Woody Guthrie Folk Festival returns to legend's Oklahoma hometown: What you need to know

OKEMAH — Before he planted his storied musical career in the fertile Red Dirt soil of Stillwater, Mike McClure grew up rooted in the small city of Tecumseh.

So, it's little surprise that the 2022 Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame inductee finds inspiration in making the annual pilgrimage to another small Sooner State town — Okemah — to perform at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival.

"That's a great gathering of real folkies. Really great songwriters and artists that I normally don't get a chance to see, they're all gathered in one spot," McClure told The Oklahoman by phone from his home in Seymour, Texas.

"Okemah, being the home of Woody Guthrie, it's a historical place to be. Think about what he came from — just a small Oklahoma town — and what he did with his guitar. He's an inspiration to anybody that's ever done it — especially someone that has stood up to the man, as it were."

The Red Dirt music producer, singer and songwriter and his wife and collaborator, Chrislyn Lawrence, who perform together as Crow & Gazelle, will headline the first night of the 2023 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival July 12 at Okemah's historic Crystal Theatre.

The festival affectionately known as WoodyFest is marking its 26th anniversary July 12-16 at seven venues across the folk legend's Okfuskee County hometown. Here's what you need to know about the 2023 Woody Guthrie Folk Festival:

Why is WoodyFest in Okemah in the sweltering summer? 

Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie was born on July 14, 1912, in Okemah. He would have been 111 years old this year. 

The festival annually takes place on and around his July 14 birthday in his hometown, which Woody once described as "one of the singingest, square dancingest, drinkingest, yellingest, preachingest, walkingest, talkingest, laughingest, cryingest, shootingest, fist fightingest, bleedingest, gamblingest, gun, club and razor carryingest of our ranch towns and farm towns because it blossomed out into one of our first Oil Boom Towns."

Guthrie died Oct. 3, 1967, at the Creedmoor State Hospital in Queens, New York, of Huntington’s disease, a degenerative genetic neurological disorder. He was just 55 years old. 

But in his relatively short life, he wrote prose, poetry and thousands of songs — including "This Land is Your Land," "Oklahoma Hills" and "Pastures of Plenty" — and influenced a wide range of musicians, from Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger to Lead Belly and Guthrie's own son, Arlo Guthrie. 

More than half a century after Guthrie's death, the iconic singer-songwriter's influence continues to grow: He has been cited as an inspiration by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Ani DiFranco, Joan Baez and many more.

Who will be playing WoodyFest 2023? 

The Guthrie family will be well-represented at the 26th annual festival. The lineup features Woody's grandchildren Annie Guthrie and Cathy Guthrie — the latter will perform as Folk Uke, her duo with Amy Nelson, daughter of Willie Nelson — as well Guthrie great-granddaughter Serena Guthrie.

Americana singer-songwriter and storyteller Ellis Paul, longtime Guthrie student and collaborator Joel Rafael and venerable Oklahoma band the Red Dirt Rangers are among the 2023 performers who also played the inaugural WoodyFest in 1998.

Along with McClure and the Red Dirt Rangers, Oklahomans on this year's WoodyFest roster include John Fullbright, Parker Millsap, Carter Sampson, Jacob Tovar, Monica Taylor, Jared Tyler, Kyle Reid, Randy Crouch, Mallory Eagle, Susan Herndon, Gypsy Twang, Miss Brown to You, Melissa Hembree, Cassie Latshaw, Peggy Johnson, RT Valine and Tom Skinner's Science Project.

The lineup of more than 50 musical performances also features Butch Hancock, David Amram, Mary Gauthier, Jaimee Harris, Hubby Jenkins, Kyshona, Melissa Carper and Willis Alan Ramsey.

Per WoodyFest tradition, the festival's final event on July 16 will be the Sunday Hootenanny with Oklahoma guitarist Terry "Buffalo" Ware at the Crystal Theatre.

The WoodyFest Children's Festival will return this year

WoodyFest 2023 will see the return of the Children’s Festival from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 15 in Okemah City Park.

The free event will feature all-ages activities ike the Children’s Stage performances, jewelry-making, facepainting, a giant water slide and more. Winners of the Children’s Festival songwriting contest will perform.

The first 200 children in attendance will receive giveaways, including complementary ukeleles, harmonicas, music lessons and T-shirts.

What panels will be presented at WoodyFest 2023?

As usual, this year's Woody Guthrie Folk Festival will include an array of educational presentations and panels, including "Finding & Using Your Songwriting Voice" and "Saved by a Song" with Gauthier; "A Conversation Around Mental Health" with music photographer Chad Cochran; and "The Ultimate Sacrifice," a discussion and songs about the labor movement and unions with Tom Breiding.

Who organizes the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival?

The festival's roots were planted in 1997, when a group of passionate volunteers gathered with one mission: to honor Guthrie’s music and philosophy that every person has worth, none more or less than another. The nonprofit Woody Guthrie Coalition organized the first WoodyFest in 1998 and for 26 years "has tirelessly worked to keep Woody’s message and music alive," said Guthrie granddaughter Anna Canoni in an email.

"What a treasure it is to have the dedicated volunteer crew that work with such passion to continue sharing Woody’s continued living legacy. And to the talented musicians who perform at this fantastic ... celebration, continuing the tradition of sharing Woody’s creative works as well as adding their own stories and songs to the landscape of music, we are grateful for you," added Canoni, who is vice president of Woody Guthrie Publications Inc.

"We thank you all for the time, creativity, love, and commitment you continue to show to Woody! We are honored to be part of the team, and as my grandfather wrote, 'take it easy, but take it!'"

How much are WoodyFest tickets and how can you get them?

Tickets to the opening-night concert on July 12 are $30 in advance or $35 at the door of the Crystal Theatre.

Daytime performances on July 13 — the first full day of the festival — will be offered for free, with a $10 entry for that evening’s performances on the Pastures of Plenty outdoor main stage.

Weekend passes are $85, with single-day July 14 and 15 tickets available for $50.

Reserved seating and parking packages are available for $250.

Attendees ages 17 and older will be required to have a wristband for entrance to performances at all venues except the outreach stages, the Rocky Road Tavern daytime performances and the Okemah History Center.

Concertgoers 16 and younger will be admitted free at the Pastures of Plenty if accompanied by an adult.

All passes purchased in advance must be exchanged for wristbands at the festival.

Tickets are available at woodyfest.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Woody Guthrie Folk Festival is back in Okemah. Here's what to know