Stop by Whole Foods Wed, July 20th (5-7pm) for good food, good beer and good music! The folks at Whole Foods will be grilling up some of their fine foods and offering samples of Ale Asylum beer. And you’ll be entertained while you eat/drink by bands, Off the Porch and the Northern Pikers. All proceeds go to support the Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival… a delicious way to help support traditional music in Madison!

Joe Mullins (2011 Sugar Maple artist) will be on the air tomorrow morning at 10:15 with Chris Powers of the Mud Acres Bluegrass Special on WORT-FM (89.9). Joe will be talking about his upcoming appearance with the Radio Ramblers at the Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival. Be sure to tune in!

Chulrua (pronounced cool-ROO-ah) is an internationally acclaimed trio of the most respected and unique exponents of Irish traditional music. Their music, which is comprised of the old instrumental dance melodies of Ireland: jigs, reels, and hornpipes, will transport you to the Emerald Isle and make you dream of Erin. Button accordion icon Paddy O’Brien is a true master and is revered by Irish music aficionados worldwide. Together with Dale Russ (fiddle) and Brian Miller (guitar and vocals) they have almost 70 years of experience performing at community fairs and festivals, colleges and universities, folk clubs, and a variety of other venues—doing concerts, workshops, dances, and school residencies all over the United States. Chulrua concerts are in keeping with the old tradition—music in a relaxed, intimate atmosphere, and tunes offered as they were handed down from generation to generation in Ireland. Prepare to be enchanted and delighted. You may even catch yourself doing a jig.

You can catch Chulrua several times during the festival-performing on the Main stage and in a more intimate, workshop setting on the Roots & Reasons stage Friday night!

This marks the eighth year in a row Dave Landau has entertained children of all ages at the Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival. Storytelling and performing children’s music are two of Dave’s passions and talents. A former elementary school teacher, Dave has been performing as a full-time musician for the past eight years. A singer and guitarist with Madison based Cork n’ Bottle Bluegrass Band, his musical programs are educational, entertaining, and motivating.

Catch this award winning children’s entertainer at the Roots & Reason Stage both Friday and Saturday.

The 8th Annual Sugar Maple Traditional Music Festival is getting close and we need you in our hardworking, totally loved, fleet of volunteers. Whether you are interested in selling tickets, floating around doing a variety of tasks, helping at the merch table or giving folks the skinny on the parking lot, we have a place for you!

If you are interested, please (with sugar on top and all over the place) email Stephanie Ramer. All volunteers are rewarded with a festival t-shirt, but they do buy their own ticket for the festival.