The Black Walnut Acoustic Open Stage will be back at the Mill Courtland Community Centre, 216 Mill Street in Kitchener on Friday, March 17, 2023 at 7:30 pm. This will be on the St. Patrick’s Day date which we will observe with no intoxicating substances and Irish songs are optional. (The next Date for this event is April 21st.) Doors open and performers’ sign-up starting at 7:15pm.

Thanks to everyone who helped to organize, performed, or just showed up last night at the Black Walnut Acoustic Open Stage. After some initial technical delays we were treated to 17 great performances and 37 total attendance. Not bad, after a 3 year break. It was great to be back. A list of the performers is included at the end of this message. We hope all performers will bring their windscreens that we gave out last month.

Right now it looks like we won’t be changing much from the way we did things in 2019 except that we won’t plan to have a featured act until we have tried the Open Stage out for the first season. We are concerned that, like every other event or service in the community, we will lose volunteers with little or no advance notice because of health issues. The people that are essential and hardest to recruit are those with the ability to organize, move equipment to and from the Community Center and actually set-up and produce the event. If that sort of thing sounds good to you please contact us and we can discuss how that can happen.

A few things that we are expecting are:

1. We will set up tables and chairs, stage with sound and lights and coffee bar just like before, except we will do what we can to allow the attendees to maintain 2m social distancing;
2. Masks will not be mandatory, but encouraged;
3. To protect the club mics, performers will use removable foam pop filters (windscreens) which they will obtain, install, remove and keep for the next time. We still have only a few new windscreens left over from last month;
4. Anyone arriving at the Community Centre who has been recently exposed to or has symptoms of COVID, Flu, RSV or other contagious illness is directed to stay away. AND

It will be very satisfying to welcome many of our experienced and first-time performers and audience members.
Bring your guitars, accordions, voices, acoustic instruments of all sorts or just your eyes and ears and make yourself feel at home. Do not feel shy because you have not played for us before.

The doors will open and sign-up for the open stage will start at 7:15 pm. Remember when you sign up you get to play/sing two songs in a set of 10 minutes or less and you need to be ready to start playing when your turn starts so you won’t lose any of your 10 minutes.
The entrance and free parking are at the back of the Mill-Courtland Community Centre and admission is still $3 at the door. the facility is wheelchair accessible, alcohol, smoke and peanut free and every show is different. If you don’t come, you’ll miss it.
If you are having any difficulty with viewing any content, please post a comment or send a private email to: wayne@blackwalnutfolkclub.com
No-Smoking Reminder: The entire Community Centre property is included in the City of Kitchener policy of a total ban on smoking on the property. That includes tobacco, marijuana and other smoking and includes both inside and outside the Community Centre.
At 8 pm we will lock the outside door and put a notice there to say, “The building is closed to all those who are not participating in the Black Walnut Open Stage Event from 7:30 pm – 10 pm. Please knock at the rear doors so that you may be admitted to that event.”

We have posted our Code of Conduct page and other details on our About Page. Our entrance and free parking are at the back of the Mill-Courtland Community Centre and admission is still $3 at the door. The facility is wheelchair accessible, alcohol, smoke and peanut free and every show is different. If you don’t come, you’ll miss it.

On February 17, 2023, the performers at the Black Walnut Acoustic Open Stage were:

Dan Patterson
Neil Lightt
Ron Hammar
Lawrence Cresswell
Dan Hergott and Ellen Hergott
Jakki Annerino with Wayne Cheater
Doug Blair (New to Black Walnut)
Gordon Castle
Richard Reinhardt
Jack Cooper
David Maranta
David Lum – Singer/Songwriter with Kathy Lepp
Kathy Lepp (New to Black Walnut) with David Lum – Singer/Songwriter
Arthur Wayne Cheater with Jakki Annerino
Paul Rempel
Cam and Pat
Barb Scott

At last, the Black Walnut Acoustic Open Stage will be back at the Mill Courtland Community Centre, 216 Mill Street in Kitchener starting on Friday, February 17, 2023 at 7:30 pm. (The next  Date for this event is March 17th.)  Doors open and performers’ sign-up starting at 7:15pm.  

We know that some people are interested in returning to perform and some people are interested in returning to listen and see the rest of the gang. We also have some volunteers who are willing to return to organize and produce the Open Stage events.

Right now it looks like we won’t be changing much from the way we did things in 2019 except that we won’t plan to have a featured act until we have tried the Open Stage out for the first season. We are concerned that, like every other event or service in the community, we will lose volunteers with little or no advance notice because of health issues. The people that are essential and hardest to recruit are those with the ability to organize, move equipment to and from the Community Center and actually set-up and produce the event. If that sort of thing sounds good to you please contact us and we can discuss how that can happen.

A few things that we are expecting are:

1. We will set up tables and chairs, stage with sound and lights and coffee bar just like before, except we will do what we can to allow the attendees to maintain 2m social distancing;
2. Masks will not be mandatory, but encouraged;
3. To protect the club mics, performers will use removable foam pop filters (windscreens) which they will obtain, install, remove and keep for the next time. We will make these available at no cost to the performers, at least for the first month.  ;
4. Anyone arriving at the Community Centre who has been recently exposed to or has symptoms of COVID, Flu, RSV or other contagious illness is directed to stay away. AND
5. It will be very satisfying to welcome many of our experienced and first-time performers and audience members.

We will also update our Facebook group and email list.

We have been advised that The Mill Courtland Community Center will be fully closed from March 16,  2020 until the end of June. The next Acoustic Open Stage is planned for September 18, 2020. We will confirm or update that schedule prior to September 18th. (Update there is still no schedule to restart as of September 2020.)

 (Event Cancelled) You are invited to the next Black Walnut Acoustic Open Stage Event Friday, March 20, 2020  starting at 7:30pm. Bring your guitars, accordions, voices, acoustic instruments of all sorts or just your eyes and ears and make yourself feel at home. Do not feel shy because you have not played for us before.
The doors will open and sign-up for the open stage will start at 7:15 pm. Remember when you sign up you get to play/sing two songs in a set of 10 minutes or less and you need to be ready to start playing when your turn starts so you won’t lose any of your 10 minutes.
The entrance and free parking are at the back of the Mill-Courtland Community Centre and admission is still $3 at the door. the facility is wheelchair accessible, alcohol, smoke and peanut free and every show is different. If you don’t come, you’ll miss it. The next open stage will be April17th.   If you are having any difficulty with viewing any content, please post a comment or send a private email to: wayne@blackwalnutfolkclub.com

What happened at the Open Stage February 21st:

Black Walnut on February 21 2020 started with a terrific feature set by Outside the Box: Peter F. Light, Gwen Potter and David Lum. I posted a photo of them that I took with my phone on our Performers Pictures page. Thanks to them and to our Open Stage performers. Special thanks to everyone who helped set up and move things along. We were short handed for production crew again but we enjoyed a great evening. Our Open Stage performers were:

1. Matthias Schonlau

2. Neil Light

3. Daniel Entz

4. Ron Hammar

5. Nikki Wynn – NEW

6. Jakki Annerino

7. Dan McQuade, Scott Chandler & Joshua Earl (NEW)

8. Gord Castle

9. Al

10. Wayne Cheater

11. Cam & Pat

Outside the Box is a folk music trio that is gonna dazzle our next Black Walnut evening on February 21, 2020 with a feature set to start the program at 7:30 pm. It might be a good idea to get there early especially if you wish to sign up for the open stage. We should have enough time for 10 or more open stage performers. Doors open at 7:15 pm.

Bring your guitars, accordions, voices, acoustic instruments of all sorts or just your eyes and ears and make yourself feel at home. Do not feel shy because you have not played for us before.
The doors will open and sign-up for the open stage will start at 7:15 pm. Remember when you sign up you get to play/sing two songs in a set of 10 minutes or less and you need to be ready to start playing when your turn starts so you won’t lose any of your 10 minutes.
The entrance and free parking are at the back of the Mill-Courtland Community Centre and admission is still $3 at the door. the facility is wheelchair accessible, alcohol, smoke and peanut free and every show is different. If you don’t come, you’ll miss it. The next open stage will be March 20th. 
If you are having any difficulty with viewing any content, please post a comment or send a private email to: wayne@blackwalnutfolkclub.com

What happened at the Open Stage January 17th:

Friday, January 17, 2020 Black Walnut started off with technical difficulties with our star sound guys both unavailable to set up our new system that nobody else knows how to use. We did come up with a simple system that we got ready just about on time for 7:30 pm start and mostly did a good job with the sound. We had a fine turnout of performers and listeners in spite of the storm warnings. On January 17th the Open Stage performers were:

You are invited to the next Black Walnut Acoustic Open Stage Event Friday, January 17, 2019 starting at 7:30pm. Bring your guitars, accordions, voices, acoustic instruments of all sorts or just your eyes and ears and make yourself feel at home. Do not feel shy because you have not played for us before.
The doors will open and sign-up for the open stage will start at 7:15 pm. Remember when you sign up you get to play/sing two songs in a set of 10 minutes or less and you need to be ready to start playing when your turn starts so you won’t lose any of your 10 minutes.
The entrance and free parking are at the back of the Mill-Courtland Community Centre and admission is still $3 at the door. the facility is wheelchair accessible, alcohol, smoke and peanut free and every show is different. If you don’t come, you’ll miss it. The next open stage will be February 21st. That evening will start with a 30 min. feature performance by Outside the Box .
If you are having any difficulty with viewing any content, please post a comment or send a private email to: wayne@blackwalnutfolkclub.com

What happened at the Open Stage December 20th:

Our December 20, 2019 Black Walnut night was a festive night of old friends, songs and prizes. Our Open Stage performers were:
1. Jack Cole
2. Ron Hammar
3. Gord Castle
4. Jakki Annerino
5. David Maranta
6. Wayne Cheater
7. Richard – NEW

You are invited to the next Black Walnut Acoustic Open Stage Event Friday, December 20, 2019 starting at 7:30pm. There will be some sweets and door prizes and there are sure to be some Christmas songs.
Bring your guitars, accordions, voices, acoustic instruments of all sorts or just your eyes and ears and make yourself feel at home. Do not feel shy because you have not played for us before.
The doors will open and sign-up for the open stage will start at 7:15 pm. Remember when you sign up you get to play/sing two songs in a set of 10 minutes or less and you need to be ready to start playing when your turn starts so you won’t lose any of your 10 minutes.
The entrance and free parking are at the back of the Mill-Courtland Community Centre and admission is still $3 at the door. the facility is wheelchair accessible, alcohol, smoke and peanut free and every show is different. If you don’t come, you’ll miss it. The next open stage will be January 17th.
If you are having any difficulty with viewing any content, please post a comment or send a private email to: wayne@blackwalnutfolkclub.com

What happened at the Open Stage November 15th:

We had a blast with 3 new performers including award winning Nashville singer/songwriter, Clair Lynch. The complete list of performers is:
1. Al – NEW
2. Scott Abrams
3. Daniel Entz – NEW
4. Matthias Schonlau
5. Gordon Castle
6. Jakki Annerino
7. Lawrence Cresswell
8. Ron Hammar
9. Dan Hergott
10. Arthur Wayne Cheater & David Maranta
11. Cam Kemp
12. Bob Cutler and Sue Cutler
13. Clair Lynch – NEW