ArtsFalmouth held the Woods Hole Trad Stroll 2024 on Saturday, May 4, from noon to 6 PM with performances in Woods Hole Community Hall, 68 Water Street, and the shops, businesses, and open spaces of Woods Hole. The Artisans Market ran concurrently in the Old Fire House at 72 Water Street.
Videos of Woods Hole Trad Stroll performances are available below.
The Vineyard Swordfish and the Nobska Lights performed along Water Street from 12 Noon to 1 PM and again at 2 to 3 PM at various times and locations, weather permitting.
Please note schedule change: Due to a last-minute inability of Pie in the Sky to host entertainment, we have moved the Olivia Yingling Trio to 5 to 5:30 PM at Community Hall and Harissa to 5:30 to 6 PM at the same location. Thanks to both groups for accommodating this last-minute change.
Take a break for dinner from 6 to 7:30 PM at one of several restaurants in Woods Hole, and then enjoy a rousing Contra Dance with the Woods Hole Folk Orchestra from 7:30 to 10 PM in Community Hall.
Come spend the day and help us celebrate 10 years of the Woods Hole Trad Stroll! The Woods Hole Trad Stroll takes place rain or shine. All events are free, family friendly, and open to the public.
Schedule:
12 noon to 2 PM
Cat’s Melodeon
Coffee Obsession Woods Hole
38 Water Street
Cat’s Melodeon is an Irish multi-instrumental group led by Bill Black, who was the one who suggested, back in 2014, that ArtsFalmouth host a traditional music event. He has performed at every Trad Stroll since then. Cat’s Melodeon specializes in authentic Irish traditional music–the “pure drop” as it’s known in Ireland and includes guitars, pipes, banjo, flute, and fiddles.
Cat’s Melodeon Woods Hole Trad Stroll 2023 performance:
2 to 3 PM
The Familiars of Cape Cod
Martha’s Vineyard Bank
2 Water Street
The Familiars of Cape Cod perform a blend of folk, fiddle, country, Irish and popular music of the 1950’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and more.
The Familiars’ Woods Hole Trad Stroll 2023 performance:
3 to 4 PM
Dawna Hammers
Woods Hole Historical Museum Small Boat Exhibit Barn & Patio
579 Woods Hole Road
Songwriter, entertainer, and music teacher, Dawna Hammers will perform a variety of traditional May Day folk songs along with her life affirming original songs and chants inspired by Native American and African American concepts and traditions as well as of course a few of her Joni Mitchell covers! She gets everyone singing, dancing and feeling the joy.
Donna Hammers’ Woods Hole Trad Stroll 2023 performance:
4 to 5 PM Schedule Change!
The Olivia Yingling Trio, originally scheduled to perform at Pie in the Sky Bakery & Cafe, will now perform from 5 to 5:30 PM in Woods Hole Community Hall.
5 to 6 PM
The Darley Trio
Woods Hole Market & General Store
87 Water Street
The Darley Trio is comprised of fiddle player Heather Swanson, bodhran player Don Gauland, and bouzuki player George Arata. They are Cape Codders with a love for traditional music, playing mostly Celtic traditional and “contemporary traditional” dance tunes.
The trio is named “The Darley Trio” to honor Arthur Warren Darley, 1873-1929. Darley was an Irish fiddle player from Co. Dublin, composer, music teacher, examiner, traditional music archivist, and a general promoter of Irish music. One of his better known tunes goes by three names: “The Bruckless Shore,” “The Swedish Jig,” and “Arthur Darley’s Jig.”
The Darley Trio’s Woods Hole Trad Stroll 2023 performance:
Dancing Along Water Street
From Noon to 1 PM and again at 2 to 3 PM, weather permitting, the Vineyard Swordfish and Nobska Lights will dance along Water Street, beginning at Woods Hole Community Hall.
Vineyard Swordfish is a longsword dance team in Falmouth with a longstanding connection to Martha’s Vineyard. The longsword is rigid, but not sharp, and is descended from a tanning implement. Longsword dancing is more stately and deliberate than its more energetic cousin, rapper sword dancing. Vineyard Swordfish kit (uniform), seen here, consists of white shirt, black knickers, and purple vest.
Nobska Lights is a youth dance team based in Woods Hole and specializing in traditional English Morris and Sword dances. Using bells, sticks, and flexible steel “rappers,” they perform vibrant, fast-paced dances.
Woods Hole Community Hall
68 Water Street
Noon to 1 PM
The Falmouth Fiddlers
The Falmouth Fiddlers play fiddle tunes and other acoustic music, including Old Time, Celtic, Bluegrass, folk, country, and more on fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, string bass, cello, Irish whistle, etc. They love playing with others, and all are welcome to join.
The Falmouth Fiddlers’ Woods Hole Trad Stroll 2023 performance:
1:15 to 2:15 PM
Rare Ould Times
Rare Ould Times–Kevin McGeough, Jack Dolan, and Amy Larkin–bring the lively conviviality and merriment of an evening at an Irish pub to Woods Hole, playing traditional and contemporary Irish pub favorites, including well-loved ballads, rousing rebel songs, sea shanties, lively tunes, and more.
Kevin, or “Irish Kevin” as he is known throughout Cape Cod, is a native of County Armagh in Ulster. He sings and plays guitar, mandolin, and bodhrán. An accomplished vocalist, Jack plays bodhrán with the band. Amy plays Irish fiddle and has a vast repertoire of tunes; she has been playing at contradances throughout the US for years.
Rare Ould Times’ Woods Hole Trad Stroll 2023 performance:
2:30 to 3:30 PM
The Sonnay Fiddlers
Led by their teacher, Nikki Engstrom, the Sonnay Fiddlers, ages 5 and up, perform a large repertoire of Celtic tunes. Sonnay stands for Students of Nikki, Not All Young, a nod to the adults in the group. Engstrom, a member of the Celtic duo Stanley and Grimm, has performed, competed, and taught throughout New England and Canada.
The Sonnay Fiddlers’ Woods Hole Trad Stroll 2023 performance:
3:45 to 4:45 pm
Ganivelle
Ganivelle plays lively traditional French dance music from Brittany, Haute Savoie, and the Auvergne, on fiddle, mandolin, crumhorn, cornamuse, recorders, bagpipe, hurdy gurdy, accordion, and concertina. Their name, Ganivelle, is taken from one of their favorite tunes. A ganivelle is a traditional wooden fence, used to keep the sand of the coastal dunes from shifting. It is the same kind of fence seen on beaches all around Cape Cod.
Members of Ganivelle include Ron Geering on hurdy gurdy and accordion, David Leslie on fiddle, Hannah Mark on fiddle and mandolin, Jack Cook on mandolin, Barbara Blair on bagpipe, fiddle, recorder, and pennywhistle, Jan Elliott on concertina, recorder, crumhorn, and cornamuse, and Lisa Esperson on percussion, accordion, and bass ukulele.
Ganivelle’s Woods Hole Trad Stroll 2023 performance:
5 to 5:30 PM
Olivia Yingling Trio
Jazz vocalist Olivia Yingling performs with Greg Potanik on guitar and Bill McManus on saxophone.
Olivia Yingling’s Woods Hole Trad Stroll 2023 performance:
5:30 to 6 PM
Harissa
Harissa will play traditional tunes from the Middle East and North Africa. Three of its members met at the Arabic Music Retreat at Mount Holyoke College and have been playing together in various ensembles for the past 10 years. Crystal Stillman plays the violin; Sharon Arslanian, the ney, a Middle Eastern flute; Beth Giuffirda, the double bass; and Lisa Esperson plays percussion.
Harissa is spicy, smoky, peppery red chili paste often used in Middle Eastern and North African cooking.
Harissa’s Woods Hole Trad Stroll 2023 performance:
7:30 to 10 PM
Woods Hole Contra Dance with caller John Alden
Woods Hole Folk Orchestra
Join the Woods Hole Folk Orchestra for the return of New England-style contra and square dancing to Woods Hole Community Hall. Dance leader and teacher Chris Ricciotti, an experienced caller for the past twenty-plus years in the greater New England region, brings his skills to this community dance.
Woods Hole Folk Orchestra musicians are John Alden, Ellie Armstrong, Rich Armstrong, Richard Gregory-Allen, Tom Hodgson, Jim Mavor Jr., and Victor Troll.
Experience in contradancing is not required; all ages are welcome, though children 10 and under are asked to bring an adult or two with them. Vaccinations are recommended; masks are optional.
Parking:
Event parking is provide by WHOI and Marine Biological Laboratory . Attendees may use the WHOI Shiverick Lot at 11 School Street; WHOI School Street Lot at 49 School Street; WHOI Dyer’s Dock Lot at Water Street by the drawbridge; and the Cornelia Clapp Auditorium Lot at 7 Mbl Street. See Event Parking signs at specific locations.
For information on past Woods Hole Trad Strolls, visit our Woods Hole Trad Stroll Archives.
Many thanks to our sponsors and supporters: Art Foundation of Cape Cod, Falmouth Community Television, Falmouth Cultural Council, Falmouth Enterprise, Falmouth Fund of the Cape Cod Foundation, Mass Cultural Council, South Shore Playhouse Associates, and the Woods Hole Foundation