Inaugural Folk Festival to be Held at Ag Museum Gardens in Santa Paula

The Agriculture Museum will present its first Folk Music Festival in the Gardens, noon to 5 p.m. on Sept. 22. The festival will feature Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Misa Della alongside three original songwriters and musicians from Ventura County. The event is free and open to the public.

“While this is the first time the Agriculture Museum will host this event, local musicians who write and perform their own music have been a tradition in Santa Paula,” said Elena Waller, Agriculture Museum manager. “We are thrilled be able to host such an exciting line-up for this inaugural festival.”

Headlining the festival is Misa Della, aka Marissa Martinez, a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, visual artist and educator. Della identifies as Chicana and as an activist and community organizer for social justice. She describes her music as a mixture of folk and soul influenced by her Chicana experience growing up in an artistic family amidst the diversity of Los Angeles.

Others featured at the event include J. Peter Boles, Donna Lynn Caskey and Paul Belgum.

Boles has received two international songwriting awards and has been described by the Los Angeles Times as having “…a strong, clear voice, up there with Gordon Lightfoot, John Stewart and other folk hot guys.” A folk artist from the Ojai Valley, his varied vocal style, versatile picking and bluesy harmonic entwine to cross genres, creating a seamless blend of folk, country, bluegrass and blues. Boles has been performing for over 30 years.

Caskey, known to locals as the Banjo Gal, is known for her timeless yet topical claw-hammer banjo-based original songs. Her sound retains a timeless quality that hearkens back to traditional old-time mountain music and bluegrass while exploring contemporary subject matters.

Belgum has been in Ventura County for over 50 years. An accomplished acoustic guitarist and songwriter, Belgum is known for his rich and soulful music. He plays locally with ‘Pancho and Lefty,’ supporting Donna Nelson and the Holly Rollers or at the Santa Paula Ukulele Club.

Cowboy John’s Smoken BBQ Food Trailer will be on-site and a no-host beer and wine bar will be available.

Event sponsors include Latino Town Hall (sponsoring headliner Misa Della), Brokaw Jackson Consulting and Heritage Valley Tourism Bureau. For more information call (805) 525-3100 or email ewaller@venturamuseum.org.