The third annual Heart of the Alleghenies Folk Music Festival
(HOTA), held at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Friday
through Sunday, was a great success and drew about 100
participants, organizers said Sunday night.

Lucinda Durkee of Westfield, N.Y., an organizer and half of the
Allegheny Mountain Dulcimer Players, along with her husband, Clark
Parry, said Sunday from her home that the festival was a “wonderful
experience” that brought participants from as far away as Michigan,
Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey and New York state.

Durkee said the three-day celebration of old-timey music
included workshops, concerts, open jams, vendors and new this year
– an instrument swap and dance party.

“For the people there, it was magical,” Durkee said. “I had one
attendant tell me it was the best festival she’s ever been to.”

Durkee said the participants told her they particularly enjoyed
the variety of workshops offered and “loved the location.”

HOTAfest was held at Houghton College in 2004 and 2005.

“The music and concert was excellent,” Durkee went on to say.
“There was a feeling of community.” She said some people know each
other from different festivals, but for the most part, on Friday,
they are strangers.

“When we leave,” she said, however, “it’s very emotional. It’s
just a unique experience.”

She said the Doerfel Family was a big attraction, as well as
Tunescape, Simple Gifts, Mitzie Collins and Jim Kimball, Kendra
Ward and Bob Bence. Many of the same acts will be on hand at this
year’s Crook Farm, she said.

Instruments featured in concert and in workshops over the
weekend included the auto harp, mountain dulcimer, hammered
dulcimer, penny whistle, banjo, guitar, drums, mandolin, fiddle,
accordion and more. There was one vendor on hand, Durkee said, who
was crafting the instruments by hand right at his booth.

She said the instrument swap was a “huge success,” adding one
participant bought a hammered dulcimer that was made in the 1850s
and someone else bought a banjo from the 1800s.

“I bought one (an instrument) myself,” Durkee said, bragging
about her new baby blue accordion.

She said music lovers as young as 10 months up to 80-years-old
attended the festival.

On Sunday, the organizers held a “farewell dance party,” Durkee
said, which was well attended.

Durkee, Clark and Howard Blumenthal of Bradford organized this
year’s HOTAfest, with support from the Bradford Creative and
Performing Arts Center and the Pennsylvania Performing Arts on
Tour.

Next year’s HOTAfest is already in the planning stages, Durkee
said. It is unclear at this point where the 2007 festival will be
held. Those interesting in being involved in next year’s event,
however, can e-mail Durkee at radiantspirit@juno.com.

According to the HOTAfest Web site, “It is the mission of The
Allegheny Mountain Dulcimer Players and the Heart of the
Alleghenies Folk Music Festival to bring together young and old,
beginner and experienced, musicians and audiences and dancers, to
play old time fiddle tunes, bluegrass, gospel, country, folk and
contra dance music in a spirit of friendship, hospitality and
learning.”