Music Festival, Downtown, Honesdale, Pennsylvania, USA June 17th, 2023
BIG BIG THANK YOU 
to everyone who attended, bought a horse, or sponsored a race for our fundraiser!
Sponsors were:
The Alpine Wurst & Meat House Inc.
Kohrs Excavating
Mayor Derek of Honesdale and the Festivaltown Division
Winning Horses were:
Happy Baby Handicap
Cow Face Classic
Kenny Pickett
Lightning Bolt
Cash is King!
Snowjam
Cody’s Cash
Kellam’s King
Nature’s Grace
Silver Trio
and
Island Bound
Again, thank you all so much for helping us to keep the music playing!! 
See you in June!
The 2023 Roots raffle guitar is just waiting for some artwork on the front and back of the headstock. It can be seen in person tonight (Saturday, February 25th,2023) @ our “Day at the Races fundraiser being held at Here & Now Brewing https://www.hereandnowbrewing.com/ in Honesdale. Tickets available as of tonight!!!
This years guitar is really special and here are the details:
Built by Tony Maddi & John Rocklin using the following components:
Pine body by Musikraft USA, Hand painted in Charcoal Frost Nitrocellulose Laquer by Brian Fuentes, Custom Artwork by Samuelle Green.
Hand wired electronics by Anthony @ AMPTURCO Guitar Werks
Seymour Duncan Broadcaster pickups
Customized, hand painted Nitrocellulose Allparts “Fat” neck with custom fretwork and hand made nut by Aurora Custom Shop
Gotoh BS-TC1S Bridge & Compensated Saddles
Other Parts sourced from: True Custom Shop, Gotoh, & Fender USA
In the Roots tradition that started with our beloved Peter Florance………. This years guitar is a totally functional (killer) instrument as well as collectible art. We are extremely proud to have had the artwork done by Samuelle Green this year, here is her bio:
SAMUELLE GREEN-
A native to Honesdale, PA, Samuelle Green’s early years were surrounded not only by nature, but also by a family of artisans and craftspeople that had a lasting impact on her current practices. She studied at Tyler School of Art in Philadelphia and Parsons School of Design in New York earning a BFA. Green continued to live in Brooklyn and work there for nearly 20 years as an artist, prop stylist, designer and undertaking special art fabrication projects for multiple clients including the Guggenheim Museum, Allsaints, Chloe, PS1, and Insite Design and Architecture to name a few.
Once establishing her artistic practice in NYC she relocated her studio to her hometown. This is where she
continues to develop her paintings, drawings, sculptures and installations. She is continuing to show her work both nationally and internationally. Her large scale, immersive installations have been shown in museums in China; Shanghai and Beijing, in Venice, Italy, in Tamiku, Estonia as well as locations across the US including Honesdale, PA.
Samuelle Green’s body of multidisciplinary work all has a common thread. Her paintings, drawings, sculptures, and installations reference the interaction between human-made and non-human visual languages. At times the encounters are contentious and at other times symbiotic. Many of her works are stills that simultaneously reflect the processes of decay and those of luscious growth. Through mark making or the use of repurposing discarded materials, Samuelle seeks to highlight the forms and details of nature that are frequently overlooked and under-appreciated. She starts with rigid structures or self-imposed parameters representing metaphorical frameworks of natural laws. She then creates elements that repeat and propagate until they give way to organic forms free of both their literal and non-material scaffolds.
The custom painted guitar for Honesdale’s Roots and Rhythm is an extension of the “order and chaos” series of drawings that explores the power of arrangement. The reconizable and the abstract both consist of the exact same number of marks or brushstrokes to create very different outcomes.
samuellegreen.com
Down the stretch we come, folks. Roots & Rhythm is excited to announce a fundraising event on Saturday February 25th at 5:30p.m. (add to my calendar)
The free, annual music & arts festival in Honesdale relies on donations, grants and sponsors in order to deliver a memorable experience each year.
Place Your Bets! will be held at Here & Now Brewing Company. 10 race sponsorships are still available for businesses or individuals who want to join in the heart-pumping action, which also includes naming and owning a horse. Each race sponsorship is $100.
During the event multiple random pre-recorded horse races will be shown on the big screen. Your sponsorship will be announced at the beginning of each race and in print in the event program. Thanks to the folks at The Himalayan Institute for providing the big screen for the races!
The money raised will allow Roots & Rhythm to continue as an organization and festival.
We will be holding a Cash 50/50 during the event !!
Details regarding how the race night event works are below. If you do not wish to be a sponsor, please consider “purchasing” a horse, ($10), and coming out for the evening to bet on the races.
Thank you for considering being a part of a special night as well as your continued support of music and arts in Honesdale! Click link below to purchase a horse or sponsor a race. Thanks to Torey Decker Design for our 2023 poster!!
We apologize for the severe delay in getting this news out but our lucky 2022 winner of the SG Style Custom built guitar was David Pizzano. He has reported that he is extremely happy with it and loves displaying it with his art collection as well as playing it. The guitar for 2022 was built by Tony Maddi & John Rocklin. The artistic and one of a kind paintjob was done by Dane Tilghman, our 2022 Featured Artist.
Honesdale Roots & Rhythm Music & Arts Festival gratefully acknowledges an award of $10,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Challenge America for its 2023 festival on June 17th.
Challenge America grants are awarded in all artistic disciplines to reach historically underserved communities that have rich and dynamic cultural identities. The NEA received 447 eligible applications and will award grants to 262 organizations for a total of $2,620,000 in funding. Grants are all $10,000 and require a cost share/match of at least one to one. “The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects in communities nationwide,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD.
The grant is a vital part of the financial support that makes the
2023 festival possible. Since its beginning in 2006, Honesdale
Roots & Rhythm has provided a free June concert in Central Park. It is proud to be included in the national cultural movement provided by the NEA.
“To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.
It is with an oh so heavy heart we announce that we have lost our buddy Randy. Involved with Roots & Rhythm since before he was involved with Roots & Rhythm,( officially). Randy was a board and committee member since our second year, 2007. An integral part of our music committee as well as many other roles that defined who we are and where we have been as well as where we are going. If you came to know Randy through Roots & Rhythm or otherwise you know he was kind, caring, generous and oh so sharp. One of the good guys. he will be sorely missed and always remembered. The following obituary has info on a memorial happening in Honesdale this Friday, August 19th starting at 2PM.
Randal James Kohrs, born October 17, 1952 to parents Shirley A. and Martin E. Kohrs, died peacefully on Wednesday, August 10, 2022 surrounded by family.
Randy graduated from Honesdale High School in 1971, later attending Keystone College. He then spent some time away, living in Florida and later Texas, working construction and building micro-towers. In 1988 he moved back home, where soon after he met his wife, the former Suzanne Bold, and they were married on January 19, 1991.
Back in Honesdale, Randal worked at the family construction business with his brother, Tim, and later worked with his wife at Bold’s Garden Center. Friends remember him for his varied passions. He was a member of the Honesdale Soccer Club and coached for his son’s and daughter’s travel soccer teams. Also an avid skier, he volunteered for many years as a ski patroller. Most prominently, Randal was an ardent music lover and guitar player, and was an early member of the board of directors of the Honesdale Roots and Rhythm Festival.
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Kelsey Samson and husband Tory, Matthew Kohrs and partner, Jess Spoll, and his beloved QuinnBug The Great. He is also survived by his brother, Timothy Kohrs, and wife Jan. He was preceded in death by his parents, Martin and Shirley.
Friends are invited to call on Friday, August 19, 2022 from 2 PM to 4PM at Basin and Main, 564 Main St. Honesdale, followed immediately by the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, he requests that donations please be sent to Honesdale Roots and Rhythm Festival or a t-shirt be purchased via Honesdale Roots and Rhythm Facebook.
Randy has left the building.
Arrangements are attended by the Arthur A. Bryant Funeral Home, Honesdale.
Here at Roots & Rhythm we would like to extend a great big thank you to everyone who helped us make this a successful 15th Annual free music festival here in Honesdale in ’22. Along with our huge list of sponsors there are so many folks we wish to thank and we will give it a try with this list below.
Our current board of directors: Jamie Stunkard, Randy Kohrs, Ruth Dunn, Sandy DeGroat, Miles Kingston, Kelsey Kohrs & John Rocklin.
Our Committee Members: Jenna Mauder, Deborah Bailey, Meica Lynette, Brian Fulp, Nancy Rasmussen, Sue Kohrs.
Folks and businesses who donated time and or materials, services: Lily Taraschuk, Tim Maguire, Brin Batcher, Brian Smith, Jonathan Fritz, Jocelyn Cramer, Mayor Derek, Town Council, Parks & Rec Dept., Ambulance Corp, Kim Conklin, Randy Heller, Matt Kohrs, Bo Heller, Mark DeBlock, Honesdale Fire Dept., Honesdale Police Dept., Stephanie Stahl, Mike Komar, Skip Martin, Judy & Phil Goyette, Torey Decker, Dave Droppa, Tony Maddi, Danielle Herzog-Rocklin, Wayne County Commissioners, Cordaro’s, Scarfallotto’s Towne House Diner, Danielle’s Photography, Dane Tilghman, Tyler Schafer, all of our volunteers who work tirelessly Friday night and Saturday.
As we could not do what we do without our generous sponsors we ask that you kindly support the businesses and individuals who help make this happen !! All logos are linked to the businesses & organizations who have helped to make this happen in ’22 !!
Pa. Partners in the Arts,
http://www.icatitle.com/home.html
Dunkin Donuts, Barna Law, Church St. Auto, BGM Fastener Co. Inc.
Citizens Saving Bank, Comprehensive Physical Therapy Inc.
Hotel Wayne, Jadwin Associates, Jeannie’s Chapel St. Salon
Marshall Machinery, 6th & River, Timothy Barna
The Lodge at Keen Lake, The Skier Foundation
Honesdale Rotary Club, Honesdale Wellness Center
McDonalds, Tom & Jen Hauber, Camp Umpy’s Bagels
Dakan Enterprises Inc, Mane Creations Salon
Schwarz Buick & GMC, Keen Lake Camping & Cottage Resort
Dr. Edward Murray– DPM, Clark’s Sunrise Market
Gregory’s Auto Service, Highhouse Energy, Augello Excavating Inc.
Re-Max Wayne- Re-Max Best, Davis R. Chant Realtors,
Turano Insurance & Financial LLC.
Wayne County Redi-Mix, Arts for Him & Her Too,
Baer Harley Davidson & Polaris, Bolds Florist & Garden Center,
Camp Umpy’s Bagels & Stuff, D.R. Bluhm Insurance Agency,
Gather, Honesdale Chiropractic, Kathy’s Licence Service, Kohrs Excavating,
Stephens Pharmacy/Northeast Med-Equip,
R3 Hardware, Twisted Rail Tavern, Fritz Bros. Inc.
Ninth & Main Gift Shop, Mick’s Barber Shop.
.
Honesdale Roots & Rhythm is something that takes a whole bunch of us a whole year to plan for, (and a whole ton of $$$$). Now is the time for your feedback. We would love to hear from everyone who attended on your likes as well as things we might improve. Who was your favorite band? Favorite moment? etc….. Can we do anything better? (of course).
Drop us a line !!!
