Winfield’s Walnut Valley Festival

Description

From the back cover:

Fiddlin’ & Pickin’ on the Great Plains

The Walnut Valley Festival was launched in 1972 when a guitar maker, a farmer and a businessman built their own music festival from the ground up. It has made the small town of Winfield into an annual destination for acoustic musicians and music lovers from around the world, and it has always been participatory, with the informal campsite pickin’ as much a part of the event as the stage shows and instrumental contests. The Walnut Valley Festival has always been proud of its deep-rooted traditions, but most of all, it is a community celebration. Local historian Seth Bate tells the Walnut Valley story, with reflections from festival staff, emcees, performers, campers and characters from throughout its history.

About the Editor:

Seth Bate moved to Winfield, Kansas in 1989 to earn a degree in music and theater from Southwestern College. He ended up falling in love with a Kansas farmgirl and a local music festival, and he stayed in the community. His interest in Kansas history was sparked by traveling Kansas for his work at the Wichita State University Community Engagement Institute and by teaching at the Kansas Leadership Center. Seth earned his master’s degree from Wichita State’s Local and Community History Program and holds a professional certified coach credential from the International Coaching Federation. Seth loves cooking, taking naps in a hammock and making his kids listen to loud ’80s heavy metal. Follow him on Instagram: @sethinkansas.