February is Horse Race time!!

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!!

https://honesdalerootsandrhythm.com/shop/

2022 Custom Guitar winner !!

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.

NEA Grant comes through for Roots & Rhythm

Bo Diddley by 2022 Featured Artist Dane Tilghman

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.

Randal James Kohrs, October 17, 1952 – August 10, 2022

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.

A Huge Thank You !!!!!!

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.

OUR SPONSORS

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 !!

Platinum-

The John And Helen Villaume Foundation

https://www.arts.gov/

Gold-

Silver-


Jonathan Fritz State Representative

https://www.repfritz.com/


Pa. Partners in the Arts,

Rent-E-Quip/Rent-E-Vent

Bronze-

Quality Printing & Design

Norwood Investment Corp.

Sheeley Insurance agency

Fraternal Order of eagles #1858

Tony and Sharon Herzog

Inter-County Abstract

http://www.icatitle.com/home.html

Complete Health Dentistry of NEPA

Jenkins Transportation

Copper Sponsors-

Dunkin Donuts, Barna LawChurch St. AutoBGM Fastener Co. Inc.

Citizens Saving BankComprehensive Physical Therapy Inc.

Hotel Wayne, Jadwin AssociatesJeannie’s Chapel St. Salon

Marshall Machinery6th & RiverTimothy Barna

The Lodge at Keen LakeThe Skier Foundation

Honesdale Rotary ClubHonesdale Wellness Center

McDonaldsTom & Jen HauberCamp Umpy’s Bagels

Dakan Enterprises IncMane Creations Salon

Schwarz Buick & GMCKeen Lake Camping & Cottage Resort

Dr. Edward Murray– DPMClark’s Sunrise Market

Gregory’s Auto ServiceHighhouse EnergyAugello Excavating Inc.

Downtown Band Sponsors

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.

.

We’d Love to Hear From You !!

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 !!!

Rockinitis!!!!!

Saturday, June 18th 2022 at about 3:30PM, Rockinitis took to our Central Park Main Stage. This was the first time that they had taken the stage, (or anywhere), together in many decades. This was the result of a plan hatched by Pete Kanaras and Roots & Rhythm to do something really special in putting together this one off, once in a lifetime show. It was a moment in time to remember, tears were shed and the grins were unstoppable. Seeing musicians of this caliber in a situation like this was truly amazing and never to be forgotten.

Nikki Hill Absolutely Killed it !!

Laura Chavez & Nikki Hill @ the 15th Annual Honesdale Roots & Rhythm Music Festival.

June 18th, 2022, Honesdale, Pennsylvania. Photo by John Rocklin. Copyright, John Rocklin Photography.