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Summer 2013 Folk Festivals!

Sing Out! provides an international listing of folk music festivals and camps, which can be found at www.singout.org/fests.html. Our listing is currently updated to feature festivals throughout the summer. Before making summer road trips, camping excursions, etc., be sure to check if there’s a festival near you! Folk music thrives because of live music and community, both of which are available in abundance in festivals throughout the world. We’ve all heard of huge gatherings such as George Wein’s famed Newport Folk Festival, but you’ll also find a lot to love at smaller gatherings. We hope to be able to provide our fans and readers with a slew of things to do during festival season, and assist our festival friends in finding new faces!

Here are a couple of upcoming folk festivals to look out for:

Anyone in search of eco-friendly fun should stop by Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival in Westchester County, New York, this weekend. Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, and Mavis Staples are just a few of the many beloved artists that will be performing on the festival’s seven sustainably powered stages. The event also includes boat rides and exhibits, crafts, markets, educational displays, a vital “activists area” and more! Gates will open at 9 a.m. on the 15th. Tickets can be purchased at the gate while the event is happening or through www.clearwaterfestival.org beforehand.

Celebrate this Fourth of July at the “largest annual cultural event in the U.S. capital”: The Smithsonian Folklife Festival. This two-week, free festival begins June 26^th and takes place outside the National Mall. It features programs about traditions of international communities, like “Hungarian Heritage: Roots to Revival,” as well as programs about cultures within the U.S., such as, “The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity.” Learn more at www.festival.si.edu.

— Kelsey Leck