Festival Fever: GottaGetGon, 5/28-30/10

Since 1970, the Pick’n’ & Sing’n’ Gather’n’ has sponsored the GottaGetGon, a Memorial Day weekend getaway and family folk festival. It’s informal, interactive and lots of fun. Camping is encouraged.

Featured performers at this summer’s GottaGetGon include acoustic blues and ragtime guitar picker Little Toby Walker, traditional folksinger Pamela Goddard, singer-fiddler Davy Sturtevant and the Mother-Daughter Stringband (a quartet featuring Lyn Hardy and her daughter Ruth Ungar Merenda with Abby Newton and her daughter Rosie Newton).

Held at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa, gates open at 3pm on Friday, May 28, and the fest gets rolling with a pot-luck dinner at 7pm, followed at 8pm by the New Generation Folk Concert. Hosted by Matt Toomey, the featured performers include Olivia Quillio, Don Johnson and Brett Shiel.

On Saturday, May 29, the fest hosts workshops and concerts all day long, kicking off with the opening sampler concert at 10:25am (oh, those crazy folkies). There’s a family country dance slated for 8pm with Goddard calling the steps to the tunes of the Mother-Daughter Stringband.

Concerts and workshops continue on Sunday from 11am-4pm. The fest hosts an open mic session from 4:15-6pm, and after dark, the festivities wrap up with the traditional a cappella sing session.

Advance tix (purchased prior to May 15) are $34 for the weekend or $18 per day; students (ages 12-21) $16 for the weekend or $9 per day; children under 12 are free.

After May 15, tix are $38 for the weekend or $20 per day; students $19 for the weekend or $10 per day. Evening-only tix are also available for $5 per night.

Weekend tix include free camping.

PREVIOUS FESTIVAL FEVER ANNOUNCEMENTS:
The Empire State Book Festival @ the Empire State Plaza, Albany, 4/9-10
Rock the Resort @ the Hudson Valley Resort & Spa, Kerhonkson, 4/9-11
Mountain Jam @ Hunter Mountain, Hunter, 6/4-6
Rhythm On the Ridge @ Maple Ski Ridge, Rotterdam, 6/12
Clearwater Great Hudson River Revival @ Croton Point Park, Croton-on-Hudson, 6/19-20
The Old Songs Festival @ Altamont Fairgrounds, Altamont, 6/25-27
Freihofer’s Jazz Festival @ SPAC, Saratoga Springs, 6/26-27
The WGNA Countryfest @ Altamont Fairgrounds, Altamont, 7/10
The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival @ Walsh Farm, Oak Hill, 7/15-18
Lake George Jazz Weekend @ Shepard Park, Lake George, 9/18-19/10