The debut Richmond Folk Festival is slated for October 2008, continuing the three-year tradition established by the hugely successful National Folk Festival in Richmond, Virginia, celebrating the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional craft and food. Last year’s event drew a record-setting 175,000 attendees.

In the exact likeness of the National Folk Festival, the Richmond Folk Festival will feature more than 30 performing groups on seven live music stages with continuous music and dance performances, along with a Virgina Folklife demonstration area, children’s activities, a folk arts marketplace, regional and ethnic foods and more. The FREE three-day festival is expected to be one of the largest events in Virginia, drawing visitors from across the country.

The “National” has been held in 27 communities around the country and spent three years on downtown Richmond’s riverfront from 2005 through 2007 before moving to Butte, Montana … but Richmond is continuing the cultural celebration by presenting its own festival with the same commitment to quality and authenticity established by the National. Germinating festivals of their own is part of the mission of the National Folk Festival, hence the reason for its three-year stay in selected cities.

The Richmond Folk Festival is produced by Venture Richmond in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the same organization that produces the National Folk Festival. Other producing partners include the City of Richmond, Virginia Foundation for the Humanities, the National Park Service, the Library of Virginia and the Children’s Museum of Richmond. It will be held from Friday, October 10, 2008 – Sunday, October 12, 2008, and will be a FREE event.

For more info: www.richmondfolkfestival.org.