ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

In light of the rousing response in January, 2010, the Florida Keys Traditional Music Festival is returning to Marathon for a second year over the weekend of January 28-30, 2011.  The event will again be held at Boatman’s Sombrero Resort at 19 Sombrero Boulevard in Marathon.  

It will be an all-weather event, housed in a large tent at the Resort, and chairs will be provided.  Tickets are $20 for each of four concerts, but before January 3, 2011 the four concert series can be purchased for $70.  Tickets are available on the Festival website, www.keysmusicfest.org.  

Like the first year, the Festival will feature some of the finest traditional artists from across the country.  Three of the seven featured performers  are returning by popular demand; the others will be appearing for the very first time in the Florida Keys.  The Festival’s four concert programs will be benefit performances.  All the musicians will perform without pay as participants in “Artists for the Traditional Arts,” an informal group organized by artists themselves to support the work of the non-profit National Council for the Traditional Arts (the NCTA), which is producing the event. 

The NCTA, based in the Washington D.C. suburb of Silver Spring, Maryland, pioneered multi-ethnic folk festivals in the 1930s and is the nation’s longest-standing folk arts organization.  Its work now includes a nationwide touring program, five large-scale free festivals, and planning cultural activities in the National Parks.  The NCTA stresses quality and authenticity in bringing traditional artists to the public, and has produced events reaching an estimated 3.5 million people over the last five years.  See details at www.ncta.net

In 2011, the NCTA will share proceeds from the Festival with the Grace Jones Day Care Center in Marathon, the local co-beneficiary.   The Festival co-chair is the Chairman of the NCTA’s Board, John Holum, a Marathon boat resident, and its manager is his spouse Barbara Holum.  The local co-chair of the Festival will be Morgan Hill of Exit Realty.  All festival activities will be managed by volunteers, many of whom played key roles in the successful 2010 festival.  

The Festival is receiving strong promotional backing from the Monroe County Tourist Development Council, which provided an initial level of support in 2010 and then, in light of performance, more than tripled its funding for 2011.  The popular Florida Keys newspaper The Keynoter is providing additional help this year as the Festival’s media sponsor.  Dave’s Island Taxi of Marathon will transport artists to and from their arrival airports, and will also provide continuous shuttle service between parking and the festival site.
 

Food and beverages will be available on site and the coolers will not be allowed.  In addition, the venue is not suitable for pets.