President’s Letter
Folknotes 5/28/26
Hello Everyone,
We’re at the end of our regular 2025/26 Leo Coffeehouse season, and, thanks to all our QCB volunteers and the wonderful musicians who play for us, it has been another fantastic year.
Join us this Sunday for our year end potluck/open mic. It should be fun. But that’s not it for this year. As we have for several years now, we plan to be open on Sundays throughout the summer for Rise Up Singing, song circles, and open mics.
If you can, join us. You’ll be happy you did.
Here's what's going on:
Board Members/Elections
Recycling Items for the Recycle and Reuse Hub
Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM, Sunday, May 31, 2026
Looking Ahead: Summer Schedule
Saylor Park Sustains
Reference Information/QCB Membership (Below my sign off)
Board Members/Elections
Our online election will take place in June. We are currently working to set up and test the software that we will be using. Since no one has thrown their hat in the ring, and our current board members have all committed to continuing, it will not be a true election, but it will give those who wish to, a chance to share their thoughts and comments about Queen City Balladeers and Leo Coffeehouse.
QCB members who paid for the 2025/26 season will receive an email with a link for the website to vote. I will provide more information on this in a future Folknotes.
The current QCB Board Members/Positions are as follows:
Neil Harrell, President
Janice Alvarado, Vice President
Sharon Riegler, Secretary
John Mann, Treasurer
Ed Riegler, Historian/Librarian,
Kelli Domke, Outreach Coordinator
Dick Males, Support Team Representative
Leo Coffeehouse, 5:00-9:00 PM
Sunday, May 31, 2026
Year End Potluck And Mic-Less Open Mic
5:00-6:30 PM: Potluck
Bring a dish to share. Plates, utensils and cups will be provided. After the meal, please help with washing dishes and cleanup so everyone can enjoy the music and fellowship. We will provide serving utensils. If you bring your own, be responsible for collecting them as well as your serving dishes.
6:00 PM:Sign Up For All Evening Open Mic
Priority given in order to those who are new to performing at a Leo open mic, followed by those who have not performed at our previous two open mics, followed by anyone else who wishes to play, subject to availability of slots.
6:30-9:00 PM:All Evening Open Mic
Open mic evenings offer opportunities for both experienced performers and those new to playing in front of an audience. This Sunday I’ll be setting up my small sound system, and we’ll perform in typical coffeehouse style leaving the tables set up.
We typically have 15 slots of 8 minutes each (two songs maximum). Acts are typically one to three performers with vocals and instruments.
6:30-9:00 PM: Song Circle Upstairs
For those who would rather sing in a song circle.
Looking Further Ahead: Summer Schedule
Summer Schedule
We plan to open Leo Coffeehouse at Zion United Church of Christ every Sunday this summer: June, July, and August, from 3:00-9:00 PM on 1st Sundays, and from 5:00-9:00 PM on all other Sundays.
Double check the schedule on the QCB website and the QCB Members Facebook page in case, for some reason, we can’t open. The schedule will always be updated as soon as changes are decided. I will also send out a Folknotes with any changes to the schedule.
Rise Up Singings: June 7, July 5, August 2
On 1st Sundays, the Leo will open early at 3:00 PM for Rise Up Singing.
Song Circles: June 7, 14, 28, July 5, 12, 26, August 2, 9, 23, 30
Except for 3rd Sunday open mics, we will have song circles downstairs and up.
Summer Open Mics: June 21, July 19, August 16
On the 3rd Sundays we will have a song circle and an open mic, very likely with the sound system set up. With all the summer activities, it’s possible we will not have the sound system set up. I’ll let you know if that happens.
The sign up sheet will go out at 6:00 PM and performers will start playing at 6:30 PM.
As normal, upstairs rooms will be available for those who would like to sing in a song circle.
Saylor Park Sustains
12:00 PM-10:00 PM, June 13, 2026
Our friend Mike Oberst’s and his friends’ and neighbors’ annual event Saylor Park Sustains at Nelson Saylor Memorial Park is happening on June 13, 2026 from 12:00 PM-10:00 PM.
There’s lots going on besides music, but here is the blurb from the Facebook event page with the music schedule:
Greetings Friends and Neighbors!
We’re gearing up for another wonderful year for the Sayler Park Sustains festival.
Get excited because it’s going to be the best ever!
Nelson Sayler Memorial Park, June 13th 2026.
-Music Schedule-
12:00-12:45 Stick & Bindle
1:05-1:50 Mad Cap House Band
2:10-2:55 Porcupette
3:15-4:00 Yousra
4:20-5:05 Summoning Circle
5:25-6:10 The Tillers
6:25-7:10 Bobcat Opossum w Liv LaFluv
7:25-8:25 The Amador Sisters
8:40-9:40 Moonbeau
More information:
See here, on Facebook
or here, the website
That’s all for this Folknotes, I hope to see you soon.
Neil Harrell
President, Queen City Balladeers/Leo Coffeehouse
~
Reference Information/Links
Facebook:
QCB/Leo Coffeehouse Membership
We are keeping our standard annual QCB membership dues at $20.00 for a family, or for a single person plus a guest. Last year, knowing that the pandemic cut into our contingency funds, as we continued to pay overhead expenses with no income, some members donated larger amounts to QCB. We very much appreciate the support of all QCB members at all levels.
We are exploring setting up our website to allow the payment of different levels of dues support. For now, if you’d like to pay the standard dues, you can pay them online here or by a check at Leo. (We’ve discontinued our P.O. Box, I will have a mailing address in the next newsletter for those who wish to mail their membership dues.)
If you would like to donate more than the $20.00 standard dues, you can do so by check, or through our website. When you get to the page with the box to relay instructions, just note that you are paying a larger amount for your dues.
For visitors who prefer not to become a member, a donation of $5.00 (cash) per person helps us pay the rent for our non-profit organization. Donations can be slipped in the box at the welcome table outside our performance room, Founders Hall. If you can’t afford that, pay what you can afford or nothing at all. We will welcome you to join us either way.