Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête 2020 is History

Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête 2020 is history! Our March festival, Jambalaya Jammin’, was a very successful event and we slid in just before the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. There were less than 4 reported cases of the virus even a week after the fête in West Baton Rouge Parish. We had plenty of hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes available, we wiped down tables and even took a person’s temperature. We included a handout in each person’s handout on how to wash hands and how to prevent the “potential spread” of the virus at our festival. Participants gave high ratings to our featured performers and workshop leaders. Everyone had a great time. Thought you might enjoy seeing some photos of our featured performers and events. Here our Dulcimer and All-Instrument Orchestra led by Mark Wade performed in concert.

Our festival was located just across the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge — the state capitol building is in the distance.

Registration Table Lagniappe members welcomed participants.

And handed out packets sporting our festival T-shirts.

The Kropogs got the “Performer’s Sales Table” ready.

And Bonnie assembled the raffle table items.

The majestic live oak trees on the grounds of the Community Center and Museum made a beautiful backdrop for our event.

The workshops — those on Thursday, Friday and Saturday were fantastic. Lorinda Jones’s dulcimer is as large as she is! She received great complements on her teaching style.

Margaret Wright a perennial crowd pleaser and performer.

And more. Carl Jones from Galax, Virginia, versatile performer and surprise– a singer, too. It was a pleasure to have him at our festival.

Fiddler Erynn Marshall wowed us with her fantastic fiddling.

Can a dog learn to fiddle? Don’t know, but this gorgeous and well-behaved dog traveled here from Wisconsin so his owner could learn.

Annette Lindsey from Oklahoma had a gentle teaching style.

Steve Eulberg’s dulci-bro class made the festival for me. I felt like I learned something entirely new. Thanks Steve!

Susan Trump — along with everyone else — received many fine “favorite teacher” compliments for her classes.

Doug Pratt (right) didn’t disappoint with his bird watch and nature hike and “Bird Songs Workshop.” I learned so much — like my favorite blue jay is really a part of the crow family!  Just didn’t know. And notice Doug’s hiking boots. He is hard core — the rest of us weren’t prepared for his cross country trek — but we had a great time anyway.

And Baton Rouge’s own Kathryn Carlson and her fiddle partner. Doc, performed. Kathryn taught uke classes which were enjoyed by all who attended.

Mark Wade proves that you can sit on a table in Louisiana (notice the Louisiana flag and the strength of the tables in our state). I certainly learned alot in his classes and FINALLY had the mystery solved of why there are three minor scales. Mark, it was worth having you come just for that lesson. And the other knowledgeable music students in the class enjoyed it, too! Here again, Mark was voted “favorite teacher” along with the rest of our instructors by many participants. Come again, sometime, Mark.

And well….I have many other photos of our fete, too, but this is about all I can put up in one post. Check back in April for more photos. 

Here is one showing the height of the flooding on the Mississippi River. We were just on this side of the levee, several blocks away, well below this water line. We just made it. Thanks for everyone who came and made our 2020 music festival a success!