WOODSTOCK -- For the first time since 1950, a famous Marengo-born composer will be honored with a music festival June 26 & 27, this time in his own name.

Born in that quiet town in McHenry County in 1878, Van Alstyne has given American popular music many enduring songs, including "In The Shade Of The Old Apple Tree," "Memories" and "Pretty Baby." While these are remembered, he wrote more than 400 other songs and instrumentals, most of which have slipped into obscurity. Yet, his lifetime achievements grabbed the attention of the Chicago media in 1950, when he was honored at the Chicago Music Festival.

Few today know that Van Alstyne was one of the pioneer writers of ragtime, having as many ragtime pieces published by 1902 as the famous Scott Joplin. Researcher Tracy Doyle has been bringing many facts about Van Alstyne and his life to light in recent years, and this festival is designed to bring his music back home to the area he loved.

The festival will feature all-star ragtime concerts at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, June 26 and 27 at the Woodstock Opera House, three afternoon symposia at the McHenry County Historical Society in Union, after-hours parties at Pub on the Square in Woodstock, and several free pre- and post- festival events.

In fact, this is the first ever ragtime festival held in the greater Chicago area, and it is only fitting that the two concerts will be devoted to not only Van Alstyne, but will also showcase for the first time the pivotal role Chicago played in the development of ragtime.

Doyle has brought popular ragtime artists from around the country to participate in this first-ever festival, including Richard Zimmerman, back for his third appearance at the Woodstock Opera House. Zimmerman has performed ragtime on concert stages, on television and at festivals around the world over the past 30 years and is the only pianist to have recorded the complete works of Scott Joplin.

Sue Keller is gaining recognition at one of the world's top female ragtime pianists and vocalists. A graduate of DePauw University with a degree in Music and Theater, Keller has brought ragtime as far as the Mikado nightclub in Tokyo, across the continent of Australia and even to the Great Wall of China. When not playing ragtime or singing the blues, Keller performs with her own rock band.

The Etcetera String band is a three-piece ensemble from Kansas City, featuring guitar, banjo and mandolin. All of the members are historians in the truest sense and have a repertoire which contains many rare but important tunes from the ragtime era. Their sound is truly unique and the instrumentation captures the folk roots quality of ragtime.

The Indianapolis-based Elite Syncopators features the fine piano playing of Terry Parrish and the antics of singer/washboard player Mike Schwimmer, accompanied by a tuba and banjo. Parrish is renowned sheet music collector and historian and has mastered styles and techniques of some of the legendary pianists of the ragtime era.

Historian and piano roll expert Michael Montgomery will be on hand to lead audiences in sing-alongs during the concerts and to lend his knowledge to festival-goers who attend the symposia.

The pre-festival events will begin Wednesday, June 24 at Pub on the Square in Woodstock, just across the square from the Woodstock Opera House, with lunch and dinner appearances through Saturday by "Ragtime Bob" Darch. Darch has probably traveled more miles to perform ragtime than any other revivalist. Now in his mid-70s, Darch has been spreading the effervescence of ragtime since the 1950s to audiences throughout the world, including most of the 50 states, Sweden, Iceland, Mexico, The Faeroe Islands, France, Germany and beyond. He narrowly missed going to Timbuktu last year.

The festival will officially begin with a Ragtime Reunion Luncheon at Pub on the Square at noon Friday, followed by a symposium at 2 p.m. at the McHenry County Historical Society in Union. Nan Bostick, the great-niece and biographer of composer Charles N. Daniels (writer of "Chloe," "You Tell Me Your Dream," "She's Funny That Way," and "Hiawatha") and renowned music historian Michael Montgomery will present the story of perhaps the most prolific publisher of ragtime, "The Remick Music Company."

At 8 p.m. Friday at the Woodstock Opera House The Egbert Van Alstyne Memorial Concert will feature all artists performing the works of McHenry County's most famous composer, ranging from his best known songs to some pieces which have not been heard since their heyday.

For those wishing to learn more about Van Alstyne, producer/historian Tracy Doyle will present a symposium at 1 p.m. Saturday at the McHenry County Historical Society.

At 2 p.m., Zimmerman, with Michael Montgomery, will don his scholar's hat for his presentation, "Chicago: The Ragtime Connection." Zimmerman has discovered much new information about the importance of Chicago to the development of popular music from ragtime to blues and jazz, and will present them here for the first time.

The festival events will wrap up at the Opera House Saturday at 8 p.m. with the concert "A Tribute to Chicago Ragtime," showcasing many of the important songs and instrumentals which this city has given to the world.

Both concerts will feature special arrangements which were prepared specifically for this festival, including piano duets, vocal and instrumental ensembles and numbers which include the entire cast. After the concerts many of the performers will join festival participants at Pub on the Square for afterhours parties.

To honor Van Alstyne in his hometown, selected performers will appear in an all-star ragtime review at the Marengo Park District Sunday, June 28 from 2:30-5:00 p.m., as part of the Marengo Summer With The Arts' "Sunday In The Park" Fourth of July celebration.

Tickets are $19 for individual concerts or $36 for both shows and are available from the Woodstock Opera House box office at (815) 338-5300. Symposia admissions are $3 on Friday and $5 each on Saturday and can be purchased at the door.

The Ragtime Review at Marengo's "Sunday in the Park" is a free event sponsored by Marengo Summer With The Arts organization. Call the Marengo Park District at (815) 568-5126 for information.