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What: Fairbanks Winter Folk Fest

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

Where: Pioneer Park Civic Center

Admission: Free

This Saturday offers a chance to get out of the cold and into Pioneer Park for a free music festival. This year’s Fairbanks Winter Folk Fest boasts two stages and more than 30 musical acts, with festivities kicking off at 2 p.m. at Pioneer Park.

Marie Mitchell, volunteer board member and vice president of the Fairbanks Folk Festival, said she is excited about the variety of acts this year.

The acts range from a reggae-influenced band, Rastabilly, to a “newgrass” band, Red Square. There will also be more jazz- and pop-influenced bands and solo performers. Although there is a wider range of acts, Mitchell said all of them will be performing acoustically.

“We’re branching out because folk is branching out,” Mitchell said.

Taking the main stage is a mixture of returning acts and first-timers. The roster includes Hot Denali Harps, an all-harmonica band. Although music written for an all-harmonica group might sound difficult to find, the band’s director, Jim Warner, said the group has a playlist of 80 songs.

“Our taste in music goes from the 1800s to the middle 1900s,” he said.

Hot Denali Harps started as a trio in 2001 and Warner said as word-of-mouth spread, the band gained members, going up to a high of 15 members. Since forming, the band has racked up 24 performances ranging from multiple appearances at the Anderson Bluegrass Festival and the Tanana Valley State Fair.

“We’re just a group of people who like to play harmonica,” Warner said.

Warner said he loves the festival because the quick and plentiful acts provide an opportunity to discover a lot of new music.

“It’s like the weather — stick around for 20 minutes and it will change,” he said.

Another veteran of music festivals will make her debut at the Winter Folk Fest this year. Melissa Beck from Chugiak has played at festivals in Anchorage and Kodiak. She will also be recording an album of solo material at 10th Planet records during her visit to Fairbanks.

Beck plays a brand of folk with bluegrass and country flavor. She grew up in a family of bluegrass musicians and she said when she goes back to her native North Carolina she plays with her father’s band.

“I just hope it will be good entertainment, I hope people will like the original songs,” Beck said.

Beck said she will be playing a sampling of her music which ranges from ballads to upbeat numbers to a couple of covers.

Beck won’t be only new thing at the this year’s festival, Mitchell said this will also be first year that The Pump House and Forget-Me-Not Espresso will be selling warm food and beverages. And for the first time the festival will have T-shirts available for sale. There will be only 70 shirts printed, featuring an illustration drawn by artist Jamie Smith.

For those that can’t wait for the folk to start, the Fairbanks Folk Fest Fiesta will be tonight at The Pub at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The event is a fundraiser for the Folk Fest and features Marc Brown and The Blues Crew, Skraelings, The Bailers and The Thneeds. Although the Folk Fest is free and open to all ages, the Fiesta costs $2 and only 21 and up can attend.