Sisters Folk Festival, Inc. was awarded a cultural development grant from Oregon Cultural Trust for the 2018 SFF Summer Concert Series, which comes to a close August 16 with a performance by international music superstars ALTAN at 6:30pm on the Fir Street Park stage in Sisters. The series is free and open to the public and is also sponsored in part by First Interstate Bank, Deschutes County Board of Commissioners Discretionary Fund and the City of Sisters.
“It is extremely gratifying to have the ability to fund more of the amazing cultural projects happening across our great state,” said Chuck Sams III, chair of the Cultural Trust board. “We are incredibly grateful to our donors and excited by the increased access this funding will provide to ensure active and culturally vibrant communities.”
“We really feel that, with this year’s series, we are offering three distinct cultural traditions, bluegrass, Cajun and Celtic, which exemplify a broad swath of the music that Americana represents,” said Development Director Steven Remington. The support of the Oregon Cultural Trust validates the work SFF does year-round to promote Americana music.”
In a Grand Ole Opry introduction to ALTAN in 2016, country and bluegrass great Ricky Skaggs said “I LOVE this next group [Altan] and Irish folk music… it’s really the foundation stone of bluegrass music. Bluegrass was built upon what these people laid. I really love the sound of (Altan’s) music and how they keep it traditional, but yet this group is really great about innovating as well. These folks are heavyweights all over the country but especially in Ireland where they’re respected so much.”
After 30 years of playing on stages all over the world from Dublin to New York, Tokyo to Sydney, this premier traditional Irish band came back to the hills of Donegal to record their new album, “The Gap Of Dreams,” released on March 2 of this year.
In 2017, ALTAN singer and founding member Mairéad Ní Mhaonaigh became the recipient of the TG4 Gradam Ceoil/Traditional Musician of the Year award, one of Ireland’s highest musical honors, recognizing her prominent role in supporting, nurturing and strengthening Irish traditional music.
For the SFF 2018 Summer Concert Series and artist information, please visit sistersfolkfestival.org.
SFF encourages patrons to bring blankets and low-back chairs, as seating is not provided. Fir Street Park is located in downtown Sisters at 150 N. Fir St.