Dinah Lane, host at the Harwich Channel, spoke with Bob Weiser, music director of the Harwich Cranberry Festival, about the event's summer concert series and the festival's 50th anniversary.
Weiser said the concert series opens July 2 at the courtyard of the 204 Sesuit Road arts-and-culture building and will run on five Thursday nights in July, moving indoors to the auditorium only if the weather is poor. "We call this series world-class music, small-town setting," Weiser said, describing the mix of international and regional performers.
The July lineup Weiser announced includes:
- July 2: the Sky Consort with Swedish singer Emma Bjorling, performing Scandinavian, Cape Cod and Celtic music with unusual instrumentation, including the nyckelharpa and cello.
- July 9: Ronnie Arbo and Daisy Mayhem, a band that blends bluegrass roots with swing and jazz.
- July 16: Grammy winner Dom Flemons, co-founder of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, described as a multi-instrumentalist who performs on banjo and traditional instruments such as quills and "bones."
- July 23: a joint appearance by the Wolf Sisters and the Lion Sisters; Weiser said proceeds from that night will benefit both the Cranberry Festival and the Harvard Conservation Trust.
- July 30: Joe Jinks, noted for Celtic-influenced songwriting and his work on the bouzouki, a stringed instrument highlighted during the interview.
Weiser gave practical details for attendees: "tickets are all 30 bucks whether you buy them in advance or at the gate," he said. Gates open at 5:45 p.m. and shows begin promptly at 6:30 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring chairs or blankets; soft drinks will be sold on-site but the festival no longer sells beer or wine. Weiser said picnics and takeout are permitted.
Weiser also noted this is the eighth season of the concert series and that the festival's full 50th-anniversary programming will be discussed on-air in coming weeks. For more information and ticket sales, he directed listeners to cranfest.net.
The Harwich Cranberry Festival's Thursday series combines local and visiting artists, benefits one night's programming, and provides family-friendly outdoor concerts in a historic municipal cultural setting.