Lowell MA Folk Festival – July 29 to 31, 2011

LOWELL FOLK FESTIVAL – JULY 29-31, 2011

Mark your calendars. The country’s largest free folk festival plans another great lineup for their 25th year.

Lowell MA hosts this free event with continuous music on six outdoor stages during the weekend of July 29-31, 2011. Numerous performers representing folk, bluegrass, gospel, world music, dance and more, appear throughout the festival. It’s a great day to walk and look and listen until you hear something catchy. This is a family friendly event, in addition to the music, there are ethnic foods, demonstrations by craftspeople and artisans, and kid’s activities. For more information, including, full artist bios, audio samples, maps and complete schedules, visit www.lowellfolkfestival.org.

Among the more than 20 plus artists performing this year are:

• Bill Kirchen and Too Much Fun – dieselbilly
• Dervish – Irish
• Eddie Pennington – “Travis-style” thumb-picked guitar
• Hector del Curto’s Tango Quartet – tango
• Le Vent du Nord – Quebecois
• Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper – bluegrass
• Shemekia Copeland – blues
• Stanky & the Coal Miners – eastern-style polka
• The Birmingham Sunlights – a cappella gospel
• The Quebe Sisters Band – Texas fiddling and harmony singing

The festival will kick off on Friday evening at 6:30pm with a flag raising ceremony and parade starting at City Hall Plaza. All are welcome to participate in the parade to signal the opening of the weekend’s festivities On Saturday and Sunday, more than a dozen cultures share their ethnic foods, ranging from African and Asian to Filipino and Portuguese. The Folk Craft area in Lucy Larcom Park showcases 16 state-funded master artists and their apprentices from across the New England area. Foodways demonstrations and tastings feature pasta and noodles. Art in the Courtyard is back and the latest edition, Green Street, showcases the latest in efforts to be “green.” Many food booths are operated by social groups and churches, and prices are very affordable. Children’s activities include hands-on games, interactive art, and much more.

The Lowell Folk Festival is presented by Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell Festival Foundation, the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the City of Lowell, and the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau.