VIDEO MEMORIES AND ORAL HISTORIES
In 2022, A group of students in the Folklore Society began to collect oral histories from those with long-term involvement in the Fest—affectionately termed “geezers”— about their time at the Fest and thoughts on its importance. The Hyde Park Historical Society hopes to continue collecting both formal oral histories and well as video and written memories from folk fest organizers, performers, community members and folk music lovers.
This project is still underway, and updates will continue to be made as it progresses.
More Videos and Transcripts Coming Soon!
Nina Helstein
A lifelong Hyde Park resident, Nina attended the University of Chicago in the 60s as an undergraduate and holds the remarkable title of being the only person (that we know of!) who has attended every single UofC Folk Festival since its inception. In this interview, conducted at her Hyde Park home by Folklore Society members Kim Vance (UofC ‘22) and Jack Cramer (UofC ‘23), she discusses the importance of the Fest past and present.
All edits were made at the request of the interviewee.
Bob Kass
Bob was the president of the Folklore Society during the third annual festival in 1963. In this interview, he recalls his work on the festival, and the role the Fest played in his and his community’s lives in its earliest iterations.
Paul Watkins
A long-time lover of folk dancing, Paul had attended the Folk Fest for years before he joined the team as a consummate and reliable sound technician. In this interview, he discusses his experience running tech for the Fest, and, among other things, aiding in the preservation of recordings.