ROCKLAND — Local singer-songwriter Kate Fiano and bluegrass duo Grassquatch will perform during the Good Tern Natural Food Co-op’s 45th Anniversary Community Bash set for Saturday, Oct. 4 at 750 Main St. in Rockland from 2:30-5:30 p.m. Live music is one of the many features planned for this fun celebration of the Good Tern’s rich history in Rockland.
Fiano has released two albums and has performed widely in the Midcoast and across the country. She holds degrees in music education and is currently music director at Hope Elementary School, where she teaches pre-K through fifth grade general music, fifth grade beginning band and middle school concert band and choir.
Acoustic duo Grassquatch is John Ganz on guitar and Dan Sowder on mandolin. Ganz and Sowder met while playing in the Maine bluegrass jam community and have been playing together for two years. Their tunes highlight the unique counterplay of melody and rhythm that is possible with a mandolin and guitar. Their repertoire is slightly off the beaten path of regularly heard tunes, weaving together the threads of their influences in bluegrass, newgrass, Dawg music and fiddle tunes. Their performances draw from traditional and contemporary numbers that result in a hot pickin’ show that is sure to delight fretboard connaisseurs and casual toe tappers alike.
The Community Bash will kick off with a fiddle jam at 2:30 p.m., accompanied by dancing. Dance aficionado and Good Tern Board President Stefan Durham will lead line dances for those interested in participating. Concurrent family fun will include apple cider pressing donated by AIO Food & Energy Assistance, yard games provided by Rockland Rolls, and other activities. North Beacon Oyster will be on-site shucking fresh oysters from Pemaquid Oyster Company. In addition to AIO, Rockland Rolls, Northern Beacon Oyster and Pemaquid Oyster, event sponsors include First National Bank and Highland Events LLC. Participating local food vendors will offer free samples, and there will be a raffle for a chance to win products from local businesses.
Throughout the afternoon the Good Tern Gallery at Hole in the Wall Bagel Shop next door will host an opening reception for an exhibition of artwork by Good Tern staff members and a “Memory Lane” display of photos and scrapbooks from 45 years of the co-op’s history.
“We are so excited for this opportunity to celebrate with our community and member-owners, some of whom have been shopping at the co-op since the 1980s,” said Elissa Bower, Good Tern’s membership and outreach coordinator.
Founded in 1980, Good Tern Natural Foods Co-op is a member-owned health and food store committed to providing affordable, healthy food options for the Midcoast Maine community. The Co-op’s Education & Community Outreach Committee organizes volunteer-led programs to inspire learning, promote wellness, and encourage sustainable living practices for a healthier planet.
