Artists who take part in the Susquehanna Summer Solstice events next week at French Azilum in Bradford County will find opportunities to paint landscapes like this.
                                 Submitted photo

Artists who take part in the Susquehanna Summer Solstice events next week at French Azilum in Bradford County will find opportunities to paint landscapes like this.

Submitted photo

From paddling to painting

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<p>Artist and musician Brian Keeler, who divides his time between Wyalusing, Pa., and Ithaca, N.Y., will demonstrate the art of portrait painting twice during the festival.</p>
                                 <p>Submitted photo</p>

Artist and musician Brian Keeler, who divides his time between Wyalusing, Pa., and Ithaca, N.Y., will demonstrate the art of portrait painting twice during the festival.

Submitted photo

<p>Don Shappelle and the Pick-Ups, a band with ties to Wilkes-Barre, the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay, will be among the many musicians performing at the Susquehanna Summer Solstice Festival in French Azilum, Bradford County. They will perform at 2 p.m. June 16.</p>
                                 <p>Submitted photo</p>

Don Shappelle and the Pick-Ups, a band with ties to Wilkes-Barre, the Susquehanna River and the Chesapeake Bay, will be among the many musicians performing at the Susquehanna Summer Solstice Festival in French Azilum, Bradford County. They will perform at 2 p.m. June 16.

Submitted photo

How would you like to take a short walk to see an eagle’s nest?

Or to watch a fiddle maker in action?

Maybe you’d just like to relax and fly a kite. Or listen to music ranging from jazz to blues to rockabilly to country to original folk songs inspired by the Susquehanna.

If you’re a musician, you may find a jam session. And, if you feel like dancing, there will be lessons in Balboa Swing and vintage Regency Dancing as well as downhome, learn-as-you-go contra dancing.

All of those activities, along with history presentations, environmental talks, a paddle trip and plenty of plein air painting, will be part of Susquehanna Summer Solstice Festival, set for June 13-18, with most activities taking place at French Azilum Historic Site in Bradford County.

“It’s such a beautiful site right along the river, ” said artist and musician Brian Keeler, who has organized this second annual event. “And we think we have a very affordable weekend.”

Actually, it’s more than a weekend, because Keeler and juror Rob Evans, who will judge the artwork that painters will have been painting all during the festival, will give an opening presentation at 5 p.m. June 13.

And the festival predates the actual summer solstice, which will take place at 11:47 a.m. June 21.

But just as ancient people found ways to celebrate the change of the seasons, modern people will find ways to celebrate in the Endless Mountains next week. Tickets may be purchased at susquehannasolsticefestival.com/ where you’ll find daily and weekend passes for adults, children and families.

Following are some of the Susquehanna Summer Solstice Festival highlights.

Concerts

Doug Smith Jazz Combo will play during a meet-and-greet 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 14.

Blue Stone Revival song-writing duo, inspired by stories of the Susquehanna River and Endless Mountains, will perform noon to 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 16.

Don Shappelle and the Pick-Ups, will offer intricate harmonies and original songs about the Susquehanna and the Chesapeake Bay as well as trains, nature and the environment, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Friday, June 16.

Toby Walker, finger-style guitar virtuoso offering blues, ragtime, country, rock and jazz, 4:30 to 6 p.m. Friday, June 16.

Erin McLelland Band, a Pocono-based group offering jazz and blues, 6:15 to 7:45 p.m. Friday, June 16.

Clarence Spady, American blues master, 8 to 9:30 p.m. Friday, June 16.

Cousin Auntie’s Ghost, offering soul, funk, jazz, folk and rockabilly, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17.

Dallas Carter Band, female-fronted country, singing music made famous by the Dixie Chicks, Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Tanya Tucker and more, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17.

Jehile Kirkhuff Memorial Contra Dance Band, playing for a dance, to be held in honor of World Champion fiddle player and Lawton native Jehile Kirkhuff, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17.

Zingology, vintage swing and jazz, “vibing off Django Reinhardt and The Hot Club of Paris,” 5 to 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17.

Pelotones, rhythm and blues-influenced swing band, 6:45 to 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17.

Mark Woodyatt and The Jazz Assassins, veterans of the Scranton Jazz Festival, 8:30 to 10:15 p.m. Saturday, June 17

Endless Mountains Open Session, time reserved for young musicians to sign up and show what they can do. 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday, June 18.

Wyalusing Swing Choir, singing swing, blues, country, Christian, classic rock and more, noon to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, June 18.

Snow Crow, with world soul and folk ‘n roll, 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 18.

Joe Jencks, a Chicago-based folk artist whose voice offers “the edgy richness of a good seas-salt caramel,” 2:45 to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 18. Jencks is also scheduled to be a subject when Brian Keeler demonstrates the art of painting portraits.

Dance

Cecchettio, an Italian style of ballet, with Kim Jayne, 1:30 to 2 p.m. Friday, June 16.

Intro to Balboa Swing, taught by Brian Keeler, 3:30 to 4 p.m. Friday, June 16. You do not have to bring a partner to learn this style of swing, which originated in 1930s California just as the Lindy Hop evolved in Harlem.

Regency Dancing with Deborah Courville, director of French Azilum, who will teach a style of dance that modern audiences have seen in Jane Austen movies, 2:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 17.

Jehile Kirkhuff Memorial Contra Dance, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, June 17

Basic Swing Dance lesson with Iska Ziver, Cornell dance instructor from Ithaca, N.Y. 4:30 to 5 p.m. This will help you prepare for the music Zingology will begin to play at 5 p.m.

Other presentations

Opening remarks from Plein Air juror Rob Evans and a slide show from festival organizer Brian Keeler during the meet and greet, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday June 13.

Jan Lokuta talks about Conservation and Art, dealing with the work of John J. Audubon, Rachel Carson and others, 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, June 14.

Fiddle maker Todd Snover demonstrates his woodworking art, all day Friday and Saturday.

A nature walk with Dan Rhodes, educational coordinator of the Bradford County Conservation District, 1:30 to 2 p.m. Friday, June 16.

A paddling trip will take place on the Susquehanna River between the Wysox Bridge Boat Launch and French Azilum, starting at 8 a.m. Saturday, June 17. You can bring your own boat or rent one from Endless Mountain Outfitters. Register on the Susquehanna Solstice Festival website.

Artist Victoria Switzer, a retired Tunkhannack Area teacher, talks about environmental activism, 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Saturday, June 17.

Portait painting demonstration, by Brian Keeler, 2:30 to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 17

Jan Lokuta reprises his earlier Conservation and Art lecture, 3 to 3:45 p.m. Saturday, June 17. A nature walk to spot an eagle’s nest will follow at 3:45 p.m.

Karen Edelstein presents “Early Journeys from PA to Six Nations/Haudenosaunee Territory,” a discussion of Native American life in pre-colonial times, 4 to 4:45 p.m. Saturday, June 17

Author Lyssa Fassett, who wrote: “Alive in this World: Tracking Light through the Wilderness of Grief,” discusses the healing power of nature, 11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Sunday, June 18

Portrait painting demonstration by Brian Keeler, 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 18

Artists’ plein air work of the week will be on display noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, with juror Rob Evans announcing winners at 4:15 p.m.

Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT