Jim Hancock Performances

It is hard to list all the one-time appearances where Jim Hancock performs during the year,
so we'll list only the multi-week events, with some of the shorter gigs that he thinks you'll like.

Unless otherwise noted, all shows listed are open only on weekend days, with the occasional holiday Monday. Be sure to visit the sites listed below.

• Bay Area Renaissance Festival      (February 14 - March 29, 2015)
  I will return again to the new site near the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, Florida for more musical fun. This year, I will be sitting in with everyone! I am also looking forward to "Sing with the King" and, of course, the Pub Sing at the end of the day, with fabulous musicians like Barby Holder and with Jim Greene (the ratcatcher) telling jokes. There's a surprise around every corner, so see you there!
  
  
• St. Patrick's Day      (March 17, 2015)
  I will be returning to play bass with Empty Hats at The Villages, a very large retirement community in Florida, near Ocala. It's open to the public, so drop on by and sing your favorite Celtic Songs with us! If it's like before, we start at 5 p.m. and finish before 9.
  
  
• Scarborough Faire      (April 4-May 25, 2015)
  While not my first festival, Scarborough is like a home faire, as I have performed here for over twenty years (the most for me at any festival). It is also close to home (Austin) and around the same time as the fabulous Kerrville Folk Festival. A large, enthusiastic cast, great crafts, beautiful weather and my favorite food of any festival (Prince Pasquale, you've done it again!) add to the overall picture. Add in fabulous musicians like Queen Anne's Lace and Cantiga, the Rambling Sailors, and . . . well, come on out to see and hear for yourselves! They also have a fall festival called Screams, an evening of fright and delight. Check out their website for more details.
  
  
• Kerrville Folk Festival    (May 21 - June 7, 2015)
  I can't really call this a gig, as I have been a volunteer every year for over thirty years (and now a sponsor for at least ten years!) at what I consider to be the best environment for the creative process in songwiting anywhere. The picking goes on for nineteen days without stopping, and, oh yes, there are great crafts and a stage or two with some of the finest songwriters on the planet baring their souls for the discerning listeners.
  

• Sterling Renaissance Festival    (July 4 - August 16, 2015)
  Professional actors come from all around the country to this festival to immerse themselves in the interactive theater workshops and rehearsals that create the magic that is Sterling. Situated tantalizingly near beautiful Lake Ontario, just outside of Oswego, NY, this one sets the performance standard for the rest, with all professional actors, variety performers, musicians, nice grounds and a dedication to period like no other festival in which I have taken a part. I have had the honor the past several years to act as the festival's music director, working alongside the man who created the interactive street theater program here (and for Disney World's MGM Studios), Gary Izzo. You could say that he wrote the book on Interactive Theater, because he has (two, so far). With many sing-along opportunities, both scheduled and impromptu, I'm always excited to work so closely with such a great cast!
  
  
• Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival   (August 22 - October 4, 2015)
  Seven Weekends This Year!!!
  This is the one place where the original Burly Minstrels (Bob Bielefeld and myself) perform each year. Bob and I have a great time at this lovely festival near Lancaster, PA. The site is beautiful and well-maintained by people who obviously love their work, and the cast is highly professional and great fun to work with. The fans have welcomed us into their family, and some old friends make the trek from Michigan, Sterling, and many other places to see us. Our thanks go out to all of you, and we hope to see you this season!
  
  
• Texas Renaissance Festival   (October 10 - November 29, 2015)  
  North of Houston, near Magnolia, TX sits the most impressive renaissance festival grounds ever built. The front gate alone dwarfs what some owners invest in their entire site, and that's just the gateway to further wonders! A huge cast with many fine performers set the stage for grand spectacle. Look for me on the Mockingbird Lane gazebo, and all over the site for the rest of the day. I had the great honor back in 2001 to be selected as a runner-up for the Phillip Hafer Memorial MVP Award, I think because I also have had the great honor over the years of playing with a veritable alphabet of fabulous musical groups from As You Like It to the Gypsy Guerrilla Band to the Bard O'Neill to Wyndnwyre. Life Is Good!
  
  
• The Merry Minstrels (Christmas Performances in December)
  Throughout the Houston/Woodlands area, I spend the Chrismas season peforming all of our favorite Christmas songs with my good friends Bob Bielefeld and Leslie Tabor. Many are private shows at Country Clubs and Office Parties, but we have the occasional show at a public space. Contact us for a holiday experience at your next December event!