Each year, more than 10,000 music fans make their way downtown to the Tucson Folk Festival to enjoy a wide variety of acoustic music. Over 100 local, regional and national acts will perform offering continuous live music featuring folk, blues, Celtic, bluegrass, folk-rock, world, country, gospel, and Cajun rhythms on four stages.
The four stages are all within walking distance from the corner of Church Street and Alameda Street, allowing for many musical choices. The Plaza Stage is at El Presidio Park; the Courtyard Stage is on the lawn of the Old Pima County Courthouse. The Museum Stage is at the Tucson Museum of Art; the Old Town Artisans stage is located in the courtyard of the Old Town Artisans complex at 201 North Court Avenue, adjacent to the Tucson Museum of Art.
The 25th Annual Tucson Folk Festival will feature approximately 120 acts on four stages, Workshops, a New Artists’ Stage, an Acoustic Showcase, and food and craft vendors, in addition to our headliner. With two days of continuous live music, this is one of the largest free festivals in the country.
This year we will feature Chris Hillman and Herb Pedersen as headliners on Saturday night, and nationally-known Tucson resident John Coinman on Sunday night.
Friends since they were teenagers, California country rock and bluegrass legends, Chris and Herb have teamed up to bring four decades of musicianship to their concerts. An inductee into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, guitarist and mandolin player Hillman has played everything from bluegrass to jazz as a member of groups such as The Byrds, The Flying Burrito Brothers and the Desert Rose Band. Banjo picker and vocalist Herb Pedersen has brought his talent to work with such artists as Johnny Rivers, Dan Fogelberg, James Taylor and many others. His music is also the legend of several TV and movie soundtracks. Together, they will engage audiences with their wonderful vocal skills and playing repertoire – from honky-tonk rock‘n‘ to bluegrass melodies with Tex-Mex and Cajun thrown in for good measure.
John Coinman is an award winning singer/songwriter who was born and raised on the Northeastern plains of New Mexico. He's released 5 solo CDs, had numerous songs in films, and collaborated with many artists and writers including John Densmore of The Doors, James Intveld, Amy Rigby, Tony Gilkyson, Michael Blake, Teddy Morgan, and Kevin Costner. He was the Music Supervisor of Dances With Wolves. John is signed with Corazong Records headquartered in Amsterdam and Nashville. He is currently recording and touring with Kevin Costner and Modern West. He lives in the desert outside of Tucson, Arizona with his wife Jo, his son Will and their faithful dog Ranger. “John Coinman's songs move like the wind. He is the lone coyote howling in the desert. He has no secrets. He knows where the water is. You have to listen carefully: Maybe get down on your knees And put your ear to the ground.”— John Densmore of The Doors.
Event Information
May 1st and 2nd, 2010 at El Presidio Park
