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The Humboldt Folklife Festival delivered its usual week-long supply of Humboldt County musicians and bands to Blue Lake this past Sunday through Saturday, July 14 through July 20. The only problem? How to pick and choose what to attend, given the festival program was competing with what seemed like an unusually packed social calendar countywide.

Emcee Patrick Cleary welcomed attendees to the festival in Perigot Park on Sunday at noon after the Annie and Mary Day parade, and then he joined the first band, All Wheel Drive, playing mandolin. It was followed by the Bayou Swamis, the Compost Mountain Boys and Dead On.

An indoor “Songwriter in the Round” in the Dell’Arte Carlo Theater on Tuesday was led by Cleary and featured backstories and original songs by John Luddington, Sari Baker (accompanied by Jeff Smoller), Melanie Barnett and Xeff Scolari.

The Festival’s Wednesday traditional “Under the Stars” show on the outdoor Dell’Arte stage began at 6 p.m. with a solo set by singer/songwriter/storyteller Kray Van Kirk (a long-time Alaska resident who was raised in Arcata). Rise and Bloom’s set followed and the sold-out audience then warmly greeted Huckleberry Flint to the stage at 8:40 p.m. The highlight of their set for many was when lead singer/songwriter Dustin Taylor brought out his three young children to sing "In the Highways" accompanied by the band – the next generation of Huckleberries is on its way!

A smaller but much livelier crowd showed up ready to dance on Thursday at the outdoor Dell’Arte stage for “Bluegrass and Beyond” music starting at 6 p.m. by Ruby Ruth & Mule Ranch followed by Elderberry Rust. The widely popular Cadillac Ranch closed the show and kept the crowd up and dancing and, as advertised, not long into its set added three members of The Roadside Attraction Horn Section to share the stage. The audience approved of the new sound and wanted the Ranch/Roadside combo to keep playing long after the 10 p.m. Blue Lake curfew.

This year the traditional Friday Barn Dance changed its venue to Blue Lake’s Prasch Hall and the band (Cidermill String Band) but caller Lyndsey Battle was back to lead the dancers filling the venue floor normally used as a roller rink.

Starting late Saturday morning , the All Day Free Festival began attracting a crowd that moved back and forth between Humboldt County bands and singers on the STREET STAGE with the Blue Lake Choir, Hill Honey and the Wildcats, Zera Starchild, A Banjo Makes 3, Ann Hamilton, Vanishing Prints and the popular Beatles Sing-along; and the AMPITHEATRE STAGE with Huayllipacha, Thurston Hawk, Lalona, Lxs Perdidxs, Joann Rand & Wild Mountain Thyme, Sequoia Rose, the SoHum Girls, Kindred Spirits and Kingfoot.

In a new addition to the festival this year, the Logger Bar cleared out some space near the dart board and the patio to host free impromptu jam sessions all afternoon of Irish/Celtic/Scandinavian/old time music led by Sam McNeil, Evan Morden and Rachel Lundberg. Not far away on the south side of the Mad River Grange building, Jesse Jonathon enthusiastically led afternoon West African and Northern Brazilian Samba drum workshops. This year’s food options were provided by Nou Nou's, Alma's, Fryebread Love and Buttercream Broomstick.

For a calendar of future Humboldt Folklife Society’s events, visit humboldtfolklife.com/whats-happening.