Evart's Dulcimer Funfest fills the fairgrounds with acoustic music

On the third weekend in July, the Osceola County Fairgrounds sounds less like a fairground and more like one enormous front-porch jam. The Original Dulcimer Players Club, or ODPC, runs its annual Funfest here, with hammered dulcimers at the center and just about every other acoustic instrument welcome.

The club dates its start to 1963. Its history says the gathering moved to the Evart fairgrounds in 1973, then expanded into the first two-day “Non-Electrical Musical FunFest” in 1974. ODPC now calls it the largest hammered dulcimer festival in the world. That is the organizer’s description rather than an independently maintained record, but the event’s long run and national draw are well documented.

Never seen a hammered dulcimer? Picture a trapezoid of strings struck with small handheld hammers. At Funfest you will also hear fiddles, guitars, autoharps, ukuleles, and other acoustic instruments. The current program includes workshops for different skill levels, open jams, evening concerts, gospel singing, dancing, youth activities, and camping at the fairgrounds.

You do not have to play to enjoy it. You can listen, wander among the open-air pavilions, or bring an instrument and join in. Check the Funfest site before leaving home for that year’s dates, admission, workshop schedule, and camping availability.