West Coast Ragtime Society
Dedicated to the preservation and promtion of Ragtime and vintage American music.

This page updated 11/3/2012
Previous update 11/1/2012

2012 Festival XXVI Information
November 16-18, 2012

Lodging Update! The Red Lion Hotel Sacramento just became the Clarion Inn & Conference Center Arden Village. The festival remains in the same location. The only thing different is the name of the hotel. The outdoor signage of the hotel has also been changed now from Red Lion to Clarion.


Click here for
lodging info.

Additional Lodging. Our overflow hotel is the Red Lion Hotel Woodlake Conference Center (formerly the Woodlake Hotel), located at 500 Leisure Lane, Sacramento, CA 95815. Phone: (916) 922-2020. Be sure to mention you are attending the West Coast Ragtime Festival. Click here for overflow lodging info.

A Little Fanfare The Society produces the world's premiere annual ragtime festival in Sacramento, California, the ragtime capital of the world! The Festival is the best and biggest ragtime festival in the world.  There's lots and lots of great music from the finest musicians and groups available spread over three days in convenient multiple venues, including dancing, at a very reasonable price.  It's well managed and financially sound. No other festival offers such a terrific program!

Expect A Great Time At The Festival Don't expect to wait around to hear ragtime! It begins Friday at noon and goes until 11 PM and continues Saturday from 9 AM to 11 PM and Sunday from 9 AM until 5 PM. And you can expect after-hours Ragtime Friday and Saturday nights from 11 PM to, well, let's say late.

You do have to make choices.  We have six venues all on the ground level with five of the venues in the same building. The sixth venue is less than a minute's walk from the main building. We run the venues at the same time. We rotate the closing of the venues for short periods to rest and tune the pianos. And open during the Festival is our Ragtime Store where you can purchase music and recordings of our performers.

Last Year's Festival For an idea of a West Coast Ragtime Festival, be sure to check information (e.g., performers, schedule, etc) on last year's Festival. Also check back and take a look at pictures from the Festival.

This Year's Festival The 26th annual West Coast Ragtime Festival will be  held November 16, 17, and 18, 2012 at the Clarion Inn & Conference Center Arden Village in Sacramento, California. The Festival begins at noon Friday November 16 and ends at 5 PM on Sunday November 18.  

Details On the Festival Click on the links below to obtain specific information.

Questions? Click here to email a request for Festival Information, We respond!

General The Festival is held at the Clarion Inn & Conference Center Arden Village in Sacramento. The Festival has become one of the premiere ragtime festivals in the world. It began in the mid 1980's in Fresno, California and enjoyed 10 successful years there before moving to Sacramento in 1997 where it has been a  great success.

The 2011 Festival will feature six comfortable venues, all inside and on the ground level, for listening and dancing to ragtime music on all three days, as well as seminars on all facets of ragtime. Five of the venues are in the same building and the sixth venue is less than a minute's walk from the main building.

The music begins at noon on Friday and continues until 11 PM, followed by after-hours.  Saturday is a full day from 9 AM to 11 PM, then after-hours,  and Sunday is 9 AM to 5 PM.  After-hours jam sessions Friday and Saturday are always the norm at the Festival.

To request information not found on this web site, you may contact Bub or Petra Sullivan at 1-866-RAG-WCRF (724-9273), or you may send an email by clicking here..


Pre Festival Warm-up We will again have a free, no-host pre-festival warm-up beginning at 7:30 PM on Thursday evening November 15, 2012 in the J.B.'s Lounge. While 7:30 PM is the official start time, J.B.'s will be open from 4:00 PM on, so, the party can start whenever people arrive. There will be no charge or badges required. Pianos will be provided.  It is open to all:  ragtime fans, the merely curious, musicians (of course),  and passers by.

 

Festival Volunteers

Volunteers are the backbone of the Society. We welcome volunteers to assist with the festival. Volunteer services are needed prior to, during, and after the Festival. Volunteer activities include Door Monitoring, Musician Hospitality, and Other. Volunteers who serve a minimum of 12 hours during the festival (or immediately before or after the Festival) will receive an All-Events pass to the festival. Those who cannot serve 12 hours may serve one 4 hour shift on any day of the Festival and receive free admission for that day.
The Volunteer Coordinator is Linda Kuk. To volunteer contact her by clicking here to email a request for Volunteering  Information, or sign up at the Registration Table, or drop us a note at WCRS – Attention: Volunteer Coordinator, P.O. Box 13346, Sacramento, California 95813. Include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. Also, indicate the volunteer activity you prefer. You will be contacted to confirm your preference for the type of volunteer service you can do for the festival and to work out your schedule.

Admission & Badges Admission to the performance venues is by use of Festival Badges (your badge is your ticket). A badge entitles the bearer to attend any function. Badges are not required for the Ragtime Store. Festival badges may be purchased for individual days or for the entire three days.

Badge Prices

All-Event Badge (Until Nov 1, 2012*) $90.00
All-Event Badge (After Nov 1, 2012) $95.00
Friday Only  Badge $40.00
Saturday Only  Badge $50.00
Sunday Only  Badge $30.00
Friday-Saturday  Badge $75.00
Saturday & Sunday  Badge $70.00
Half day rates (after 5 p.m.) will be available at the door.
Children 16 and under may attend free (no badge required) when accompanied by a paying adult.
Adults bringing a child get in for half price (day badges only). Only one half discount applies
Day badges for adults bringing children under 16 are half price.  The half-price discount is available at the registration table only, and the child must be present at the time of purchase.
Advance purchases by check or money order: use order forms on website and flyers as they become available. Mail check and form to the address shown on the form.
Advance purchases by credit card: Contact Bob Gonzalez at (415) 924-6834 to make the purchase or email at: bobsrags@comcast.net.

* Cutoff dates are by postmark.

Badges may be purchased any of four ways.

By Mail with personal check or money order

Click here for printable order form.

Online using PayPal
What is PayPal? To find out, click here.
Click here to order 2012 badges now with PayPal.
Don't have PayPal? Sign up during checkout.
By phone using your credit card. Visa and MasterCard only. Call 9 AM to 9 PM (PDT) 415-924-6834 or toll-free 1-866-724-9277
At the festival. Purchase your badge at the door. Cash or credit card accepted.
 
Visa and MasterCard only.

 

LODGING
Clarion Inn & Conference Center Arden Village festival rooms are nearly sold out. Arrangements have been made with nearby Red Lion Hotel Woodlake Conference Center for additional festival lodging. See below for details.
The Clarion Inn & Conference Center Arden Village, 1401 Arden Way, is the official festival hotel for the 2012 Festival. They are offering a block of rooms at special rates if reserved prior to Nov 1, 2012.
Reservations phone number: 916-922-8041. Make sure you identify your reservations as being for the "West Coast Ragtime Festival" in order to get the special festival rate. Click here for hotel web site.

Room Size

Special Nightly Rate

Single or double occupancy

$99.00 - check for availability

Triple or quadruple occupancy

$109.00 - check for availability


ADDITIONAL FESTIVAL LODGING - Red Lion Hotel Woodlake Conference Center in Sacramento  Festival lodging is available at the Red Lion Hotel Woodlake Conference Center in Sacramento on nearby Howe Ave.
$99.00 room rate includes shuttle service to and from the festival.
Reservations: (916) 922-2020. Be sure to mention your reservation is for the West Coast Ragtime Festival.
Contact: Red Lion Hotel Woodlake Conference Center
500 Leisure Lane
Sacramento, CA 95815
(916) 922-2020
Red Lion Hotel Woodlake Conference Center web site, click here. The Red Lion Hotel Woodlake Conference Center is located about 2 miles (6 minutes) west of the Clarion Inn & Conference Center Arden Village. Shuttle service between the Woodlake and the Clarion Inn & Conference Center Arden Village is provided.

Food Service

  • Garden Coffee Cafe 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM
  • Bar service from 3:00 PM to 2:00 AM
  • A buffet will be located next to the restaurant. Open for breakfast 7-10, lunch 11- 3, and dinner 5-9.
  • A "Ragtime Cafe" will be located near the festival venues and will feature ready-made hot and cold items for cash sale.
  • A variety of restaurants is nearby, including several in the shopping mall adjacent to the hotel.

RV Parking Parking for recreational vehicles are available within the vicinity of the Clarion Inn & Conference Center Arden Village. Below are some of the available options which were available for the 2012 Festival. 

Clarion Inn & Conference Center Arden Village: On site dry DAY PARKING ONLY  for RV's is available at the east end of the parking lot. The fee is $25 for the Festival (fee is unconfirmed - check with hotel). You must register with the hotel (916) 922-8041 (local), .(800) 733-5466 toll free.

Cal Expo RV Park: RV parking is available on the grounds of the California State Exposition which is located about a five minute drive from the Festival. The nightly cost for a full hookup is $20 for a 30 amp hookup and $22 for a 50 amp hookup. To reach the park from the hotel, go east on Arden way to Ethan Way. (domed cinemas). Turn right to end of Ethan Way. Entrance is on the right. To contact the park, write to Cal Expo RV Park, PO Box 15649, 1600 Exposition Blvd, Sacramento, CA 95852. Or call (916) 263-3187 or toll free (877) 225-3976. Reservations are recommended. You may also visit their website at: http://www.calexpo.com/html/rv_park.asp

Elks Lodge - Carmichael: RV facilities are available for  Elks members at the Carmichael Elks Lodge located about 20 minutes from the hotel. Contact Elks Lodge, 5631 Cypress Ave., Carmichael, CA (916) 428-8296.

TTN/NACO Members: RV facilities are available at  Lake Minden which is about a 30 minute drive from the festival. Contact them at Thousand Trails, 1256 Marcum Rd., Nicolaus, CA; 95659 (530) 656-2700 or (800) 656-5006; or visit their website.


Travel To The Festival

By Air: Several major air carriers serve the Sacramento International Airport and shuttle service (Super shuttle - the blue vans) to and from the hotel is available.

By Car: The festival site (Clarion Inn & Conference Center Arden Village) is located on Arden Way adjacent to the "Capital City Freeway" (business I-80). Use the "Arden Way" exit either from the north or south and go east. The Clarion Inn & Conference Center Arden Village is located on the north side of Arden Way next to the Arden Fair Shopping Mall. Click here for driving instructions.

Official Travel Agency: Woodland Travel is the official festival travel agency. Steve & Lydia Venable, owners.
524 Main Street Woodland, CA 95695-3446; (530) 662-5491


Venues The six performance venues and a general layout of the hotel are shown in the Venue Map below. The various venues are described to the below. Click on the map to open a larger, printable version..

The Martinique Room is the largest venue of the festival, seats approximately 400. Headline performances and special concerts are presented in this venue. Equipped with two grand pianos. Dance floor is 40 by 24 feet.

The Yosemite Room is another fine venue for featured players & groups .Equipped with one grand piano (Disklavier) or one upright piano. Seats approximately 100.

The Sierra Room is another fine venue for featured players. Equipped with two small grand pianos. Seats approximately 180.

The Comstock 3 Room is not as large as the other venues,  but some of the fine music and entertainment presented there in the past made it feel like a grand concert hall and often made it SRO. Sets are 30 minutes in this venue compared to the 45 minute to one  hour sets in the other venues. The room is also used for Open Piano Sessions. Equipped with two upright pianos. Seats approximately 80.

The Camellia Room is another large concert venue for music and special events.  Seminars will be presented Saturday and Sunday in this venue. Equipped with two pianos. Seats approximately 200.

The J.B.'s Lounge Seating at tables and individual chairs for approximately 250 people. Dance floor in front of the stage. Dancing permitted in this venue. Equipped with two pianos. This is the venue for Dancing Instruction and After Hours.

Comstock 1 & 2 – Ragtime Store During the Festival the Ragtime Store is open in the Comstock 1 & 2 Rooms. This is where you can purchase the recordings and music folios of the Festival performers. For a complete listing of vendor and store hours, click here.


Dining
The hotel has a very nice Garden Coffee Cafe open from 6 AM to 10 PM daily, offering a full breakfast, lunch, and dinner items plus a convenient buffet during all three mealtimes.
A buffet will be located next to the restaurant. Open for breakfast 7-10, lunch 11-3, and dinner 5-9.
Additionally, a "Ragtime Cafe" will be located near the festival venues and will feature ready made hot and cold items for cash sale. 
Bar Service in the J.B.'s Lounge from 3:00 PM to 2:00 AM
Also, there are many restaurants from "Fast Food" to "Fine Dining" within walking distance of the hotel.

Performers Check the 2012 Festival Performer Pictures Page, which has small pictures of the performers.  The page also provides links to biographies for the performers.  New performers will be announced throughout the year. The current list of performers that will appear at the Festival are below.

Individual Performers

Meredith Axelrod, Jeff Barnhart, Mimi Blais, Tom Bopp, Chris & Jack Bradshaw, Tom Brier, Marty Eggers, Ann Gibson, Rosemary Hallum, Frederick Hodges, Brian Holland, Morten Gunnar Larsen, Carl Sonny Leyland, Larisa Migachyov, Ezequiel Palleja, Dalton Ridenhour, Sophie Rivard, David Thomas Roberts, Jack Rummel, Christoph Schmetterer, Sean Sharp, Ray Skjelbred, Martin Spitznagel, Virginia Tichenor, Stephanie Trick, Craig Ventresco, Ian Whitcomb, "Washboard Kitty" Wilson, Bryan Wright

Special Guest

Max Morath

Youth Performers

Andrew Barrett, Jared DiBartolomeo, Vincent Johnson, Max Keenlyside, Frank LiVolsi, Will Perkins,
John Reed-Torres, Grant Somerville, Adam Swanson

Groups

Big Mama Sue & Fast Eddie, Crown Syncopators (with special guests Robert Young and Jeanette Isenberg), Ivory & Gold, Pacific Coast Ragtime Orchestra, (with special vocalist guests Joyce Grant & Pamela Adams), Porcupines, Raspberry Jam Band, Ragnolia Ragtette, Ragtime Skedaddlers, Sullivans/Drivons

Seminar Leaders & Topics

Fred Hoeptner
Ragtime Emerges from the Shadows
in Music and Word
Larry Karp
Brun Campbell – An Appreciation
Max Keenlyside
James P., Jelly, Fats, The Lion, and Jelly
- A Pianistic Comparison
Sonny Leyland
History of Boogie—Woogie: Part II
Max Morath
Living A Ragtime Life
Jack Rummel
The Skeleton in Ragtime’s Closet: Coon Songs and
the Loss of a Generation of Good Melodies
Youth Master Class
Jeff Barnhart
Silent Movies
Frederick Hodges
Click here for movie information.
Dance Instructors & Accompanists
Stan Isaacs & Karen Kalinksy
Palo Alto, CA
Richard Duree & Ruth Levin
Costa Mesa, CA
Stanley Stern & Martin Lindholm
(Piano Accompanists)

Special Shows § and Theme Sets   Click here for Times, Place, and Descriptions.


Annual Meeting  The Annual Meeting of the Ragtime Society will be held on Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 8:30 AM in the Yosemite Room. There will be an election of individual 2012 Directorships. Voting is by WCRS members only.
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Dance Instruction Dance instruction is held on all three days of the Festival in J.B.'s Lounge


Open Piano Open piano will be held throughout the Festival. Open Piano is a chance for ANYONE to get up and play--even if you only know one number!  To sign up, see the MC, who will take your name, tell you when it's your turn to play, and introduce you. The schedule will be announced later.

 


After Hours  After hour sessions, another festival tradition,  are held Friday and Saturday from 11 PM till the wee hours in the J.B.'s Lounge. All are welcome to play and socialize, with the only "rule" being to yield the stage after a reasonable time if someone else is waiting for a chance to play.


Ragtime Stores Visit the Ragtime Stores in Comstock 1 & 2 for all your ragtime music and apparel needs.  Performers’ recordings, folios, vintage clothing and more are available. 
Click here for a complete listing of vendors and store hours.

Friday Noon to 10:00 PM
Saturday 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Sunday 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Post-Festival Party and Dinner  A perfect way to wind-down with friends and performers is the post-festival party and dinner beginning 5:30 PM Sunday in the Coffee Garden Restaurant. Click here for more information.


More Information If you haven't found the festival information you were looking for, click here to email a request for Festival Information, You contact us by phone; the Sacramento area number is (916) 457-3324 or you may call toll-free at 1-866-724-9273. To contact us by postal mail, click here for the address on the Contact Us page.

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