Folk Festival offers plenty of fun for kids

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Lucy Anna and Eli Clein like the music, and all the different people, but what do the 6-year-old brother and 7-year-old sister really love about the American Folk Festival?

“The egg rolls,” Lee Clein of Bangor said, laughing. “That’s something they’ve really latched onto. My son says he likes anything in the concessions. But they like it all. My daughter will stay all night with me, until 10 o’clock.”

One thing that’s been true about the Folk Festival, both National and American, which kicks off Friday and runs through Sunday, is that it’s an especially kid-friendly event. The 2006 American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront is no exception. The children’s area on Water Street will have a full program of activities, including American Indian flute player Hawk Henries, guitar and fiddle music by Maine duo the Smith Brothers, kids programs by the Chinese Folk Art Workshop, and Alberti’s Flea Circus.

“Once we knew we were going to have the flea circus, we knew what our theme for the children’s area would be,” said Andrea Stark, executive director of the Maine Discovery Museum and coordinator of children’s activities at the festival. “We’ve got a circus theme, so we’ll have juggling paraphernalia, kid-sized stilts, and toys and games with coordination and balance themes.”

“The children’s tent was probably the biggest revelation to us the first year,” Marie Tessier, a 44-year-old Bangor resident and mother to Leif, 10, and Simone, 4. “The performances are really personal. It’s the smallest venue and the most interactive, and sometimes I think the performances are better than the larger-scale ones. It’s a really nice release for my kids to have the hands-on activities.”

Families have plenty of options for fun things to do together at the festival, but it’s advisable to plan ahead.

“We come pretty well prepared,” said Clein. “We usually take things like sunblock and water and snacks. We get a little something to eat there, but we like to have something for a pinch, when the kids are immediately hungry or melting down.”

Tessier said she has a novel solution in case she loses one of her children.

“I take a piece of masking tape and put my cell phone number on my 4-year-old’s back,” she said. “If she ever gets separated, someone can call me.”

Clein intends to spend part of this year’s AFF with his children and wife, Annette, as a festival volunteer. And for 2006, Lucy Anna is pitching in too.

“She asked if she could volunteer this year,” said Clein. “She’s going to volunteer at the children’s area with me.”

Some of the children’s area performers are new to Maine and to the festival. They include the Smith Brothers, made up of 16-year-old fiddler Jay and 14-year-old guitarist Shane, who live in Industry, near Farmington, and play a blend of bluegrass, old time and Celtic at festivals and concerts around the state.

Professional juggler Morton Hansen, who grew up in Bath and studied art at Simon’s Rock College in Massachusetts, founded the juggling group blink. The duo developed a following while touring abroad for five years. Returning to Maine, Hansen went solo as a juggler.

“He has a program that he does called ‘Falling Up Words,’ which he incorporates language and words into,” said Stark. “He’s done a lot in making juggling into a real art form. He’s very excited about the Chinese jugglers, too. They’ll be using diablos, a kind of Chinese yo-yo, and they can do all kinds of amazing things with it. I’m guessing he’ll mix it up with them.”

Yorick’s Marionette Theater, a New England-based troupe, brings traditional Hungarian puppetry to the festival this year. With hand-carved, colorful marionettes and a variety of story-based performances, master puppeteer Dusan Petran and his partner Aniece Novak perform all over the U.S. and Europe, to the delight of young and old.

Tessier said dancing, in particular contradancing, featured this year on the Kenduskeag Dance Stage with the band Airdance, is a great way for families to have fun together.

“It’s great family participation, because there are dances that are easier to do for kids,” she said. “You just stomp your feet and turn in a circle, and the grownups can do the harder ones.”

“Families can participate in things together,” said Stark. “Kids can see the performers in a small area. Sometimes it’s hard for [children] to get in close in the big tents to see, but we’ve worked very hard to bring the main stage performers into the children’s area. It’s kind of unique, because in folk festivals past it hadn’t been done. It brings it down to their level.”

Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net.

Top ten reminders for families

. Carry water. Keep your kids hydrated, even if it’s not very hot out.

. Pack rain gear, in case of inclement weather.

. Bring a stroller, so tired younger children can have a break.

. Put on sunblock. The only reason you should be red-faced is from dancing.

. Have cash handy since most craft vendors do not take credit cards.

. Get a schedule of events and a map of the festival grounds.

. Bring a blanket for the grassy area at the Penobscot Stage.

. Wear comfortable shoes for plenty of walking.

. Dress in layers, in case of both extreme heat and chilly evenings.

. Designate a place to meet up in case you get separated.