STAGE featuring LECTURES & PRESENTATIONS
Stage Emcee: NJFF Board Member & Author – Michael Gabriele
10:o0am
Tony DiGerolamo
How to Hunt the Jersey Devil
Join us for a discussion of the Jersey Devil and South Jersey Folklore like no other! Witches, monsters, ghosts and other supernatural characters abound in the Pine Barrens so the Jersey Devil is not so alone! Learn about the fascinating history and tall tales of your community and practical steps to avoid being eaten by Mother Leeds’ 13th Child.
Tony DiGerolamo is a New Jersey screenwriter, novelist, comic book writer, game designer and comedian. He is best known for his work on The Simpsons and Bart Simpson comic books. He has also been a joke writer for Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, a scriptwriter for Space Ghost: Coast to Coast and a blogger for Comedy Central’s Indecision website. Besides writing for various comedy magazines, his current project is a comedy/horror novella series about the hunters of the kin of the Jersey Devil called The Pineys.
10:40am
Michael Gabriele
New Jersey Diner Culture
Michael Gabriele, an author of five books on the Garden State—all published by The History Press—will discuss why New Jersey proudly holds the title of “Diner Capital of the World,” and how these eateries brighten the state’s highways, byways and main streets, with neon lights, glistening stainless steel, sparkling terrazzo floors and tasty comfort food. The social and cultural role diners have played in the Garden State for more than 130 years is more than just eggs over easy, coffee, hamburgers, disco fries and pancakes. Diners are the ultimate gathering places, attracting a diverse mix of truck drivers, corporate executives, politicians, college students, police officers, tourists and midnight ramblers. They store fond memories of generations of patrons. “A diner is more than just a place to eat, and food is only half the meal.”
11:30pm
Dr. Angus K. Gillespie & Jackson Pines
The Life and Music of Maurice (Merce) Ridgway Sr. and Merce Ridgway Jr.
Join us for a discussion between Joe Makoviecki of the Pinelands folk band, Jackson Pines and Dr. Angus Kress Gillespie, founder of the NJFF, as they explore the journey of folksongs from archive to stage and discuss the creative process of working with traditional material in a contemporary context. Jackson Pines tells stories of hard times, overflowing love, disappointment and hope in their original music. Their recent recordings “Pine Barrens Vol. 1” (2023) and “Vol. 2” (2024) consist of traditional Pine Barrens folk songs, the latter of which was named 2024 Album of the Year by The Aquarian Magazine. Some of these songs were found in a cassette tape “Songs of the Jersey Shore and Pines” recorded by Gillespie some forty years ago in 1985 with Marimac Recordings of Little Ferry, New Jersey. Here is a fascinating story of a long-forgotten tape brought back to life by a group dedicated to honoring the history of the Pine Barrens.
12:15pm
Dr. Angus Gillespie, NJFF Founder
The History of the New Jersey Folk Festival
Gillespie, the founder and longtime director of the New Jersey Folk Festival, and recently retired professor of the American Studies Department at Rutgers University, will reminisce about the festival’s golden anniversary as a major, annual cultural event in the Garden State. He also will take part in a panel discussion with the musicians of the Jackson Pines band about the life and music of Maurice (Merce) Ridgway Sr. and Merce Ridgway Jr.
1:00pm
Spooky Handy
SPOOK HANDY WORKSHOP
Spook Handy has been performing at the New Jersey Folk Festival since 1998. Having performed elsewhere alongside Pete Seeger more than 50 times, Spook really gets what Folk music is about. On the Pinelands Stage, Spook wants to hear from YOU! The question is, “What are YOU doing to use music as a tool to build community and foster a healthy functioning democracy. Everybody is invited and Spook is particularly looking forward to hearing from young musicians.
1:40pm
Spooky Handy
ORIGINAL PLAY PREVIEW “ALWAYS HAVE A SONG TO SING”
Handy, a singer/songwriter and longtime performer at the NJFF, who played for many years with folk music legend Pete Seeger, will review his current and future musical activities. A 1982 graduate of Rutgers University, many will recall Handy’s appearances at the Corner Tavern in New Brunswick, a musical series (“The Spook Handy Show”) that ran for 20 years, beginning in September 1985.
2:00pm
3:15pm
Pete Mcdonough
A Short Journey Through 100 Years of Acoustic Finger Style American Blues
Pete McDonough has been studying, playing and writing about the rich American tradition of finger stye acoustic blues and other musical styles for more than 50 years, including a dozen appearances at the NJ Folk Festival. He has performed throughout the northeastern US with the legendary Woody Mann, Happy Traum, Odetta and many other stars of American folk music. His two most recent CDs “Fat in Paris” and “An Autumn” Afternoon are available on Huckleberry Music, on Apple Music, and Spotify.