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The Winterfolk Blues & Roots Festival will be celebrating its10th anniversary by taking over the Delta Chelsea, Toronto’s Entertainment Hotel for the weekend of February 17-19, 2012. Alongside performances from some of Canada’s top musicians, this ever-expanding festival will feature several workshops and song circle events to entertain die-hard festival-goers and new visitors to the city as well.

From its humble roots (initially the festival was staged at a few clubs in the Spadina and College area and drew about 500 people), Winterfolk has expanded in concept, scope, appeal and artistic value. Presented annually in February, the festival will occupy much of the Delta Chelsea for the full weekend.

Often at festival events, it is the song circles, drum circles and workshops that can bring the most joy and spontaneity for audiences and artists alike. Winterfolk believes wholeheartedly in building enduring relationships with community and endeavours to create workshops and community stages each year to reflect that.

WORKSHOPS:

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17

WINTERFOLK ALL STAR BLUES BAND – 10:00 pm with Jack De Keyzer, Al Lerman (Fathead), Gary Kendall (Downchild), Mike Fitzpatrick (Downchild) Plus special guests dropping by.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

BRIAN BLAIN’S CAMPFIRE AND SONG CIRCLE – 1:00 pm Players wanted – drop by and sit in with Mr. Blain for some tunes by the light of his campfire.

SONGS THAT TELL STORIES – 3:00 pm – Host Howard Gladstone, with with Jay Aymar, Ian Reid, and Grainne show the power of songs to tell anecdotes and spin their tales of history and imagination.

NOT JUST ANOTHER GUITAR WORKSHOP – 6:00 pm – Alastair Artingstall, Margaret Stowe and Maneli Jamal play their songs while integrating progressive guitar techniques such as alternative tunings, cut down capos, and percussive elements as tapping, slapping, some electronics, plus some composing ideas

PORCH MUSIC – 7:00 pm – Host Lynne Hanson calls it porch music with a little ‘Texas Dirt’, and is joined in the round by Tia McGraff, and HOTCHA!

THE ACOUSTIC BLUES OF WINTERFOLK Only 50 tickets will be sold – Adv. $8 / Door $10

ACOUSTIC BLUES GUITAR – 8:00 pm

Host John Jackson with David Essig, and Mr. Rick Artists in song circle, share their tunes and show 6-sting techniques as slide, Finger style, different tunings, influences, and more.

THE ACOUSTIC BLUES OF WINTERFOLK BLUES SONGWRITING UNPLUGGED.- 9:00 pm Gary Kendall (Downchild) with Brian Blain play tunes and write a blues songs in real time with audience input. – 11:00 PM

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

OLD TIME GOSPEL SONGS – 1:00 pm – Host Phonogarde is joined by Max Woolaver and Richard Henderson for a Sunday good ol’ Gospel session.

PLAY GUITAR WITH JACK DE KEYZER – 2:00 pm – Join the Guitar Jam

Guitar players invited to drop in and play some guitar with Jack and the band, including Rick Donaldson (drums), Brian Blain (bass) , and you.

SONGWRITING WORKSHOP – 1:00 pm – Only 50 tickets will be sold / Adv. $8 / Door $10

w/ Lynn Miles and Lynne Hanson

Lynn Miles will be offering a Songwriting workshop. Lynn is one of Canada’s most accomplished singer/songwriters. With seven albums to her credit, she is the winner of multiple Canadian Folk Music Awards, and a 2003 Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Solo Album of the Year. Her latest album Fall For Beauty was nominated for the 2011 Juno Roots Album of the year. Lynn’s Songwriting workshops are renown, in demand, usually oversold.

Joining Lynn Miles, is Lynne Hanson, winner of the 2010 Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award, 2009 Canadian Folk Music Award, and recent Kerrville New Folk Finalist.

THE SMOKIN’ GUITARS OF WINTERFOLK – 7:00 pm – Only 50 tickets will be sold / Adv. $8 / Door $10

At no time do their fingers leave their hands! Don’t miss this rare opportunity to get up close with so many six string masters all in one place!

Amazing Flying Fingers – D’Arcy Wickham, Noah Zacharin, Rick Taylor, Phillip Brown, Mr. Rick, Brian Gladstone, David Essig, David Gillis

Margaret Stowe and Tony Quarrington (repeat of one of Winterfolk’s most all time memorable performances)

Tony Quarrington’s Open Jam Session – Tony starts in singer / songwriter mode, then players welcome to join in. Anything can happen – featuring many of the above players plus a few surprises.

COMMUNITY STAGES

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

1:00 pm BEST OF SARAH’S CAFE OPEN STAGE Host is Dan McLean Jr.,

Hour 1 – Jo-Anne Park, Daniel McKenzie, Alan McKinlay, Mark Martyre

Hour 2 – Caitlin Gallagher, Chris Scian, Frank Patrick, Meghan Smith

3:00 pm BEST OF ACOUSTIC TUESDAYS OPEN STAGE with host Steve Raiken.

Hour 1 – Steve Raiken, Roger Zuraw, The McDales, Andy Griffiths

Hour 2 – Mark Denington, Darwin Bruce, Pete Otis, Glen Hornblast

5:00 pm SPEAK MUSIC PRESENTS hosted by Beverly Kreller w/

The Wanted, Whoa Nellie, Andrew/Victoria, Bob Ryder, Ryan McAlister, Sarah Greene

7:00 pm NSAI NASHVILLE SONGWRITERS PRESENT

Hour 1 – Host is Dan McVeigh, with Glen MacNeil, Clive Vanderburgh, Zac Wrixon

Hour 2 – Host is Shawn Devlin, with Patrick Ballantyne, John Cheesman, Peter Light

9:00 pm SHOWCASE OF STOUFFVILLE ARTISTS hosted by Jim Priebe

The Cris Cuddy Acoustic unit, Grainne, Tom Pullin, Erwin Schack

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

1:00 pm PETE OTIS PRESENTS SONG TOWN