{"id":12926,"date":"2024-08-08T22:27:37","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T02:27:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/?p=12926"},"modified":"2024-08-08T22:27:37","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T02:27:37","slug":"philadelphia-folk-festival-is-back-aug-16-18","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/acousticmusicscene.com\/2024\/08\/08\/philadelphia-folk-festival-is-back-aug-16-18\/","title":{"rendered":"Philadelphia Folk Festival is Back, Aug. 16-18"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Philadelphia Folk Festival returns to the historic Old Pool Farm in Upper Salford Township, near bucolic Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, August 16-18, following a hiatus in 2023. Thousands of music lovers are expected to converge on the farm, located some 45 minutes from Philadelphia, for the 61st edition of the family-friendly event that is produced and presented by the Philadelphia Folksong Society, a nonprofit arts organization. <\/p>\n

\"PhiladelphiaThe festival will feature more than 50 musical artists and acts performing daily from 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. Seven stages –including the shady, family-oriented Dulcimer Grove — will offer a diverse array of international, regional and hyper-local performers, daytime workshops, in-the-round sets featuring several artists\/acts, and more. As in years past, many artisans will display and sell their crafts, while a wide array of food and beverages will be available for purchase.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s festival headliners are, Gangstagrass (a group whose innovative sound is a fusion of bluegrass and hip hop) John Oates (formerly of the popular Philadelphia-based pop-soul duo Hall & Oates), and virtuosic banjo player Tony Trischka\u2019s EarlJam \u2013 A Tribute to Earl Scruggs (in which the acclaimed bluegrass artist and backing band trace the musical story of the American bluegrass legend known for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style).<\/p>\n

Among the other notable artists slated to perform during the festival are Adam Ezra Group, Calvin Arsenia, Cajun band Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Craig Bickhardt with Aislann Bickhardt, Johnathan Byrd, Ellis Paul, The Faux Paws, Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer, Dom Flemons, John Flynn, John Gallagher, Jr., The Great Groove Band, Alice Howe & Freebo, Jess Klein, A.J. Lee & Blue Summit, Crys Matthews, Pete Muller and the Kindred Souls, Aaron Nathans & Michael G. Ronstadt, Celtic roots ensemble RUNA, The Secret Sisters, Shanna in a Dress, Alexis P. Suter Band, Stephen Wade, Nigel Wearne, and Windborne. A number of talented Canadian artists are on the bill \u2013 including Angelique Francis Band, Cassie & Maggie, J.P. Cormier, Dave Gunning, Miss Emily, and Genevieve Racette.<\/p>\n

\"Dom
Dom Flemons, The American Songster makes a return appearance at this year’s Philadelphia Folk Festival. (Photo: Vania Kinard)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\u201cHaving played the festival as a soloist and as a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops [a Grammy Award-winning African \u2013American string band], I always look forward to making it back to Philly for another wonderful festival,\u201d said Dom Flemons. Known as The American Songster, Flemons is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, Smithsonian Folkways recording artist, music scholar, and historian. Flemons \u2013- whose musical repertoire includes country, blues, folk, bluegrass, and Americana \u2013 told AcousticMusicScene.com<\/em>: \u201cIt\u2019s great to be able to bridge the gap between the earlier 1960s folk revival and the folk revival of the 21stt century. To have taken the stage where so many of my heroes have played is a great honor. I think of musicians like Taj Mahal, Elizabeth Cotton, Happy Traum [who died last month], Mississippi John Hurt, and Ramblin\u2019 Jack Elliott, to name a few.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Flynn, a Delaware-based singer-songwriter and social justice activist & troubadour, has been a frequent performer at the festival and closes it out this year on the Main Stage. \u201cWhen people ask me how I\u2019m doing I often say \u2018better than I deserve.\u2019 They always think I\u2019m joking but I\u2019m really not,\u201d he told AcousticMusicScene.com<\/em>. \u201cI am so grateful for the chances I\u2019ve been given in this life and that\u2019s kind of how I feel about the Philadelphia Folk Festival. These folks have supported my music from the very beginning, and it\u2019s a real honor to be getting a chance to appear with so many wonderful artists on the final night of this year\u2019s fest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Artists Affiliated with Music Artists Cooperative (MAC) and Xtreme Folk Scene Also Slated to Perform<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Philadelphia Folk Festival also will feature performances by members of the Philadelphia Folksong Society\u2019s Musical Artists Cooperative (MAC) and from The Xtreme Folk Scene, a Philadelphia-based music community dedicated to supporting dynamic and innovative folk music that pushes the boundaries of tradition and celebrates the fusion of various genres. <\/p>\n

The Musical Artists Cooperative (MAC) is an initiative designed to support professional musicians who perform regularly in the local area, with many touring nationally as well. Slated to perform on the Lobby Stage on Friday, Aug, 16, between 1-5:30 p.m. are Last Chance, CubiZm, Jefferson Berry & the UAC, Bethlehem and Sad Patrick, Jersey Corn Pickers, Kicking Down Doors, The Hoppin Boxcars, and Meghan Cary. On Saturday morning, Aug. 17, Mara Levine and Gathering Time will perform on the Craft Stage from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m., and on Sunday morning, Aug. 18, The Honey Badgers and The Edgehill Rounders play the Tank Stage from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. Other MAC-affiliated artists set to perform during the festival include Emily Drinker, Aaron Nathans, David C. Perry, Jackson Pines, and Two of a Kind.<\/p>\n

\"Folksinger
Folksinger Mara Levine will perform with folk-rock harmony trio Gathering time during the festival. (Photo: Manny Krevat)<\/figcaption><\/figure>Mara Levine, a folksinger known for her beautiful interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk songs, said that she was \u201cthrilled and so grateful\u201d to be performing at the festival with her musical partners in the Long Island-based folk-rock harmony trio Gathering Time. As vice chair of MAC this year, she has also been working with other chairs \u2013 including Rob Lincoln, Jefferson Berry and Rusty Crowell & Jan Alba \u2013 \u201cto build our strictly volunteer-run organization of about 50 mostly local acts. \u201dLevine, who has been home in New Jersey helping to care for her elderly parents since the start of the pandemic, noted that \u201cIt\u2019s been a very rewarding way to be engaged in our community, helping to promote and also foster the development of our artists, while working remotely and supporting the Philadelphia Folksong Society\u201d of which she has been an active member for more than 20 years. <\/p>\n

The Xtreme Folk Showcase, entitled \u201cAnger, Hope, and Outrage,\u201d will feature performances by Sug Daniels, Anarkkhipov, Persistent Resonators, A Day Without Love, and Matt Pless on the Tank Stage on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Xtreme Folk Scene also presents Xfest, an annual music festival featuring some of the edgiest folk artists in the greater Philadelphia area.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s also a festival within the festival for those who opt to camp onsite and enjoy some late-night musical revelry. The 40-acre campground \u2013 chock-a-block with tents \u2013 is home to a unique late-night scene, with singing by campfires and jamming into the early morning hours, as well as a Thursday night Camp Stage kickoff performance for campers only.<\/p>\n

\"Fun
Fun activities and performances for families abound at Dulcimer Grove. (Photo: Michael Kornfeld)<\/figcaption><\/figure>Both day and full-festival passes are available for purchase. Discounted tickets are available for youth (ages 12-17) and children (ages 5-11), while all festival tickets without camping for Wee Folk (children up to age 4) are free. Ticket prices rise to gate pricing on August 15.<\/p>\n

For more information about the Philadelphia Folk Festival \u2013 including stage schedules — and to order tickets, visit folkfest.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Philadelphia Folk Festival returns to the historic Old Pool Farm in Upper Salford Township, near bucolic Schwenksville, Pennsylvania, August 16-18, following a hiatus in 2023. Thousands of music lovers are expected to converge on the farm, located some 45 minutes from Philadelphia, for the 61st edition of the family-friendly event that is produced and presented by the Philadelphia Folksong Society, a nonprofit arts organization.<\/p>\n

[Click on the headline to continue reading this article previewing the 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