The Woods History

an experience of music and community

A History of The Woods
In the early 1980s, when most folk festivals were striving to become better by getting bigger, a small group within the Mariposa Folk Foundation struck out in a different direction. They wanted to become better by getting smaller, more intimate, and more participatory. "Mariposa in the Woods" was a residential music and dance camp held just outside of Toronto where campers and performer/teachers came together for 4 days of classes, workshops, concerts, dances, special events and general fun built around sharing musical experiences.
In fact, the goal of the first organizing committee was to enable people to experience the power of music and dance in building a community. This is still our guiding principle and is reflected in our slogan "An experience of music and community." Indeed, the spirit of community built at the camp each year has generated many ongoing activities in Southern Ontario... a dance series, song circles, short term interest groups (for example songwriters and fiddlers) and has been the breeding ground for new performers and groups (some professional, but most "for fun").

Since 1982, the camp has been held every summer and is now called simply "The Woods" as it has long become independent of the Mariposa organization. Over the years many outstanding Canadian and American folk performers have shared their talents with campers. In 1993, we moved to a new site on Lake Rosseau in the heart of Ontario's Muskoka region, and gained a beautiful waterfront setting. We've been holding The Woods there ever since.

To celebrate the 20th year of The Woods, several regular "campers" have produced a book telling (and showing) even more of its history. If you have been to The Woods, (and maybe even if you haven't) you may be interested in "Making the Forest Ring: A history of the first 20 years of the Woods Music and Dance Camp". This illustrated book is available at a cost of $15, and may be ordered by cheque (made out to The Woods Music and Dance Camp) from 18 Simpson Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, CANADA, M4K 1A2.
12 reasons to buy a copy of Making the Forest Ring:

To see if you're in any of the 28 black-and-white or 43 colour photos

To see whether your words (from feedback statements) are included among the many camper quotes

To get your own definitive copy of both words and music to Kathy Reid-Naiman's song "I Can Make the Forest Ring"

If you've been coming for years: to jog your failing memory about all the good times you¹ve had but forgotten

If you've never gone, to get a crash course for just $15 in the history of this very special community event

To learn some interesting trivia, such as that a $1 Mariposa Folk Festival sold for an astonishing $35 at a fund-raising auction

To try to guess the identity of the mystery woman in white, smoking a fake cigarette, in the colour spread

To see Tam Kearney wearing a gold tuxedo; Eve Goldberg wearing pink tights; six well-known male folk idols onstage in what looks like their underwear; Rick Fielding and Grit Laskin looking pretty silly

To reminisce over photos of Absent Friends no longer with us and be grateful to be alive

It's interactive: to get your friends' autographs on their photos, to colour the tutu turquoise

To show family and friends who think you¹ve joined a cult just what The Woods is all about (Tony Burns: get one for your Mom); get one for friends you've been trying to persuade to come to The Woods; buy one for friends who came to The Woods many years ago but haven't come recently, maybe because they moved far away

To get the official list of all the performers who've been on staff in the 20 years of camp

P.S. Have you read Making the Forest Ring and are disappointed that the Sleaze Band wasn't mentioned? Or the time we all saw a single white owl sitting high up in the trees outside Woodland Trails late one night, surely an omen of wisdom? Please write up your favourite missed memory and send it to info@the-woods.ca (or whomever) for our second edition of the new, expanded, updated book, coming sometime in the 21st century.

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