World Folk Festival pleases crowd

After weeks of rain and cloudy skies, Bloomington celebrated the summer sun at the World Folk Festival Saturday afternoon in Bryan Park. \nThe afternoon kicked off at 3 p.m. when John Cate took the stage. A crowd of music lovers had already assembled. Cate performed a set of original songs on his acoustic guitar.\nThe Rashers performed next, playing a mix of Celtic and Irish music. After their first song the band asked that fans get up and dance to their jigs. A few fans couldn\'t resist the request and danced along to the intricate melodies they played. The Rashers were also the favorite of Jolene Boas, a Bloomington resident who enjoyed the event. "I was so happy to hear that it was free and out in the park. It makes me happy to hear that they do things like this and that it\'s so family oriented."\nAs the crowd grew, Tom Roznowski and The Plain Gold Band took the stage. Roznowski put the event into perspective, saying, "I want you all to take a moment, take a deep breath and let it all sink in, it's summer." He went on to play a set of upbeat, storytelling songs. He even encouraged the audience to "howl along" to one song written about a hound dog. \nBy now the crowd had filled in entirely and the grassy hill was covered by patchwork quilts, lawn chairs and coolers. Carrie Newcomer came out next, declaring \"This is one of my favorite shows of the entire year.\" She performed a long set, playing a couple of songs alone and the rest with her band. Her voice was soulful and her music multifaceted. Her song "Gathering of Spirits" seemed to define the event, telling a story about a festival of friends.\nLast but certainly not least, Alma Azul took the stage around 8 p.m. Their style of Latin and Salsa music brought the crowd to its feet. Its percussive, rhythmic sound had the crowd clapping along. As the band members danced on stage, fans young and old salsaed along in the front of the stage.\n"We are really happy with the turn out, the music and the weather," said event coordinator Marcia Veldman. "This is the first year for this and there's a real good chance we'll make it an addition to the performing arts series." The crowd seemed to realize today just how fun these concerts can be. In the words of Carrie Newcomer, "these concerts in the park are like a community treasure"