The Walnut Valley Festival, 2016, came to a close Sunday, September 18.

Hardy folks who stayed the course through a week of weather contrasts once again headed home after filling their souls with uplifting music and cameraderie. After downpours upriver flooded the traditional Walnut Grove and Pecan Grove campgrounds, campers re-located to various places including the city lake. Folks braved more rain Thursday and Friday, to welcome sunshine on Saturday all day long. Children exhausted themselves with outdoor play on the hillside at Stage 2. And the musicians raised roars from audiences hungry for a fix of favorite musical entertainers.

I was reminded again how this festival is a most appropriate setting for several final scenes in Sundrop Sonata.  Music brings harmony to our lives in more ways than one.

As darkness descended over the festival grounds, a full moon rose over Stage 1 during the final 2016 set of John McCutcheon, Tom Chapin and a whole group of related friends making music for their fans. Their new song, written especially for this year’s festival, says it all.

(Chorus)

“Under a Winfield, Kansas moon

This is our Walnut Valley tune.

We come together to sing it again

It’s great to see you my friend.”