Sunny weather and hot music draw thousands to Folklife Festival at Seattle Center

Sun-starved and winter-worn people swarmed to Seattle Center on Saturday, lured by lovely weather, live music, an excellent admission price and the good vibrations of a joyful crowd.

Children ran laughing and half-dressed through the Center Fountain, ponytailed men danced the marimba without care and young women with bare feet gave away free hugs and smiles at the 37th Annual Northwest Folklife Festival.

Thousands of people wandered the grounds, listening to headline bands on stages, gathering around sidewalk musicians, eating street-fair snacks and shopping at stalls offering tie-dyed clothing, silver jewelry and trinkets from around the world.

Jeff Astle, a Vashon Island worm farmer and woodcutter, went back and forth between the Mural Amphitheatre and the Fountain Lawn Stage most of the day in search of the music that moves him.

"I'd never danced before," he said about his introduction to marimba 20 years ago. "But I heard this and I said, 'Excuse me, I've gotta go dance.' "

Astle, who along with many others danced vigorously to Shumba Youth Marimba Ensemble and Mukana Marimba, said he has not missed one single day of the festival in two decades.

Another longtime festival fan, Sheena Grannis, was watching The Tallboys String Band near the Center House. Every year, she and her sister get a hotel room in Seattle so they can enjoy full-out the four-day event.

"I think it's absolutely the best in terms of quality and variety of music," said the Bellingham woman. "I love it. Where else can you pay $10 for an entire day of fantastic music?"

The festival is free, but $10 donations are requested. The cultural focus of this year's festival is "Urban Indians," with Tlingit totem pole carvings, a display of traditional powwow regalia, storytelling, music, gallery exhibits and dance throughout the weekend.

Upcoming music highlights include the "Just for Kids" showcase and "Indigenous & Indigenius Hip Hop" today; and "The Many Shades of Gospel Music" and "Bhangra and Bollywood" performances on Monday.

Appreciative crowds gathered around several musical groups playing off the path between Center House and the Fisher Pavilion.

Members of Sassparilla, an "insurgent blues" band from Portland, said they were playing offstage this year because they actually earn more money for beer and food that way, according to guitarist Gus Richmond.

Other members of the band are Pappy MacDonald on the harp; his son, Sweat Pea MacDonald, on the washboard; Franco Frantz on the percussive base; and Dr. Caffee on what she called the "junk drum set."

Similarly, Hail Seizures, an Olympia-based "acoustic hard-time punk" band made up of former Evergreen State College students, hit a sweet spot with listeners.

"Actually, I bought their album," said Zack Olson, a 19-year-old from Mountlake Terrace with dyed black hair and several piercings. "I think they're legit. They've got an original sound."

The band's energy, said his friend Bryce Owings, was "awesome."

Christine Clarridge: 206-464-8983 or cclarridge@seattletimes.com

The information in this article, originally published May 25, 2008, was corrected, May 25, 2008. An audio clip of the song "One for the Ride" by The Hail Seizures was incorrectly posted and was instead playing an audio clip by a different band.