The Washington State Parks Folk & Traditional Arts Program invites the public to the 13th Annual American Roots Music Series at Deception Pass State Park on Whidbey Island.

The series of four outdoor concerts all begin at 7 p.m. each Saturday evening in July — from July 7 through July 28, at the West Beach Amphitheater in Deception Pass State Park, 41020 State Route 20 in Oak Harbor. The concerts feature folk and traditional music representing a variety of communities from around the Pacific Northwest. Admission is free to the performances. The Discover Pass is required for vehicle access to the park.

All performances are in the West Beach amphitheater on the Whidbey Island side of the park. In the event of rain, performances will move to the East Cranberry Lake picnic shelter, also on the Whidbey Island side of the park.

Performances are scheduled as follows:

July 7: Dunava— a cappella music from Eastern Europe. Dunava is a Seattle-based women’s vocal ensemble specializing in the a cappella folk music of Eastern Europe. Founded in 2005, the group is made up of singers from diverse musical backgrounds who share a passion for complex and beautiful harmonies. The choir’s repertoire includes songs from the Balkans as well as other Slavic countries and the Caucasus. Dunava is affiliated with the Radost Folk Ensemble and has performed at the Northwest Folklife Festival, Croatia Fest, the Seattle Folklore Society concert series, the Seattle Art Museum, and at Seattle Town Hall. In 2014, Dunava was the first American group to participate in the international Silver Buckle Folk Festival in Kjustendil, Bulgaria. Dunava has released two CDs, Dunava (2009) and Bulgaria (2013).

July 14: Bays Family Irish Band —  Traditional Irish fiddle, concertina, and flute. Fiddler and guitarist Randal Bays is well known in the worldwide Irish music community. He has toured North America, Ireland and Europe, and he has performed with many famed Irish musicians. Joining Randal are his wife Susan Waters on fiddle and vocals and his sons Willie and Owen Bays on Irish flute and concertina. The Bays sons have followed in their parents’ and forebears’ footsteps, as the music of rural Ireland goes back hundreds of years. Family groups such as the Bays have professional musical careers, appearing at concerts and festivals, but they also make music for dances, parties, wakes and other gatherings.

July 21: Unexpected Brass Band— Community brass band. Unexpected Brass Band (UBB) is an eclectic assortment of Port Townsend-area musicians who play feel-good, funky music in local clubs, on the radio, in parades or busking on the street. As their name makes clear, they are known to show up unexpectedly at community events and celebrations. The group follows the rich brass band tradition of being a community-driven venture made up of multiple generations of families and neighbors.

July 28: Sedentary Sousa Band — the world’s only seated marching band. The Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band, Seattle’s own non-marching marching band, plays the greatest hits of marching band music by John Philip Sousa, Henry Fillmore and more. This is not your run-of-the-mill concert band. The band consists of Director and Raconteur Liz Dreisbach, who spins yarns and fun; a splendid collection of Vintage Band Uniforms; appearances by The Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band Drill Team; and The World’s Finest Sedentary Majorette, Edith Farrar, who performs thrilling feats of seated baton twirling. The band just celebrated 30 years of marching in their seats.

About the Folk and Traditional Arts in the Parks Program: The American Roots Music Series is a part of a broader series of events celebrating Washington’s diverse cultures presented by the Folk and Traditional Arts Program, with funding provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as well as support from the Washington State Parks Foundation. The Deception Pass Park Foundation is providing additional funding to make this concert series possible. For more information about the Folks and Traditional Arts program, including upcoming events, visit: http://parks.state.wa.us/folkarts, or contact Makaela Kroin, Program Coordinator, at Makaela.Kroin@parks.wa.gov or (360) 902-8635.

– Washington State Parks