KINGFIELD – On Saturday, June 30, the charming, historic village of Kingfield, nestled against the peaks of Maine’s 4000-foot Western Mountains, will host an outdoor concert featuring the international icon of American folk music, Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra (BSO) conducted by Grammy winner Lucas Richman.
Audiences can expect to hear Stookey play some of the well-known and beloved tunes that have made him an American legend – songs like The Wedding Song (“There is Love”), Puff the Magic Dragon and more. The BSO will play a selection of songs with Stookey, and will also perform an eclectic set of all-American pops and patriotic compositions by Gershwin, Copland, Rodgers, Williams and others.
Opening performers include Erica Brown and the Bluegrass Connection, Nadia and Jocko, the Maranacook String Band and the Western Mountain Trash Can Band.
At the end of the evening, when fireworks launch into the moonlit sky, more than 1,500 cheering people will rise to their feet – as they do every year – and offer an enthusiastic standing ovation.
Guests can bring a picnic or buy food from one of the local vendors and dine al fresco against the backdrop of the mountains.
During the day, at the Festival of the Arts in the village (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), visitors can meet artists and artisans, and interact with them as they exhibit photography, jewelry, stained glass, blown glass, paintings, metal works, wooden bowls, and spinning yarn. Maine musicians will play live music throughout the day.
On June 29, the Friday night before the main event, a dozen of Kingfield’s galleries and museums will open their doors to welcome visitors to the POPS Friday Artwalk. Three of the venues will feature live music: Tom and Mali Obomsawin at the Village Gallery at the Farm Cottage Gallery, Andy and Ellie Buckland at Grand Central Station and the Gawler Family at the Schoolhouse Gallery.
Admission is free for the Festival of the Arts, June 30, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and for the POPS Friday Artwalk, 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Tickets for the Kingfield POPS concert (June 30) are $20 in advance and $25 at the gate. Children 17 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Gate opens at 4:30 p.m. For more information or to buy tickets, visit www.kingfieldpops.com. Lodging and packages are available.
