THE DATES FOR THE 2010 OLD GROVE FESTIVAL ARE SEPTEMBER 24 & 25, 2009. - CHECK BACK FOR DETAILS.
 The Annual Old Grove Festival takes place at the historic Redwood Forest Theatre in Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. This beautiful open-air theatre was built in the 1930s. Concerts and theatrical events took place there for decades until the theater was closed in the 1980s out of concern for natural resource protection. In 2006, the theater was reopened for limited use. Event reservations are limited to preserve the environmental impact and parking considerations.
The Old Grove Festival features an outstanding variety of musical and theatrical productions that help Stewards raise funds to support our educational and stewardship programs, as well as, continued advocacy for ALL State Parks.
In 2009, we are celebrating Armstrong Redwoods' 75th year as a California State Park with a series of very special events! Events will take place whether or not our State Parks are open.
OLD GROVE INFORMATION
DIRECTIONS: From River Road in Guerneville, travel 2 miles north on Armstrong Woods Rd
ADMISSION: Each show—General: $25.00; Redwood Circle: $40.00 (First 3-4 rows)
(Multi-show, family & group discounts are available)
Purchase Tickets Here- Tickets will be on sale through our online box office until Thursday, September 24th at 10:00am. After that tickets can be purchased at the gate on the day of each show. Check this web page to find out if any shows are sold out.
SEATING: First come, first serve in section purchased (Reserved seats for multi-show, family and group purchases)
PARKING: Parking within the park is free with admission. (Walking up to ¾ mile may be required; bring flashlights, seat cushions & warm clothes; shuttles provided for those in need).
Those with special needs should call (707) 869-9177 for specific parking information.
Food, beverages and a Wine Bar will be available at each event. Picnics are welcome.
Dogs and other domesticated pets are not allowed in the theater area.
Smoking is prohibited in the theatre.
2009 Old Grove Festival Dates - September 25-27
September 25 - Friday Evening
The three-day Old Grove Festival opens with Chanticleer - based in San Francisco they are known around the world as "an orchestra of voices" for the seamless blend of their twelve male voices ranging from countertenor to bass and their original interpretations of vocal literature, from Renaissance to jazz, and from gospel to venturesome new music. Called "the world’s reigning male chorus," by the New Yorker magazine, and named 2008 Ensemble of the Year by Musical America, Chanticleer will perform more than 100 concerts in 2008-09, the GRAMMY Award-winning ensemble’s 31st Season. Praised by the San Francisco Chronicle for their "tonal luxuriance and crisply etched clarity," Chanticleer will tour to 27 states across the United States this season, including appearances at the Old Grove Festival in Armstrong Redwoods SNR, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. In August 2008, the ensemble performed at prestigious festivals in France, Germany, Poland and Latvia. Debuts this year include five cities in the People’s Republic of China in May and in three in Ireland in July. Highlights of fall 2008 were the release of The Mission Road a CD and DVD set featuring music from California’s vibrant mission period, and Chanticleer's induction into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in Cincinnati.
Link to YouTube Video
Gate opens at 5:00 p.m. Opening act, The River Choir at 5:45. Main show at 7:00. Food, beverages, and wine bar available.
September 26 - Saturday Evening
 Maria Muldaur's Garden of Joy Jug Band
The second evening features legendary singer Maria Muldaur and her new roots band. Maria Muldaur returns to her roots with a new jug band called “Maria Muldaur's Garden of Joy Jug Band”. Forty plus years since Maria's last performances with the Jim Kweskin Jug Band, she is bringing back the music that first made her famous. The band will release its first CD (with guest artists David Grisman and John Sebastian) in late September, and will begin an international tour in October 2009 starting in the Pacific Northwest, into Canada and continuing across America. The Old Grove Festival will host the CD release and will be the venue for one of the new band’s first performances.
With a career spanning five decades, legendary singer Maria Muldaur is a one-woman powerhouse. Born and raised in New York City’s Greenwich Village, with a music history firmly planted in American roots music, she is best known for her 1974 million-selling hit, "Midnight at the Oasis”. Her performances are infectious—part down-home revival, part sophisticated and joyful sensuality, and all a celebration of her total nature.
Link to YouTube Video
Gate opens at 5:00. Opening act The Thugz (a wildly popular local band know for their psychedelic classics and “grateful” jams) at 5:45. Main show at 7:00.
Food, beverages, and wine bar available. September 27 - Sunday Afternoon
 Don Neely and the Royal Society Jazz Orchestra
Back by popular demand, Don Neely’s Royal Society Jazz Orchestra (with vocalist Carla Normand and pianist Frederick Hodges) has its roots in the great bands, performers, and songwriters of early Jazz and Swing. Their affection for musical innovators such as Fletcher Henderson, Paul Whiteman, Louis Armstrong, Bix Biederbecke, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and Count Basie shines out of their live performances and recordings. An endearing trait of the RSJO is their genuine love of the music combined with a desire to penetrate its stylistic nuances. The original musical ideas are intimately explored, enabling them to play with considerable authenticity and expression. The talented soloists infuse the songs with personal warmth and imagination. The RSJO revels in the uncommon and the familiar: from early Syncopated Jazz, tender torch ballads, to Streamline-Moderne Big Band Swing. And they play it all with fire, depth and a dash of humor. Woven into their performance are the seductive strains of Swing: Jazz: Torch Songs: Earthy Blues: Vaudeville: Tin Pan Alley: The Cotton Club; and Don Neely’s own fascinating compositions. The RSJO captures both the passion and the cleverness of the music with their captivating rhythms, artful solos, and imaginative arrangements. The Royal Society Jazz Orchestra plays some of the most stylish and intriguing music ever created: from the most celebrated and enduring songs, to obscure and beautiful gems. Experiencing a performance or recording by the RSJO is a wonderful tonic, alive with fun and guaranteed to lift the spirits.
Link to YouTube Video
Gates open at Noon, the Opener, A New Wrinkle (women's barbershop quartet) will begin at 1:00. Main Act begins at 1:30. Also: Classic Car Show and Professional Swing Dancers. Food, beverages, and wine bar available.
Great Mexican Feast
The Annual Great Feast will take place immediately following the Don Neely show in the Armstrong Redwoods Group Picnic Area. This year we are featuring a Great Mexican Feast. The cost is $30 per person. Child tickets are $15. Your ticket includes appetizers, wine, entre and dessert.
Ticket Information
Note: Tickets are limited and non-refundable; however, they are transferable. Email info@oldgrovefestival.org to change the name on your reservation.
Purchasing Tickets - Click HERE to purchase tickets. Please refer to this page for all ticketing options.
Online Sales - Tickets will be available for purchase through our new online paypal system for no additional fees. PayPal takes Visa, Mastercard, AMEX and Discover cards. You do not have to sign up for paypal to use this system.
By Mail - Please include show, price level and number of tickets (include email/phone number)
Mail to: Stewards, P.O. Box 2, Duncans Mills, CA 95430
In Person - Tickets can be purchased at the Stewards office at Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve. Please call (707) 869-9177 for hours and directions.
Festival Producers - The Old Grove Festival is produced by Jim and Kathy Ocean of Community Concerts.
2009 OLD GROVE FESTIVAL SPONSORS
Stewards is very grateful to the following Old Grove Festival sponsors. Their generosity helps us bring you these special events!
  
   
 
 
West County Gazette, Russian River Times, Sonoma Uncorked, 5 Seasons Resort and Spa,
Lark Drugs Pharmacy Sonoma Nesting Company, Arts Sonoma, Gregory Hayes Photography
and Individual Sponsor Donna Roper
Thanks to Sonoma Uncorked for advertising our events on their website. A great resource for Sonoma events, information about Sonoma wineries and much more!
Past Performances
 2008
- La Catrina String Quartet (click the link for a video produced by Sonoma Uncorked)
- Junius Courtney Big Band
- The Sun Kings
- Sonoma County Repertory Theater: Shakespeare's Taming of the Shrew
2007
- The Skinny Singers - Jackie Greene and Tim Bluhm
- Sonoma County Repertory Theater: Shakespeare's As You Like It
2006
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