The MSU Museum’s Great Lakes Folk Festival will take over downtown East Lansing August 12th-14th with over 21 hours of programing featured on 5 music and dance stages with artists from all over the state. To share more about the weekend long celebration of heritage is Lora Helou, acting director of the MSU Museum, on Greening of the Great Lakes.
“It really is a celebration of culture, tradition and community,” she explains. “We see through interactions, performances, and hands on activities ways that traditions are passed on by master artists and the skills, wisdom and authenticity that they share with us.”
Helou shares how the interactive event is not only an prime example of cultural sustainability, but an occasion to honor those in Michigan who have made significant life-long contributions to their community in order to sustain traditional arts and culture. This year the MSU Museum will honor six Michiganders, the most award members in festival history, who will receive a proclamation from the governor and the opportunity to share their craft.
“We don’t really consider ourselves concert producers per-say, we’re really presenting tradition bearers- people who are invested in education, outreach and sharing their traditions,” Helou adds.
She reveals that festival goers can expect an array of entertainment and education from artists specializing in clogging, dancing, leatherwork, jewelry, instrument making and boat building anytime between Friday August 12th, 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Saturday noon- 10:30 p.m. and Sunday noon- 6 p.m.
To learn more about the event and other exhibits from the MSU Museum, or to become one of the 300-400 volunteers that make this weekend possible, visit the MSU Museum website, Helou says.
Greening of the Great Lakes airs inside MSU Today Sundays at 4:00 on AM 870.