Last Updated on September 8, 2022
The North Carolina Folk Festival is a three-day celebration of music, dance, crafts, food, and fun for the whole family.
One of the fastest growing free festivals in the Southeast, the NC Folk Festival takes place each September in downtown Greensboro to celebrate the huge variety found in folk music, from bluegrass to East-African retro-pop and everything in between.
Back in person after going virtual in 2020, the 2021 NC Folk Festival will take place Friday, September 10 through Sunday, September 12.
The event features more than 300 artists on multiple stages with continuous performances. The festival also features a makers marketplace, regional and ethnic foods, and festival merchandise.
Featured performers include the Lorena Guillén Tango Ensemble of Greensboro, NC, first place winners of the Not Your Average Folk Contest; Grand Shores world folk group from Chapel Hill, NC, who won second place in the Not Your Average Folk Contest; and JAZZ XPRESSION FEAT.
Lydia Salett Dudley, third place winners in the Not Your Average Folk Contest. Rounding out the performer list is a collection of talented musicians representing bluegrass, New Orleans funk and hip hop, East-African retro-pop, Western swing, Norteño/banda, gospel, Afro-Brazilian and Cuban folk, and more.
“We are excited to welcome these talented artists to Greensboro to mark the NC Folk Festival’s return to a live, in-person celebration of folk and global roots music,” said Amy Grossmann, President & CEO of the North Carolina Folk Festival in a press release.
New to the festival this year
Festival organizers recently announced three programs developed by guest curators as part of the event’s “commitment to honoring and celebrating diverse cultural traditions through music and dance,” according to a press release.
“North Carolina Hip-Hop: Rap is Folk,” curated by Justin “Demeanor” Harrington, a hip-hop artist based in Greensboro, features five performers in a three-hour program slated for Saturday, September 11.
“Buckdance & Blues: Remembering Algia Mae Hinton & John Dee Holeman” is curated by the Piedmont Blues Preservation Society and features three performers paying tribute to Hinton and Holeman, both of whom were legendary North Carolina blues musicians who passed away in recent years. The program will take place on Saturday, September 11 and Sunday, September 12.
Curated by the North Carolina Folklife Institute and the Center for Cultural Vibrancy, “Carolina Gospel Sunday” will feature four performers on the festival’s Lawn Stage on Sunday, September 12 from 1-6pm.
Stay up to date on festival announcements and details by following #ncfolkfestival on social media. Sign up for email updates, view the full performer lineup, donate to the festival, or sign up to volunteer at www.ncfolkfestival.com.
As part of our initiative to support arts and culture in our communities, Allen Tate has been a proud sponsor of the Folk Festival since 2018.
