Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival 11 a.m.-8 p.m. June 28-July 1 Admission: Free Shuttle bus from Greengate Mall or from Old Hills parking lot, behind Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Route 30, east of Greensburg, $2. More information: http://www.artsandheritage.com/

Only weeks away from the debut of her first album, electric violinist Deni Bonet of Manhattan will take stage Saturday at Twin Lakes Park near Greensburg, providing a sharp edge to the instrument's usual sound. It won't be a Beethoven symphony piece and you can count out the knee-slappin', two-step tune - Bonet's signature sound is altogether different. It is upbeat, catchy, brazen, alternative pop. It's Sheryl Crow meets the B-52's, say critics. It's rock on stage combined with classical concentration, according to others. It's got attitude, intelligence and energy. It's everything a violin never was. And, it will all be on the Island Stage during the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival. Bonet, who is in her late 30s, was trained in classical music, but quickly left the concert hall because she said she literally 'could not stand still.' She went to college on a violin scholarship and double majored in violin and acting - something she said she was very much involved in and expected to make a career out of. But Bonet's passion for music kept her in the industry and earned her local and national recognition. Fresh out of college, a stint on Mountain Stage, a nationally broadcasted, weekly live-performance radio show based in Charleston, W.Va., provided Bonet a chance to perform with rising stars such as the Indigo Girls and Sarah McLachlan, who then asked Bonet to perform on her album 'Solace.' Since, Bonet and her three band members have performed or recorded with R.E.M., Chris Whitley, Robyn Hitchcock, Gravity Kills, Daniel Lanois, Shawn Colvin, Richard Thompson, Warren Zevon and Bruce Cockburn. Bonet also participated in the Lilith Fair Tour in 1998 and appeared on NBC's 'Late Night With Conan O'Brien.' 'When I go out to do my shows, and people know my music, that to me is just as fun,' Bonet said, remaining focused after performing with such big-name bands. 'It's not really the number of people you're playing for. It's equally a good time to touch just a couple people with music. I wouldn't complain if I got rich and famous, but I feel like when I look back, I got to do what I love for a living. How wonderful is that?' Bonet either wrote or co-wrote all 15 songs on the new 'Bigger is Always Better' album, including 'I Scream Your Name,' 'Sunshine,' and 'Violin Girl.' The band's unique style is attributed mostly to being fronted with the electric violin, but Bonet said her music is really about what she has to say. 'I feel like the music is about the songs. The fact that I play the violin is an added bonus. I am a singer and these are my songs. It's about the songs first,' Bonet said. 'Then, when I get to the violin solo, I think, 'Now I can do my thing and show you what I can do.'' She said her lyrics stem from personal experiences. She added that while it's easy to get caught up in the stresses of life and start pounding out sappy songs, she's found a unique alternative to keep things uplifting and keep people moving. 'Of course they are about me. I am not writing songs about world peace here. They are about my feelings and emotions,' she said. 'I really do believe when you're having a hard time, you have a choice. You can sit back and say 'I am depressed and I am going to write the saddest song.' There's nothing wrong with that. But, my personal approach is to write a song that's going to make me feel good. I figure out my problems. The lyrics can make people relate.' Donnie Gutherie, director of the Arts & Heritage Festival, said Bonet complements the talent of the festival while providing the audience with a fresh sound. 'She adds an eclectic music style that fits in very well with the performers,' Gutherie said. 'She brings a new wave of music to a very old fiddlers' tradition. She is actually one of the ones closing off the Island Stage. I expect a large group from varying ages.' Bonet will perform songs from her album including two of her favorites, 'Violin Girl' and 'I Scream Your Name.' 'I am loving 'Violin Girl' because it sounds like it's sonically produced,' Bonet said. 'And, 'I Scream Your Name' which begins, 'I am not crazy, just emotionally challenged,' that's as weepy as I am going to get.' The performer said festivals are a great outlet to let loose and have fun as well as a way to stay occupied during the anticipation of her album's release, scheduled in July. 'It's kinda like giving birth. It's a bit like, OK, I am about to present my baby now, and I hope you like her.' More information, video and audio clips, song downloads and CD sales are available on Bonet's Web site, www.denibonet.com .

Festival to feature crafters, entertainment

Keeping its reputation as one of the top 100 events in North America, the 27th Annual Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival will offer ethnic food, live entertainment, exhibitions and, of course, arts and crafts. The Artists' Market will include hundreds of specially chosen vendors selling dried flowers, wooden arts, clay and pottery, clothing and accessories, baskets, leather goods, glass, jewelry, dolls and stuffed animals, weaving, sculpture and painting. Ethnic food will include Polish, German, Pennsylvania Dutch, Japanese, Vietnamese and Colonial American selections. The Festival will also play host to the Westmoreland Arts Nationals, where national artists will exhibit sculpture, painting and photography pieces during the event. More than 100 live performances will take to the stages of the festival providing swing, bluegrass, alternative, country and button box music. Several regional historical societies will collaborate to present 'The Continuing Story of Us,' an event used to record family histories and further enhance the region's diverse cultural heritage. According to festival director, Donnie Gutherie, a new feature to the event this year will be a sculpture park. Regional sculptors will create installation pieces, allowing visitors to watch how the crafts are constructed.

Festival Schedule

Here are entertainment highlights at the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival at Twin Lakes Park:

THURSDAY

1-2:30 p.m., Cabaret Stage - Jimmy Sapienza's Five Guys Named Moe, swing, rock, rhythm & blues 2:30-3 p.m., Island Stage - NAACP Youth Choir 3-4 p.m. and 5-6 p.m., Robertshaw Stage - Dave Fry, folk performer 4:30-6 p.m. Laurel Stage - Voo Doo Babies, rock, blues and jazz 6-8 p.m., Robertshaw Stage - Irishtown Bluegrass 6:30-8 p.m., Island Stage - Phil Dirt and the Dozers, rock 'n' roll 6:30-7 p.m., Laurel Stage - Holliday/Stanley Trio, acoustic classic rock 6:30-8 p.m., Cabaret Stage - Joe Grkman, Slovenian music 7-8 p.m., Gazebo Stage - Herminie Button Box Band.

FRIDAY

11 a.m.-noon, Laurel Stage - Inkari, music from the Andes Mountains 11 a.m.-noon, Robertshaw Stage - Blair O'Neal Concert Band 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Island Stage - The Bridge, music spanning five generations 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. and 5-6:30 p.m., Cabaret Stage - Random Brothers, guitarists-singers noon-1 p.m., Laurel Stage - Simple Gifts, folk music noon-1 p.m., 2-3 p.m., Gazebo Stage - Paul Molans, ragtime piano 12:30-1:30 p.m., Cabaret Stage - German music 1-2:30 p.m., 4:30-6 p.m., Island Stage - Naked Blue, for fans of Shawn Colvin, Fleetwood Mac 1:30-2:30 p.m., 4:30-5:30 p.m., Robertshaw Stage - Mock Turtle Marionette Theater 2-3:30 p.m., Cabaret Stage, Joe Grkman 2:30-3:30 p.m., Robertshaw Stage - Dave Fry 3-4 p.m., Laurel Stage - Simple Gifts 3-4:30 p.m., Island Stage - Orquesta Tropical, dance band 3 and 5 p.m., Boathouse - Backyard circus 5-6 p.m., Cabaret Stage - Dave Fry 6-8 p.m., Robertshaw Stage - Irishtown Bluegrass 6:30-8 p.m., Cabaret Stage - Jimmy Sapienza's Five Guys Named Moe 6:30-8 p.m., Island Stage - Corbin/Hanner, country rock 7-8 p.m., Gazebo Stage - Hermine Button Box Band

SATURDAY

11 a.m.-noon, Island Stage - UMOJA workshop, dancing and drumming 11 a.m.-noon, Laurel Stage - Inkari 11 a.m.-noon, Cabaret Stage - Joe Maloy 11 a.m.-noon, 2-3 p.m., Robertshaw Stage - Mock Turtle Marioneet Theater noon-1 p.m., Laurel Stage - Westmoreland Choral Society noon-1 p.m., Gazebo Stage - Paul Molans 1-2 p.m., Robertshaw Stage - Dave Fry 1-2 p.m. and 3:30-5 p.m., Cabaret Stage - Random Brothers 1, 3 and 5 p.m., Boathouse - Backyard circus 1-2:30 p.m., Island Stage - UMOJA African Arts Company, dance ensemble 1-2:30 p.m. and 6:30-8 p.m., Laurel Stage - Peter Ostroushko, mandolin and fiddle 2-3 p.m., Gazebo Stage - PAS Junior Folk Ensemble 2-3 p.m., Cabaret Stage - Joe Grkman 3-4 p.m., Robertshaw Stage - Dave Fry 3-4:30 p.m., Island Stage - Big Fat Jazz, big bands 4-8 p.m., Laurel Stage - Fiddlers contest 5-6 p.m., Island Stage, PAS Slovak Folk Ensemble, music and dancing 5-6 p.m., Gazebo Stage - Harrold Squares, square dancing 5-6 p.m., Cabaret Stage - The Janitors, percussion 6 p.m., Boathouse - Timujin, storyteller 6:30-7:30 p.m., Gazebo Stage - Paul Molans 7-8 p.m., Gazebo Stage - Herminie Button Box Band

JULY 1

11 a.m.-noon, Laurel Stage - Inkari 11 a.m.-noon and 1-2 p.m., Robertshaw Stage - Dave Fry noon-1 p.m., Island Stage - Morning Star Steppers, tapping noon-1 p.m. and 2-3 p.m., Gazebo Stage - Paul Molans noon-1 p.m. and 2-3 p.m. Robertshaw Stage - Mock Turtle Marionette Theater 12:30-1:30 p.m., Cabaret Stage - Joe Maloy 12:30-2 p.m., Laurel Stage - Peter Ostroushko 1-2 p.m. and 3:30-5 p.m., Gazebo Stage - Random Brothers 1 and 5 p.m., Boathouse - Backyard circus 1:30-3 p.m., Island Stage - Freedom Band, classic rock 2-3:30 p.m., Cabaret Stage - Joe Grkman 2:30-4 p.m., Laurel Stage - Gashouse Annie, country music 3-3:30 p.m., Island Stage - Stage Right Sensations, best of Broadway 3-4 p.m., Robertshaw Stage - Poetry in the Park, awards 4-5 p.m., Robertshaw Stage - Master Poetry Society 4-5:30 p.m., Cabaret Stage - Greater Greensburg Senior Citizens Big Band 4-5:30 p.m., Island Stage - Pure Gold 5-6 p.m., Gazebo Stage - Harrold Squares 5-6 p.m., Robertshaw Stage - Dave Fry 7 p.m., Boathouse - Timujin 6:30-8 p.m., Cabaret Stage - Cavalier's Band, Italian music 7-8 p.m., Gazebo Stage - Herminie Button Box Band 7-8 p.m., Island Stage - Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra

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