Lovers of traditional folk music should come to the National Maritime Festival at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, April 16, and stay at the nearby and affordable Chicago Lake Shore Hotel!
The National Maritime Festival is a day of concerts, workshops, guest speakers and loads of musicians dedicated to the lore of the sea! Workshops include: Aboard a Tall Ship with Patty Locke, whaling songs expert historian Larry Kaplan, Chicago River Bridges with Patrick McBriarty, Stormy Weather with meteorologist Amy Seely, and the Shakespeare All-Stars presenting Shipwrecks, Scenes and Songs!
Performers include: maritime songsters William Pint and Felicia Dale, Irish singers Dan and Bonnie Milner, and Tom and Chris Castle (friends of this writer and wonderful musicians). Special guests are: maritime song group Bounding Main, David HB Drake, Chris Maden, shanty songsters Spitzer Space Telescope & Mareva, and the Hard Tackers Shanty Crew!
Daytime activities for the National Maritime Festival will be held from 10:45-5:30 p.m. The concert is from 7:30-10 p.m. There are wonderful restaurants all around the venue.
The Old Town School of Folk Music is located at 4545 North Lincoln Avenue in Chicsago, just a short walk from a connecting train. For tickets, go online to www.oldtownschool.org.
Make your National Maritime Festival experience more enjoyable by staying at the Chicago Lake Shore Hotel, in historic Hyde Park. Chicago Lake Shore offers free shuttle bus service to and from the Loop area and is close to bus and train services. The Lake Shore Café offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. AND Jazz and seafood buffet (non-seafood items available) Friday nights.