For the ninth consecutive year on the third weekend in July, I had the pleasure of being the official photographer for the California WorldFest in Grass Valley, CA. Thanks once again to festival directors Dan DeWayne and Christine Myers for assembling all aspects of this annual global village, especially the main ingredient -- fine, off-the-mainstream-radar musical talent from all over the world. The classiness of the festival production, and the kind vibe set in motion by the warmth of the performers, volunteers, and attendees, makes it quite special. Headliners were Ziggy Marley and Keb Mo, but there was an abundance of amazing music although it's hard to impress upon people the wonder of this family-friendly fest simply by reeling off names of the performers. Frankly, when asked "who's playing?" every year by friends, an answer of unfamiliar names such as Alejo Aponté, Masanga Marimba, Zili Misik, and the Kusun Ensemble, and my testimony that Dobet Gnahore from Ivory Coast is one of the most astounding performers I've ever seen, just doesn't seem to resonate much with most folks as it would if I reeled off comfortable old household names. But it sure is worth a visit. As singer-songwriter Morley told me in 2009, “Sharing is what it’s all about. Between all of us, we get to do this thing at this magical location.” Photos ©Alan Sheckter / AlSheck@comcast.net. Linking to this gallery is OK; re-publication of any specific images is prohibited without expressed permission.