will be held in Winfield September 19th through 22nd and promises to be an event filled with emotions and memories not soon forgotten. The campgrounds will be filled with the sounds of acoustic music as in the thirty years prior. A movement has started encouraging folks to include in their campsites an American flag, as a remembrance and a show of support for the families and people working to protect our country.
Following a year that found performers stranded in many different corners of the world, 2002 promises to be more stable on paper. Numerous entertainers were unable to fly in to festival grounds last year, causing festival officials to work through the night to re-make and publish a schedule for the next day's events.
A number of artists gracing the 2002 Walnut Valley stages were among the ranks of the stranded last fall. A big hit at the 2000 festival, Australian Tommy Emmanuel, will be here. Tommy was unable to leave England last year and proved to be the Walnut Valley answer to Elvis, with "Tommy sightings" reported in St. Louis, Memphis, Houston, Kansas City, and Albuquerque. West coast favorite, Marley's Ghost, who spent last year's festival days stuck in Ireland, will take to the stage each of the four days this year. Italian entertainers Red Wine, forced to remain in Europe last year are planning to return this year.
New acts to the Walnut Valley lineup this year will include the Yonder Mountain String Band, a high energy band from Colorado. Henri's Notions will provide the Celtic touch, and Hot Club of Cowtown will perform western swing and a touch of jazz. Fans of long time festival favorites like John McCutcheon, Mike Cross, Tom Chapin, and Byron Berline will be pleased to find them also returning. As a special touch, Winfield's own Walnut Valley Men's Chorus, under the direction of Keith Anglemyer will treat fans to gospel and bluegrass with a different twist.
For more information about the 31st annual Walnut Valley Festival call 620-221-3250, drop by the festival office at 918 Main Street in Winfield, or go to wvfest.com on the World Wide Web. Advance tickets are on sale now at the Walnut Valley Festival office.
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