National Folk Festival

Folk Festival, National

Summer or fall, depending on location

Unlike other music festivals, the National Folk Festival (NFF) does not have a home base. Rather than assuming a permanent residence, this traveling festival works in partnership with a host community for periods of three years. The three-day NFF is a celebration of traditional music, dance, and crafts with an emphasis on the ethnic music styles that have shaped American culture through various eras.
The festival is organized by the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), which has been producing celebrations of the traditional arts since 1934. The NCTA's aim is to produce a show in the same city for three years, thereby laying the groundwork for a locally produced festival to continue after the National Folk Festival moves on to another city. Since the event is presented free of charge, planning and operations depends largely on the efforts of volunteers.
The traveling framework of the festival has had success in a handful of cities, including Bangor, Maine (host city of NFF in 2002-2004), and Richmond, Va. (2005-2007), which are now sites of regional folk festivals that continue to attract large audiences. Butte, Mont., was chosen to host the festival in the years 2008-2010.

CONTACTS:
National Council for the Traditional Arts
1320 Fenwick Lane, Ste. 200
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-565-0654; fax: 301-565-0472
www.ncta.net