The 51st Walnut Valley Festival was recently held in Winfield. Recapture some of the magic at Newton Public Library, with an acoustic jam session at 6 PM, followed by an author talk with Seth Bate at 7 PM.

The jam session is open to singers and instrumentalists of all ability levels. The vibe will be informal. Everyone is invited to come play, sing along, or just listen. In the tradition of Walnut Valley, the focus will be on folk, country, bluegrass, Americana and traditional tunes.

Seth Bate's author talk and Q&A will follow starting around 7 PM. Bate is the author of "Winfield's Walnut Valley Festival," a Kansas Notable Book for 2023. Here is some info on the book:

"Local historian Seth Bate tells the story of the Walnut Valley Festival with reflections from staff, emcees, performers, campers, and characters from throughout its history. The Festival was launched in 1972 when a guitar maker, a farmer, and a businessman built their own music festival from the ground up. It has made the small town of Winfield into an annual destination for acoustic musicians and music lovers from around the world and it has always been participatory, with the informal campsite pickin' as much a part of the event as the stage shows and instrumental contests. The Walnut Valley Festival has always been proud of its deep-rooted traditions, but most of all, it is a community celebration."

The author talk portion of the evening (not the jam session) will be livestreamed on Facebook and Zoom. To register for the Zoom, click here. To watch on Facebook, just head to the NPL Facebook page at 7 p.m. on Oct. 17