Community-based, family-friendly celebration with food, music, and fun!
Saturday, March 11 at 6 p.m.—BARNARD—The BarnArts annual celebration of winter almost being over, Masquerade Jazz and Funk Winter Music Carnival is scheduled from 6-10 p.m. Saturday, March 16 at the Barnard Town Hall, 274 Barnard Road, Woodstock. This all-ages community celebration includes a taco bar, mask-making table, and photobooth in addition to four hours of music.
By Troy Thompson
BarnArts welcomes Crocodile River Music from Worcester, Massachussetts to be the headliner for the 12th annual Masquerade Jazz & Funk Winter Music Carnival on Saturday, March 16 at the Barnard Town Hall. Members hail from Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Tanzania, and the U.S. A free African Dance Workshop will also be provided by Crocodile River Music.
The musical lineup has something for everyone starting with modern jazz from saxophonist Michael Zsoldos accompanied by pianist Sonny Saul. Saul’s own band, Sonny & the Grey Cats, follows with a set of swinging jazz tunes selected to inspire dancing. The evening is headlined by Crocodile River Music, who will bring an interactive African dance party that BarnArts revelers won’t soon forget! Based in Worcester, Massachusetts, Crocodile River consists of members from Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Tanzania, and the U.S. and specializes in immersive performances that showcase African and African-influenced music including Brazilian, Caribbean, and flamenco. Their performances include teaching dances and rhythm and highlight African instruments.
By Alex Montaño
Every year a make-your-own mask table is very busy with kids and adults who want to join in the fun spirit of this party.
Courtesy BarnArts
Woodstock resident and tenor sax artist Michael Zsoldos will open the evening with a set of classic and modern Jazz, performing with Sonny Saul on the piano. They promise a set of Tadd Demeron & Coleman Hawkins compositions.
Beyond the stellar line up, ticket holders get dinner, too, by way of an expansive taco bar with all the fixings as well as non-alcoholic beverages. A mask-making table will entertain creatives of all ages while the photo booth area will give folks the perfect place to show off their creations with friends. Crocodile River Music is making the most of their time with BarnArts, aligning with their mission to educate and connect people of all ages, backgrounds, and capabilities. They’ll visit Barnard Academy and Woodstock Union High School/Middle School on Friday, March 15.
Courtesy BarnArts
A popular part of BarnArts Masquerade festivities is showing off costumes and masks in the photo booth!
Courtesy BarnArts
Sonny & the Grey Cats will be playing a dance-y swing set to initiate the dance party starting at 7pm: Sonny Saul (piano), Mark van Gulden (drums), Glendon Ingalls (bass), Kathleen Dolan (flute).
While BarnArts usually brings a headliner, from out of state, for this fun party known locally just as “Masquerade,” the lineup always features excellent local professionals who call Vermont home. Tenor saxophonist Michael Zsoldos opens the event most years with a rich jazz duo, to give the purests something to savor. This year he is partnering with Sonny Saul on piano, and they will perform compositions by Tadd Demeron and Coleman Hawkins, icons of sax and piano jazz. Both Michael and Sonny live in Woodstock and relish the opportunity to perform together as a duo. Sonny & and the Grey Cats is a group of four local musicians who have played all sorts of combinations of originals and classics over the years. For this Masquerade, they promise to inspire an early start on the dance floor with a focus on swing music. The Grey Cats consist of Sonny Saul on piano, Mark van Gulden on drums, Kathleen Dolan on flute, and Glendon Ingalls on bass. Four hours of music, plus an expansive taco bar, a create-your-own-mask table, and a photo booth come with the price of a ticket to BarnArts Masquerade Jazz & Funk Winter Music Carnival.
Courtesy BarnArts
Zili Misik kept the crowd dancing in 2023.
Tickets can be purchased online at barnarts.org. Adults $25, Students $15, and those under 6 get in for free. BYOB. For more info, visit barnarts.org.
