Accordion festival will feature 3 days of music

Staff report

BESSEMER, Pa.

Accordion players and fans of polkas and waltzes from several states will converge on the Bessemer Croatian Club, East Poland Avenue (Pa. Route 317), this weekend for the National Button Accordion Festival.

The three-day festival, now in its eighth year, will open at 5 p.m. with a get-acquainted party, dancing and an accordion jam session that will run until 10 p.m. Admission is $8.

On Saturday, the festival will run from noon to 10 p.m. with dancing and music inside and outside. Admission is $10.

Sunday’s hours will be noon to 9 p.m. and admission is $10.

The highlight of the festival will be a formal concert that will begin at 12:30 p.m. Sunday. It will be followed by dancing and music, and ethnic attire is encouraged.

Button accordion and piano accordion players from 18 states and Canada will attend the festival.

Informal jam sessions will take place under tents on the outdoor decks of the club. Food prepared on site will be available all day in the dining room.

One of the unusual features of the festival is that no bands are hired. Instead, the music for listening and dancing is provided by the dozens of accordion players in attendance.

A list of accordion players who are committed to the event can be found on the NBAF website (nationalbuttonaccordionfestival.com). It includes the Mahoning Valley Button Box Club, Frank Vidergar Jr., Ron Pivovar, David Bey, William Hayes, Al Meixner, Cody McSherry, Julie Tabaj, Logan Watson, Garrett Tatano, Kathy Hlad, Pete Cimino, Roger Weinfurter, Rocky Piccirilli and John Tarasut, Mike Leggett Jr., Don Tortola and Tony Trontel.

A schedule board of players will be used Friday and Saturday to set up 30- to 45-minute performance segments in the ballroom. Local professional sidemen will accompany the accordion players on stage.

A Memorial Day remembrance program will begin at noon Sunday followed by the formal concert. After the concert concludes about 3 p.m., the schedule format will be used for the remainder of the day until the Grand Jam ends the festival weekend at 9 p.m.

Free polka lessons with dance instructor Lynda McPhail will begin at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the club ballroom. Parents and grandparents of Eastern European descent are encouraged to bring their children and grandchildren so they can pass down their culture and heritage.

Vendors will sell festival T-shirts and CDs, and there will be an accordion swap/shop table. For information, call 724-588-3786.