Contact
The easiest way to contact the Spokane Folklore Society is by email at info@spokanefolklore.org
Our mailing address is Spokane Folklore Society, PO Box 141, Spokane, WA. 99210.
SFS History
The Spokane Folklore Society grew out of a series of concerts produced by various members of the 2nd City Center, an incubator for specialty retail stores. The Center was on the second floor of a building that has since been torn down and replaced by what is now the Wells Fargo Bank building. Besides offering a home to small emerging businesses, the Center contained an open empty space. As a way to increase traffic, some of the owners used this space to offer folk concerts. Paul Kinderman, co-owner of the Sound Hole, and Sheila and Don Thomsen of 2nd City Ice Creamery organized concerts from late 1974 (during the Expo ’74) to early 1976.
Because concerts weren’t terribly profitable, these owner-supported concerts ended in mid-1976. Paul Kinderman then recruited Steve Simmons and Eric Johnson to form the Paul Kinderman Folk Investment Group (FIG). The plan was for each interested person to kick in $25, and hold concerts (co-sponsored by the Heritage Family Theatre) until the funding ran out. At that point, a decision would be made whether to reinvest another $25 and continue the process. The FIG ended the 1976-77 season with $380 in the bank, and no one ever had to put in an additional $25.
Don Thomsen and several other folks kept saying that what was needed was a nonprofit folklore society to sponsor concerts on a continuing basis. With lots of encouragement, Eric Johnson researched the state law on non-profits, and wrote up a set of Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws. The incorporators signing the Spokane Folklore Society’s paperwork were Paul Kinderman, Steve Simmons, Eric Johnson, Don Thomsen, and Bob Glatzer with Paul as President and Eric as Secretary-Treasurer. The net profits of the FIG were donated to the Society as seed money.
The Spokane Folklore Society was officially incorporated as a non-profit organization in the state of Washington on July 1, 1977.
Operationally, Paul booked the acts and Eric handled the production and financing the first year, with the able assistance of Steve and Don in setting up and taking down. Don’s P.A. system was donated for most of the concerts. Those four, plus Dan Jones, constituted the entire membership for that year.
The Folklore Society’s first year saw a Sandy Bradley square dance in November. The Pleasant Hill Band, Mike Marker, and Custer’s Grass Band got us through December. January 1978 saw the Hog Heaven String Band with Bob White and Michael Sky in February. The season ended with two March concerts featuring J.B. Freeman and Homegrown.
The SFS grew from these humble beginnings to an active organization by the 1980’s. Dawn Holladay began organizing monthly concerts in the late 1970s and continued through the next decade. These concerts featured some of the major folk music performers in the country. Penn Fix returned to Spokane after five years in Boston and organized the first monthly contra dance series beginning in January of 1980. In fall of 1988, he started the weekly Wednesday contra dances with Jack Lindberg and Arvid Lundin. Both these series continue to this day.
The SFS has always been interested in supporting a wide variety of folk music and dance. In 1983-4, SFS participated in the two-day Downtown Street Fair. Taking up an entire block, SFS members Penn Fix, Suzie Winegardner, Suzanne Harris, Eric Johnson, and others organized a block including stage of folk music and dance performances, along with booths of artisans demonstrating and selling folk art. Who will ever forget the blacksmith who had a forge in the back of his 1940s truck! In 1996, Vicki Ball, Carla Carnegie, Dave Nobel, and Leone Peterson organized the first Fall Folk Festival. Held at the Unitarian Church, the festival featured a dozen performing groups. The Festival grew rapidly, attracting participation from many diverse communities. Today, the Fall Folk Festival is the major event in the Inland Northwest that highlights the multi-cultures of our community, with hundreds of performers and thousands of attendees. Mary Naber served as Festival coordinator for many years. Sylvia Gobel is the current director.