2018 YMCA Craft Fair
Venue: Blacksburg Community Center / Recreation Center, Blacksburg
Organizations: American Roots, Bob Chew, One Eyed Jack
Date: Saturday, November 10, 2018
Time: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Event Types: Music, Food, Miscellaneous, Family Friendly, Arts & Theatre, Speaking Engagements
Cost: Free
Description:
The YMCA at Virginia Tech presents their 49th Annual YMCA Craft Fair at the Blacksburg Community Center on Friday, November 9, 2018 through Sunday, November 11, 2018

YMCA Craft Fair Schedule:
• Friday, November 9th from 1:00-7:00 pm
• Saturday, November 10th from 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
• Sunday, November 11th from 12:00-4:00 pm

Join us for the 49th annual YMCA Craft Fair! Get ready for the holidays when you shop juried vendors and celebrate the beauty and diversity of handmade art.

This year also features coffee, teas and baked good from Bollo's, food trucks, live music and other fun family entertainment!

For the full line-up of artisans and vendors, visit: http://vtymca.org/y-craft-fair-artisans/.

Saturday Music Line-Up:
• 12:00 pm: American Roots
• 1:30 pm: Bob Chew
• 5:30 pm: One Eyed Jack

American Roots is an acoustic guitar and vocal harmony duo performing roots and Americana music penned between about 1900 and 1950. Fred and Jon Benfield took the name “American Roots” because it describes the music they have enjoyed performing together in the five-county area over the last 25 or so years.

The father and son guitar duo's musical influences are many and varied as are their shows which could be characterized as Americana Music: “Carter Family to Gershwin”. A typical performance may include traditional Appalachian ballads, country/piedmont blues, delta blues, very early country, tin-pan alley tunes, western swing, jazz, hot fiddle tunes (on guitar), and “folkgrass” (folk tunes played at bluegrass tempo).

They’ve performed at venues all around the region including the Floyd Country Store, Blacksburg’s Steppin’ Out festival and Shawsville's Beans and Banjos.

An retired ecology professor at Virginia Tech, Fred Benfield told a writer for Virginia Tech’s website, “My favorite part of performing is the communication that occurs between us during gigs. We’ve played together for so long that we just somehow know where the other is going on tunes without saying anything or even looking at each other.”

Link: https://www.facebook.com/American-Roots-260081600850582/

Bob Chew is a local musician performing classic country, western swing and cowboy tunes. Bob plays the steel guitar among other instruments and singing both as a solo artist and in a variety of bands including Swingfest, The Dirt Road Kings and The Hayriders. Bob has also been a member of The Floorboards and 3 Minute Lovin'.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/bobchewmusic

One Eyed Jack is a high energy acoustic trio known for genre-hopping based in the New River Valley, VA region. The band plays everything from folk to funk. They perform their own jacked-up interpretations of jazz, jam, blues, reggae, and crossover country classics hitting all the notes in between.

Teen guitarists Aram Skendarian and Isaac Hadden swap guitar breaks and vocals while bassist Gerry Skendarian holds it down with fat, complementary bass grooves. Their versatility makes them a perfect fit for any venue or event.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/3oneeyedjack/

Children’s book author, Ginger Dakin, will host a special Story Time starting at 4:00 pm on Saturday. Gingers' book, "Tippy Toes Hot" about global warming, will be available for purchase during Story Time and she will be happy to autograph your copy.

Admission is free and all are welcome.

To view the event flyer, visit: https://i.imgur.com/4OA06SZ.jpg.

For more information, visit: http://vtymca.org/craft-fair/ or https://www.facebook.com/vtymca or https://www.facebook.com/events/818572651668019 or email Y Craft Fair Coordinator Carol McKneely at carol@vtymca.org or 540-961-9622.