Phoenicia Library to Host Free Balkan Music and Dance Festival

PHOENICIA — The Phoenicia Library will celebrate the music and dance of the Balkan peninsula with a free festival on Saturday, Sept. 20, from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Glenbrook Park.

The Balkan Mountains Music Festival will feature a full afternoon of performances, food, and dance instruction in a scenic outdoor setting. The event, which will be held rain or shine, is sponsored by Ulster Savings Bank, the Phoenicia Library, and Upstate Curious.

The festival will kick off at 3:30 p.m. with dance instruction for all levels by Noel Kropf, a longtime organizer of the Zlatne Uste Golden Festival, accompanied by live music from the Mac & Cheez Balkan PowerTrio.

The musical lineup continues at 4:30 p.m. with Niva, a Brooklyn-based, all-women ensemble dedicated to preserving traditional Macedonian roots music. At 5:50 p.m., the Sarma Brass Band, a 10-piece Balkan brass band, will take the stage, followed by a performance from Bourbon & Breastmilk, a Mid-Hudson Valley community choir that sings village songs from the Balkans and Ukraine, at 6:30 p.m.

All are welcome to attend the free community event. Glenbrook Park is located at 48 NY-42 in Shandaken. For more information, visit phoenicialibrary.org or brazzamatazz.com.