Menu
Van Rensselaer set to make 22nd ParkFest appearance
Folksinger Mike Van Rensselaer will be making his 22nd ParkFest appearance on Tuesday, bringing his banjos and guitar to accompany his singing and storytelling.
The retired Greencastle Middle School teacher has performed in theaters, schools, festivals, farmers markets and other venues for the past 45 years.
"I've been fortunate this past year," he said, "to bring music into classrooms and sing with high school students and second graders. I've always wanted to use music to help teach history, and am grateful to the teachers who arranged for their students to experience this approach."
Van Rensselaer draws his material from the folk traditions of America and the English Isles, preferring songs that can be sung with audiences, "raising voices together, building a sense of community".
His songs for ParkFest this year will again cover a wide range, carrying listeners from the vales of Ireland to the Banks of the Wabash, from Hughie Cannon to Bob Dylan.
Keeping with the traditional Parkfest emphasis on entertainment for the entire family, he invites parents to bring their young children to the front of the Robe Ann bandstand while he sings Tom Paxton's "Going to the Zoo" with them.
The concert kicks off at 6:30 p.m. in the Bob Flanigan Bandshell at Robe-Ann Park. Tad Robinson will follow Van Rensselaer's performance.