CAMP WOKANDA

Special Events and Workshops  

CHINQUAPIN FOLK MUSIC AND STORYTELLING FESTIVAL
Children’s Festival for Schools and Homeschoolers
Thursday & Friday, September 22 & 23 9:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Per student fee $3.00
Call Forest Park Nature Center at (309)686-3360 to reserve your school’s spot
Join us for a day-long event. Children will have the opportunity to rotate through 6 different stations to enjoy our Chinquapin performers. Children should bring lunches and a blanket to sit upon.

Chinquapin Folk Music Concert
Thursday, September 22 7:00-10:00 PM
Adults $5.00, Children 12 /under & Seniors $3.00
Maximum family fee $11.00
Payable at the door
Come to Wokanda and sing in the evening as our Chinquapin musicians offer a concert. Performers will include Tom and Chris Kastle, Barb Silverman, and Four Shillings Short.

Ghost Story Concert
Friday, September 23 8:00 - 10:00 PM
Adults $5.00, Children 12 /under & Seniors $3.00
Maximum family fee $11.00
Payable at the door
Walk the trail to Spirit Valley Amphitheater, where our Chinquapin Storytellers spin tales guaranteed to raise the hair on the back of your neck! The stories will get scarier as the night grows darker. Performers will include, Dan Keding, Judith Heineman, and Jim Pfitzer

About the Performers...
Judith Heineman  
A storyteller, producer and teacher, who has been selected as an Illinois Humanities Council "Road Scholar" and an Illinois ArtsTour and Residency Artist. She co-chaired the July 2003 National Storytelling Conference in Chicago , and presented a workshop on Tale Variants at the 2004 National Conference in Bellingham , WA . She is the producer of The Los Angeles Women's Theatre Festival and Tellabration, the adult Storytelling festival that she brought to Chicago in 1997.

Jim Pfitzer
Let the adventures begin! Jim's personal tales of encounters with owls, bats, and other creatures stem from his experience of backpacking the Grand Canyon , guiding rafters down the Snake River in Wyoming , and living in the Redwood National Park . Jim visits us from Evanston , Illinois .

Barb Silverman
Dubbed a " stunning vocalist " by the Old Time Herald, Barbara Silverman has performed for twenty years in concerts, festivals and workshops nationwide. She is known for her engaging presence, bluesy vocals, clever original numbers, solid swing guitar and piano accompaniment, and amazing washboard pyrotechnics. And she is recognized as a "master teacher."  Over two decades solo as well as with the reputable Laketown Buskers jug band, she has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion, the Studs Terkel Show, at festivals and clubs throughout the Midwest and in award winning bands and concerts in West Virginia and Colorado . She has shared stages with Emmy Lou Harris, Bill Monroe, Odetta, Arlo Guthrie, Tom Paxton, Greg Brown, David Bromberg, Buffy St. Marie and more.  

Tom & Chris Kastle

Tom and Chris Kastle are singers, sailors, songwriters, and storytellers, internationally acclaimed for their interpretation of traditional material as well as their own works that are rapidly becoming part of living maritime tradition. They have performed at festivals, concerts, schools, libraries, and on radio and television throughout the United States , as well as Canada , Europe and the South Pacific. They have experienced, first -hand, the traditions and cultural diversity of life at sea, serving as crew aboard tall ships and other traditional sailing vessels. They celebrate the bounty and beauty of our Earth, both land and sea, through spoken word, warm and inviting vocals and skillful instrumentation.

Dan Keding
Dan Keding grew up surrounded by stories told to him by his Croatian Grandmother. Dan has been entertaining audiences for almost thirty years with stories and ballads, tales and songs. He has performed at some of the most prestigious festivals in the world including The National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough , Tennessee , The Sidmouth International Folk Arts Festival in England , The Cape Clear International Storytelling Festival in Ireland , and over a hundred more. He tells traditional folktales, original stories, personal tales, and sings ballads and folk songs accompanying himself on guitar, banjo and spoons.  

Four Shillings Short
Going out on a musical limb is common for the group Four Shillings Short.  With an ever-increasing array of instruments (over 20 at last count), including hammered dulcimer, mandola & mandolin, tinwhistle & woodwinds, sitar, banjo, percussion and vocals, their music is always varied and captivating. Born in Cork , Ireland , Aodh Og (pronounced, ayog) studied Medieval and Renaissance music in college. He received a music fellowship to study at Stanford University in 1984. A multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Christy Martin was born into a musical family. She played the sitar for 10 years, starting at the age of 16. Took up folk music in the '80's. Has been playing hammered dulcimer since 1993.

How to Reach Camp Wokanda...
Camp Wokanda is located just north of the city of Peoria off of Rt 29 near Caterpillar’s Mossville Plant. From Peoria take Rt 29 north and turn left on Old Galena Road (just north of the Rt 6/I474 bypass). Follow Old Galena Road and turn left on Boy Scout Road (Just past Mossville Grade School). Follow Boy Scout Road and enter the Camp. Follow the signs to the Festival.

For more information contact:
Mike Miller, Chief Naturalist
Forest Park Nature Center
5809 Forest Park Drive
Peoria Heights, IL 61616
(309)686-3360

WOKANDA BARN DANCE
Join us for an evening of foot-stompin’ fun as The Rusty Pick-up Band plays and calls some great dance tunes. Dances will take place in the Dining Hall. With its large wooden dance floor, it is one of the best dance halls around!

Workshops/Programs
NATIONAL ORIENTEERING DAY
Illinois River Orienteering Club and the United States Orienteering Federation invite all to try the sport of orienteering on the fifth annual National Orienteering Day, Saturday, September 17. Orienteering clubs throughout the nation will be hosting special newcomer events to introduce orienteering to the press and the public. A range of beginner and more advanced courses, and instruction will be offered. Orienteering is one of the most exciting and versatile sports available to individuals and families. Using a map, a compass, and a set of clues, orienteers navigate from point to point to find a series of orange and white markers. The sport is most often done as a map hike or running race in the woods; however, many clubs also include events for people on skis, mountain bikes, canoes, and horseback. Orienteering has even been adapted for small children and people with disabilities.

Day-Date	Time	Fee
Sat: 9/17	9 am-12 pm	Donation

HEARTWOOD SCHOOL OF DISCOVERY
A day of special programs designed to bring people and nature together in innovative, respectful encounters that touch the soul and spirit. Classes will include Nature Journaling, Nature Sketching, Woodland Ecology, Birding, Weaving, and Building a Leopold Bench. For your registration packet, contact Forest Park Nature Center at (309) 686-3360.  Age: adults

SCHOOL'S OUT DISCOVERY CAMP
When school’s out, kids can explore the outside and have a blast doing so. We provide a series of projects and activities that get children excited about their natural surroundings. From animal signs to bird ID, from tree lore to orienteering, and from snakes to nature crafts, a well rounded series of events makes this a holiday to remember. Camp activities run from 9:00 am-4:00 pm, with extended care from 7:30-9:00 am and 4:00-5:30 pm at no additional charge. Bring a sack lunch, drink and appropriate clothes for a day outside. Afternoon snack/drink provided. Pre-registration a must. Location: Camp Wokanda  Age: 7 - 12  Min/Max:15-50

Return to Previous Page

Contact Us
Home | General Information | Alpha Index | Jobs & Volunteering | Special Events