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June is Oklahoma Folklife Month

June Events Partners

Spirit of Oklahoma Storytelling Festival, Seminole, June 4-5
Shaun Perkins, President of the Territory Tellers
(918) 864-9152
okiestoryteller@gmail.com
www.territorytellers.org
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Representing the storytelling festival is songwriter, singer, storyteller, and Assistant U.S. Attorney, Teresa Black of Oklahoma City. Teresa's Oklahoma roots go back to the Run of 1889 and the Territorial Capitol at Guthrie.

Celtic Festival, Stillwater, June 19-20
Roger Graham, Coordinator
celticgraham@sbcglobal.net
www.okcelticfest.com

Representing the Celtic Festival is John Imes, demonstrating the Scottish Highland Bagpipes. The bagpipes are also well known in non-Celtic countries but Scotland's Highland pipes are the most recognizable of all Celtic instruments. John is from Oklahoma City.

American Heritage Music Festival, Grove, June 10-12
(918) 786-8896
Jana Jae, Promoter
www.grandlakefestivals.com/contact.htm
mail@grandlakefestivals.com
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The American Heritage festival features both fiddle contests, clogging contest, and concerts. Jana Jae, world renowned fiddler is a fourth generation fiddler and the promoter of the festival in Grove. Jim Garling of Guthrie is playing guitar while Jana plays the Blue Valley Waltz on her blue fiddle.

Red Earth, Oklahoma City, June 18-20
Eric Oesch, Deputy Director/Director of Communications
(405) 427-5228
eric@redearth.org
www.redearth.org/red-earth-festival
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Red Earth began in 1978 and has grown to be one of the nation's largest festivals. Red Earth is a gathering of American Indians from all over the U.S. as well as First Nations of Canada. Traditional and fine art, dance traditions, and music are a part of the celebration held this year in the Cox Convention Center. The demonstrators are Randy Frasier, a straight dancer of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and Johnny Kimbell, Oklahoma Ponca, who sings and plays the hand drum.

Juneteenth, Tulsa, June 19-20
Mary Williams, Coordinator
(918) 852-6314
cmtworkshop@yahoo.com
www.redearth.org/red-earth-festival
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Juneteenth is widely celebrated by African-Americans and commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation. Angie Cockrell, jazz singer and songwriter, performs.

Jazz in June, Inc., Norman, June 24-26
Norman H. Hammon
(405) 329-8111
info@jazzinjune.org
www.jazzinjune.org/blog/
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Jazz in June began in 1984 and has featured both Oklahoma and nationally-known jazz and blues performers. Roots-styled blues performer J. D. Thompson is originally from Grady County. He has recorded with Ry Cooder and T-Bone Burnett. Thompson's songs speak in the same traditions as Woody Guthrie and Johnny Cash.

OKMozart Festival, Bartlesville, June 11-19
(918) 336-9800
http://www.okmozart.com/index.php

The OK Mozart Festival has always presented great orchestral music and also a wide variety of traditional and traditionally-inspired music and dance. Expect jazz and Celtic music as well as other forms of regional music. The festival is represented today by Shane Jewell.

Oklahoma Folklife Festival, Oklahoma City, June 19
Rodger Harris, Folklife Coordinator, Oklahoma History Center
www.okhistory.org/Folklife/folklife.html
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Representing the Oklahoma Folklife Festival is D.J. Battiest of Hugo, Oklahoma. D.J.'s Choctaw roots and language are a part of her everyday life. She is a cane and Plains flute player, who plays in the old ways. Her music is beautiful and amazingly restful.