RagFest

RagFest 2009, Orange County, California’s annual festival of ragtime music, unfolds in historic downtown Fullerton on Saturday, October 17 (from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and Sunday, October 18 (from noon until 5 p.m.), with a special variety revue show at 8 p.m. on Saturday night.

Now celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, RagFest offers several stages highlighting soloists, duets, combos, vocalists and more performing vintage and contemporary ragtime music. The festival will feature nationally known performers such as Ian Whitcomb and a lengthy roster of Californians including Carl Sonny Leyland, Patrick Aranda, Nan Bostick, Alan Thompson, Bob Pinsker and Andrew Barrett. Attendees will be able to dance to live ragtime music performed by groups such as the Heliotrope Ragtime Orchestra and the Albany Nightboat Ragtimers, and the festival will also feature many special guest artists throughout the weekend.

Festival headquarters is Steamers Jazz Club, 138 W. Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, where Will Call and day-of-festival tickets will be available.

Advance tickets are $60 all-weekend, $25 for Saturday or Sunday afternoon and $20 for the Saturday night revue show. (All tickets are $5 higher at the door.) Special pre-event ticket promotions will appear at the festival’s website, www.ragfest.com. For further information, contact Bill Klinghoffer of Friends of Jazz at 714-680-6684 or phone Judy Goffin of Goffin Public Relations at 714-528-1258.