Staff Venue Picks

This article originally ran in the owen sound sun times on August 18, 2021 Written by James Keelaghan, Jaret Koop, Skylar Shelley, and Ayrton Wakfer Well. Summerfolk is a-coming in […]

The Art of the Workshop

this article originally ran in the owen sound sun times on August 10, 2021 Written by James Keelaghan Something that Summerfolk audiences have come to expect is the workshop. Because […]

A Backyard Bonanza

this article originally ran in the owen sound sun times on July 29, 2021 Written by James Keelaghan  On an uncharacteristically cold weekend in May, five of us gathered for […]

Sun Times Article #12: Prepare for the magic

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan When I […]

Sun Times Article #11: From unexpected places…

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan Two years […]

Sun Times Article #10: A songwriter’s story

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan Last year, […]

Sun Times Article #9: Road to Summerfolk

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan I played […]

Sun Times Article #8: Memories and magic

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan The only […]

Sun Times Article #7: West Coast road trips

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan There has […]

Sun Times Article #6: Mashing it up!

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan This is […]

Sun Times Article #5: William Prince

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan Peguis First […]

Sun Times Article #4: Garnet Rogers

There was a great gig that used to happen in Ohio at a place called the Wildcat Ranch. The concerts there were magical. The venue was the hayloft in a […]

Sun Times Article #3: Vildá

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan In what […]

Sun Times Article #2: The Once

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan A couple […]

Sun Times Article #1: A year-round effort

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival At Summerfolk, we’re a little […]

Sun Times Article 12: Two’s company

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan One of […]

Sun Times Article 8: A world of talent

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan There is […]

Sun Times Article 9: Family Fun

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan A couple […]

Sun Times Article 10: Mix-match and magic…

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan I have […]

Sun Times Article 6: Soul Run

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan If you […]

Sun Times Article 5: Unbound Creativity

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan I was […]

Sun Times Article 4: Music of Childhood

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan We didn’t […]

Sun Times Article 3: From Cuba to Canada

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan To make […]

Sun Times Article 2: Irish roots

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan Surprise! I’m […]

Sun Times Article 1: Waiting for Summerfolk…

Every year Artistic Director James Keelaghan writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times previewing the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival By James Keelaghan There are […]

Family Ties

Several years ago, I was teaching at a music camp in New Jersey. I had a group of about 16 songwriters as students. On the first night they invited me […]

Bringing the world to the OS

Musically, I was raised on a strange brew. My Da, Irish by birth, loved traditional Irish music. The Clancy Brothers were the high priests of his musical church. Any deviation […]

Those magic moments

I could fill a book with the magical moments I’ve had at festivals. As a performer, I had the opportunity to sit in with some of my musical heroes in […]

Trying on Pants

Shawn Hall of The Harpoonist and the Axe Murderer has provided me with my mantra for the next year. In an interview with Mike Usinger of the Georgia Straight, Hall […]

Small town…

When I am not wearing my Artistic Director’s hat, I’m wearing my touring, singer-songwriter’s hat. I’ve been wearing that headgear for over 30 years now. That job takes me to […]

We have you covered

Every year the Artistic Director of Summerfolk writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times in the 12 weeks leading up to the festival.     […]

Summerfolk is For Kids … Too

By David Newland Ask what “folk” means as a musical genre, and the conversation could go on for weeks. One thing we can all agree on is that the “folk” […]

Honestly Unforgettable Performers

By James Keelaghan Sometimes an artist owns a song. Chances are they didn’t write it, but it’s their voice that you hear when you imagine the song being sung. Judy […]

Refreshing Classics And New Traditions

By James Keelaghan It should be no surprise to you that with a name like Keelaghan, I know a bit about Celtic flavoured music. It might surprise you that it’s […]

Where the music happens

By James Keelaghan When you talk about folk festivals, music is essential, but really it’s all about the space. In 1992, I played the Tønder Festival in Denmark for the […]

Outside of the Box

One of the great things about the Summerfolk Music and Crafts Festival is that there has always been room for acts that are outside of the box. Acts that are […]

Keeping the Magic (A)live

By Jon Farmer Lately, I’ve been asking people to describe Summerfolk in one word. The most common response has been ‘magic’. It’s an accurate description but it makes it hard […]

Brothers and Sisters

Every year our artistic director writes a series of 12 articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times in the 12 weeks leading up to the festival. This is the first […]

The View From Stage Right

By David Newland The other day, my teenage daughter confronted me: “Dad, why are you still wearing that t-shirt? It’s ten years old!” I looked down, stunned. “What?! This is […]

Workshops and Festival Magic

By James Keelaghan We have a lot of people who buy tickets to the festival before we announce even one name from the lineup. They know that what happens at […]

Fruitful artists have roots in tradition

By James Keelaghan Several years ago, I was teaching at a music camp in New Jersey. I had a group of about 16 songwriters as students. On the first night […]

Building on Musical Mentors

By James Keelaghan In April this year, I lost a good friend. Ron Casat had been one of my earliest mentors. He taught me pretty well everything I know about […]

Trout Fishing in America

By James Keelaghan Nineteen eighty-eight was the first year I played Summerfolk with my own band. The festival, as usual, supplied rooms to out of town performers. Our rooms were […]

The Story Behind the Logo

By James Keelaghan Performers live for stickers and lanyards. They are the campaign medals of the touring circuit. I’ve got a wall full of them in my office. I had one […]

Deep Roots at Summerfolk

By James Keelaghan The other day, I was doing research into Canadian folk festivals. Every now and again, I like to go old school on the fact finding. I went […]

Claire Lynch Has The Voice

By James Keelaghan Every now and again I play a little game with myself. I imagine which musician I would like to be. Sometimes I’d like to be Phil Ochs, […]

Sun Times 08022014 Why We Folk

The only thing that keeps me going in the winter is the thought of summer. There used to be a time when I embraced winter, but that time is long […]

Sun Times Article 07/25/2014 Molsky/Naiman

 Every year, as part of our continuing sponsorship with the Owen Sound Sun Times, the Artistic Director writes a series of 12 articles about the festival and the performers.The Sun […]

Sun Times Article 07/18/2014 The blues

 Every year, as part of our continuing sponsorship with the Owen Sound Sun Times, the Artistic Director writes a series of 12 articles about the festival and the performers.The Sun […]

Sun Times Articles 07/11/2014 Oh Susanna

 Every year, as part of our continuing sponsorship with the Owen Sound Sun Times, the Artistic Director writes a series of 12 articles about the festival and the performers.The Sun […]

Sun Times Article 06/27/2014 Buffy Sainte-Marie

 Every year, as part of our continuing sponsorship with the Owen Sound Sun Times, the Artistic Director writes a series of 12 articles about the festival and the performers.  When […]

Sun Times Article 05/30/2014 Yves Lambert

Every year, as part of our continuing sponsorship with the Owen Sound Sun Times, The Artistic Director writes a series of 12 articles about the festival and the performers. You […]

Sun Times Article #4

Article 4 highlights the The Proclaimers. It’s become something of a tradition- a series of articles written by the Summerfolk AD for the Owen Sound Sun Times. An article a […]

The Sun Times Articles 2013 – 1 and 3

It’s become something of a tradition- a series of articles written by the Summerfolk AD for the Owen Sound Sun Times. An article a week is published between now and […]

Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 8

James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. July 25 I played my first paying […]

Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 7

James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. July 12 My six year old, Tomas, […]

Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 6

James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. July 5th – Andersen and Vishtèn All […]

Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 5

James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. Gunning and Miles If Dave Gunning had […]

Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 4

James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. Something in the Winter In 2001 my […]

Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 3

James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. Lemon Bucket Orchestra When I was hired […]

Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 2

James Keelaghan wrote a series of articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. Oscar and Popo If you love the […]

Sun Times Articles 2012 – part 1

James Keelaghan wrote a series of  articles for the Owen Sound Sun Times last year as part of the lead up to Summerfolk. Article 1, Rogers and Prescott In my […]