Hailed as “the songwriter laureate of modern city folk,” (The Boston Globe), Lucy Kaplansky is a New York City-based contemporary folk singer-songwriter with a luminous voice whose recordings have frequently topped the folk and Americana radio charts. Among the most respected and covered touring songwriters on the folk scene, Massachusetts-based Cliff Eberhardt, like Kaplansky, cut his musical teeth playing NYC clubs centered around Greenwich Village during the folk/songwriter renaissance of the 1980s. When not doing their own thing, Kaplansky and Eberhardt have been part of an On a Winter’s Night tour that also features John Gorka and Patty Larkin.

Prior to the evening concert on the park’s [Harry] Chapin Rainbow Stage, Michael Kornfeld, president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington and editor & publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com, conducts an on-stage conversational interview with the evening’s featured artists at 7:15 p.m. He also emcees a series of amplified song swaps from 1:30-4 p.m. near a canopy tent on the upper lawn area overlooking the stage and from 4-6 p.m. on-stage. These will be preceded by an hour-long open mic hosted by singer-songwriter Toby Tobias, who co-hosts the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM) that is co-presented by FMSH and the Cinema Arts Centre in the Cinema’s Sky Room on three Wednesday nights each month, while FMSH’s monthly Hard Luck Café concert series takes place on the third Wednesday.

Artists slated to showcase their talents during the afternoon include (in alphabetical order by last name): Josie Bello, Suzanne Ernst, Roger Street Friedman, Rorie Kelly, Ray Lambiase, Bill Lauter, Mara Levine, The Levins, Annie Mark, Stuart Markus, Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale, Louise Mosrie, Mark Newman, Nico Padden, Carolann Solebello, Hank Stone, Christine Sweeney, and Toby Tobias.

The complete schedule for the Huntington Folk Festival appears below:

1:30 Huntington’s Own: Josie Bello, Suzanne Ernst, Ray Lambiase

2:00 LI Guys: Hank Stone and Bob Westcott

2:30 LI Gals: Rorie Kelly, Nico Padden, Christine Sweeney

3:00 Huntington’s Own II: Bill Lauter, Annie Mark, Mark Newman

4:00 A Pair of Duos: The Levins and Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale

4:30 Let’s Hear It for the Guys: Roger Street Friedman and Toby Tobias

5:00 Classic Folk Covers: Mara Levine and Stuart Markus

5:30 Women of Note: Louise Mosrie Coombe and Carolann Solebello

6:00 Dinner Break

7:15 A Conversation with Cliff Eberhardt and Lucy Kaplansky

8:00 Evening Concert: Cliff Eberhardt and Lucy Kaplansky

Festivalgoers are advised to bring lawn chairs and blankets and a picnic supper (or they can walk into Huntington Village and enjoy a meal at one of its many restaurants).

The Huntington Summer Arts Festival is produced by the Town of Huntington and presented by the Huntington Arts Council. Additional support is provided by Presenting Sponsor Canon U.S.A., with partial funding from the New York State Council on the Arts and the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning.

Prior to the evening concert on the park’s [Harry] Chapin Rainbow Stage, Michael Kornfeld, president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington and editor & publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com , conducts an on-stage conversational interview with the evening’s featured artists at 7:15 p.m. He also hosts a series of amplified showcases and song swaps from 2-5 p.m. near a canopy tent on the upper lawn area overlooking the stage. These will be preceded by an hour-long open mic hosted by singer-songwriter Toby Tobias, who runs the NorthShore Original Open Mic (NOOM), an Acoustic Ally of FMSH, from 12-1 p.m. and Remembering Lois Morton: A Musical Tribute from 1-2 p.m.

From 1-2 p.m, a number of artists will perform and share their reflections on Lois Morton, the late Huntington-based singer-songwriter who delighted audiences throughout the New York metropolitan area and beyond for years with her abundant charm and humorous songs of social commentary on such subjects as cell phones, clutter, diets, psychotherapy, and road rage. Participants in this tribute will include Josie Bello, Kirsten Maxwell, Larry Moser, Richard Parr, Glen Roethel, Dave Anthony Setteducati, Linda Sussman, and others. Here’s a link to a remembrance piece about Lois Morton: https://acousticmusicscene.com/2020/12/20/lois-morton-a-witty-singer-songwriter-1933-2020/.

The complete schedule for the Huntington Folk Festival appears below:

12:00 Open Mic
1:00 Remembering Lois Morton: A Musical Tribute (performances and reflections by Josie Bello, Kirsten Maxwell, Larry Moser, Richard Parr, Glen Roethel, Dave Anthony Setteducati, Linda Sussman, and others)
2:00 Song Swap: Hank Stone and Bob Westcott
2:30 Us!
2:45 Drew Velting
3:00 Christine Sweeney
3:15 Brett Altman
3:30 Allison Leah
3:45 Sea Chanteys: The Royal Yard and Alan Short
4:15 Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale
4:30 The Levins
4:45 Scott Wolfson & Other Heroes
5:00 Dinner Break
7:15 On-Stage Conversation with Paula Cole and Sophie B. Hawkins
8:00 Evening Concert on the Chapin Rainbow Stage: Paula Cole & Sophie B. Hawkins

Festivalgoers are advised to bring lawn chairs and blankets and a picnic supper (or they can walk into Huntington Village and enjoy a meal at one of its many restaurants).

Although the Huntington Folk Festival is free, attendees are asked to bring donations of nonperishable food to support Long Island Cares, Inc., the regional food bank founded by Harry Chapin. July 16 marks the 41st anniversary of the late Huntington-based singer-songwriter, social activist and humanitarian’s tragic death on the Long Island Expressway, while this year is the 50th anniversary of the release of Chapin’s breakout hit, “Taxi.”

The Huntington Summer Arts Festival is produced by the Town of Huntington and presented by the Huntington Arts Council. Additional support is provided by Presenting Sponsor Canon U.S.A., with partial funding from the New York State Council on the Arts and the Suffolk County Department of Economic Development and Planning.

Quarter Horse is a six-member ensemble that was voted the Most Wanted to Return Emerging Artists at the 2018 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival. Elements of folk, rock, alternative, country, blues, and jazz are all part of its Americana sound.

Prior to the evening concert, Michael Kornfeld, president of the Folk Music Society of Huntington and editor & publisher of AcousticMusicScene.com, will conduct an on-stage conversational interview with the evening’s featured & opening artists at 7:30 p.m. He also hosts a series of amplified showcases and a harmony workshop (presented by The Honey Dewdrops) from 1-6 p.m. These will take place near a canopy tent on the upper lawn area overlooking the stage and will feature artists from throughout LI and the New York metropolitan area.

Artists slated to showcase their talents during the afternoon include Josie Bello, Roger Street Friedman, Loretta Hagen, Ray Lambiase, The Levins, Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale, Kate Mills, Dave Murphy, Open Book, Nico Padden, Queler/Farber Family Band, The Royal Yard, Rachael Sage, South Country String Band, Christine Sweeney, and Toby Tobias.

The complete schedule for the Huntington Folk Festival appears below:

1:00 Ray Lambiase
1:15: Song Swap: Rorie Kelly, Nico Padden & Christine Sweeney
2:00 South Country String Band
2:15 Josie Bello
2:30 Roger Street Friedman
2:45 The Royal Yard (sea shanty duo)
3:00 Dave Murphy
3:15 Loretta Hagen
3:30 Kate Mills
3:45 Open Book
4:00 Harmony Workshop with The Honey Dewdrops
4:45 Catherine Miles & Jay Mafale
5:00 The Levins
5:15 Queler/Farber Family Band
5:30 Toby Tobias
5:45 Rachael Sage
6:00 Dinner Break
7:30 On-Stage Conversation with Quarter Horse and The Honey Dewdrops
8:00 Evening Concert on the Chapin Rainbow Stage

Festivalgoers are advised to bring lawn chairs and blankets and a picnic supper (or they can walk into Huntington Village and enjoy a meal at one of its many restaurants). The festival’s evening concert will also be livestreamed via the Huntington Arts Council’s Facebook page and its website (huntingtonarts.org).

The Huntington Summer Arts Festival is produced by the Town of Huntington and presented by the Huntington Arts Council. Additional support is provided by Presenting Sponsor Canon U.S.A., with partial funding from the New York State Council on the Arts, Suffolk County, and Darin. W. Reed – Allstate Insurance Agent. The Honey Dewdrops’ performance is sponsored in part by a grant from the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation.

Editor’s Note: This is my 13th year curating and emceeing artist showcases during the Huntington Folk Festival.