Annual dulcimer festival begins today

If the Daniel Boone Pioneer Festival and the Labor Day activities weren’t enough, the annual Homer Ledford Dulcimer Festival returns to Campbell Junior High School today and Saturday.

Festival organizer Dana McCall said 10 performers are scheduled to teach classes, perform at Saturday night’s concert or both.

“We’ve got bluegrass bands, dulcimer music… Most of the dulcimer players are grand champions,” McCall said.

During the day, there will be a series of classes at the school for dulcimer players beginning at 9 a.m., she said.

The public, though, is welcome to attend the concert which begins at 6 p.m. Saturday in the school auditorium.

This year’s scheduled performers include Sarah Mason, Steven Seifert, the Backroom String Band, Trish Torline, Dana and Hank Gruber, Joe and Sherri Lamay, Don Pedi, Robert Tincher, and John and Karen Keane.

Tickets are $5 for adults and those 13 and younger are free. The proceeds will go to music programs and Campbell junior High School, McCall said.

The festival is named in honor of famed Clark County luthier Homer Ledford, who gave up a teaching career to make musical instruments full-time.

At the time of his death in 2006, he was estimated to have made about 7,000 dulcimers in addition to other stringed instruments including banjos and guitars.

For more information, go to homerledforddulcimerfestival.com.

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