Press Release: 07/16/08

WERU-FM Community Radio (89.9 Blue Hill, 102.9 Bangor) throws a big party every year. That party is called the Full Circle Fair and it happens the last full weekend in July. This year, the 2008 Full Circle Fair is July 26 & 27 at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds in Blue Hill, Maine. In addition to celebrating Community Radio, the Fair will also be helping the station to celebrate 20 years of operation.

The Full Circle Fair is a two-day, family event that includes music, speakers and children’s events. There are hundreds of vendors including artists, crafters, a wide variety of foods and non-profit exhibitors.

There are two stages of music and speakers. Some of the confirmed acts include Buddy Holly’s Original Crickets, blues guitarist Debbie Davies, folk singer, Ellis Paul, Slaid Cleaves, Prince Edward Island’s Vishten, indie rockers Maggi, Pierce & EJ, and folk/protest singers emma’s revolution.

WERU is pleased to have Teri Blanton as our keynote speaker. Teri is survivor of a Superfund toxic waste site near her home in Harlan County, Kentucky and her courageous stand against the abuses of coal companies has won her notoriety within her state. An active member of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Teri’s personal mission is to reach out to her community about the issue of mountaintop removal mining. In addition to being our keynote speaker, she will sit for a portrait with Robert Shetterly for his “Americans Who Tell the Truth” series

Other speakers at the Fair include Humble Farmer, Margaret Micolichek from The Restorative Justice Project, Ruth Lockhart from The Mabel Wadsworth Women’s Health Center and a panel discussion about Sears Island and the Federal Wetlands Mitigation Bank.

There’s a whole children’s area and a number of performers for the kids including Frogtown Mountain Puppeteers doing their “Everybody Loves Pirates”, Jay Mankita, Tom Neilson and Ellis Paul all doing music sets for the young and old alike. Sara Yasner will lead a sing-along in the Children’s Area as well.

Other features include an open mic, a second hand fashion show, a techno dance and special events like open community drum jams.

The Fair is planned, organized and run by volunteers.

Part of WERU-FM’s mission is to be a “voice of many voices” and to provide programming to the community that cannot be heard elsewhere. The Full Circle Fair reflects that mission through its performers. In the past, the Fair has had Amy Goodman of Democracy Now, Helen Thomas, a former White House correspondent, Jim Hightower, and Dahr Jamail.

The 2008 Full Circle Fair is July 26 (10am-9pm) & July 27 (10am-6pm) at the Blue Hill Fairgrounds. Tickets are: 1-day $10 for members/seniors/students, $15 for general public; 2-day $12 for members/seniors/students, $20 for general public. Kids 16 and under FREE! For more information, visit http://fair.weru.org or contact the Fair Coordinator at fair@weru.org

Four Shillings Short will be performing on Friday June 13 at 7:30 PM at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ellsworth. Doors open at 7:00. This is a benefit for Community Radio WERU 89.9 FM presented by the Downeast Concert Collective.

Suggested donation is $15 for the general public, $12 in advance and for WERU members. Free for those under 16. All proceeds from this concert go to WERU 89.9 FM

Get advance reservations by contacting WERU at 469-6600 or info@weru.org. You can also just show up at the door.

Travelling musicians with a carload of instruments is nothing new in the world of folk music, but what if one of those instruments is a sitar from India or a Renaissance Crumhorn? Going out on a musical limb is common for the group Four Shillings Short. With an ever-increasing array of instruments (over 20 at last count), including hammered dulcimer, mandola, mandolin, tin whistle, woodwinds, sitar, banjo, percussion and vocals, their music is always varied and captivating.

In a single night, Four Shillings Short perform traditional Irish tunes and airs, Indian ragas, folk ballads, old-time songs, medieval & renaissance instrumentals and a cappella numbers as well as contemporary folk and original compositions. Their sound has been described as “wondrously diverse”, “truly refreshing” and “alternative neo-Celtic folk of the first order”.

* For more information about Four Shillings Short visit http://www.art.net/~4ss/
* For more information about the Downeast Concert Collective visit http://downeastmusic.org/
* For more information about WERU visit http://weru.org/
* For more information about the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ellsworth visit http://uuellsworth.org/