Jon Ophoff Wins Ragtime Competition at Greenfield Village's 7th Annual Ragtime Street Fair

Jon Ophoff is the winner of the 2013 piano competition at Greenfield Village's seventh annual Ragtime Street Fair. His winning performance was The Cascades by Scott Joplin. After receiving the award, he was invited back for an encore, when he played Graceful Ghost Rag by William Bolcom. Tea parties on the lawn, Gershwin in the theater, and Joplin on the stage are but a few of the delightful events that take place each year during this unique festival. Ragtime, a style of music with "ragged" or syncopated rhythm saw its heyday from 1897 to 1918.

Thousands of visitors showed up, many wearing period costumes from the golden era of ragtime; fans of the film "Somewhere In Time" are familiar with the fashion of the time, because that storyline was set in 1913. Beautiful women, dressed elegantly as would Elise McKenna, strolled about the historic complex, which was blissfully landscaped and immaculately manicured.

Throughout the day, various stages performed ragtime music; on the stage situated in front of the Tintypes Studio, instructors taught dance lessons to delighted visitors. On the main street, concessioners sold yummy summer foods like grilled corn-on-the-cob and old-fashioned lemonade. Guests were allowed to carry in picnics and soft drinks to enjoy as the day progressed.

The Ragtime Street Fair is only one of many celebrations happening at Greenfield Village. For more information, kindly visit http://www.thehenryford.org/village/events/index.aspx.

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