Promoting folk music in Marquette

A music event previewing for a large event coming soon was happening in Marquette tonight.

An event that has been around for a long time in the Upper Peninsula is celebrating this year’s music festival through many events leading up to it.

“Well this is our 40th festival so it’s a really big celebration and we are trying to do something every month to celebrate the fact that we have been around for 40 years bringing traditional music to this area,” said, Executive Director of the Hiawatha Music Co–Op, Susan Divine.

To help promote traditional music the people at Hiawatha Music Co–Op decided to bring the music to the people at a local establishment in Marquette and to give an idea what the Hiawatha Music festival will be like.

“To show that we do something year round to promote traditional music, we decided we wanted to kind of warm up to Hiawatha. We originally started calling our series “Warm Up Wednesday,” we have now transitioned to Hiawatha on TAAP. (T) As in Traditional, (A) as in Acoustic, Arts performances, and we hold those from January until May. We bring in different traditional music groups, sometimes we do some education and it’s all held at Ore Dock Brewing Company,” said, President of Hiawatha Music Co–Op, Katrina Keough.

These events really bring the community together, but the music has a large part in that process and the bands that play to support these festivals firmly believe in that.

“Music festivals are the most pure form of humanity because its people there just wanting to connect with people, wanting to have fun and just wanting to be in the moment and music festivals are perfect for that and Hiawatha perfect for that. They have been doing it for 40 years now and I’ve seen so many people go play that festival and then just come back changed. That’s what music festivals do and that’s what music does; it feels good to play apart in helping promote that today,” said Soren Staff.

The festival will be happening in July on the 21st, 22nd and 23rd. It’s at Tourist Park in Marquette’s city limits and it’s the largest of its kind in the Upper Peninsula.

For more information click here.