History

The Richmond Folk Festival returns October 10-12, 2025, for its 21st year of carrying on a tradition established by the hugely successful National Folk Festival.

The Richmond Folk Festival has become one of Virginia’s largest and most cherished events. It draws fans to Downtown Richmond’s riverfront each year to celebrate the roots, richness, and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling, and food. Over the past two plus decades, the event's success has transformed the riverfront's popularity and growth. 

The Richmond Folk Festival, a free event that welcomes 200,000 people over a three-day weekend, is a testament to the power of diversity and inclusivity. With six stages and over 30 performing groups from around the nation and worldwide, the festival is a vibrant tapestry of cultures and traditions.

The Richmond Folk Festival is an offshoot of the National Folk Festival which has been held in more than 30 communities around the country and spent three years on Downtown’s riverfront from 2005 through 2007.

In 2024, Venture Richmond’s staff worked in partnership with VPM to produce a documentary film that showcased the festival’s inception and growth over twenty years. This exceptional film can be seen on VPM’s website.

Past Performers

67th-69th National Folk Festivals • Richmond Folk Festivals 2005 - Present

Richmond Folk Festival, October 13-15, 2023

• gospel

  Annie & the Caldwell Singers

• Manding

  Baba Commandant & the Mandingo Band

• salsa

  Bio Ritmo

• Ukrainian

  Cheres

• Haudenosaunee social dance

  Chris Thomas & His Smoke Dancers

• rockabilly and honky-tonk

  Chuck Mead

• New Orleans funk and R&B

  Cyril Neville w/ Omari Neville & The Fuel

• Québécois

  Genticorum

• son jarocho

  Grupo Mono Blanco

• traditional Hawai’ian hula

  Halau ‘O Lilinoe

• traditional Tboli music and dance

  Helobung

• Hindustani violin

  Kala Ramnath

• Cabo Verdean

  Lutchinha

• Chicago blues

  Melody Angel

• bluegrass

  Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper

• zydeco

  Nathan & The Zydeco Cha Chas

• quelbe music

  Stanley & The Ten Sleepless Knights

• Ozark old-time

  State of the Ozarks String Band

Center for Cultural Vibrancy Virginia Folklife Stage

• Appalachian traditions with Chinese dulcimer

  Danny Knicely and Chao Tan

• country radio hour

  Farm and Fun Time®

• Piedmont blues

  Gail Ceasar

• gospel

  The Legendary Ingramettes

• honky-tonk

  Martha Spencer and the Wonderland Band

• New Sounds of Bristol Showcase

• classic soul

  Rodney Stith

• gospel and soul

  Sherman Holmes and Cora Armstrong with Reverend Almeta Ingram-Miller, Andrew Alli, Jared Pool, and Jacon Eller

• Appalachian traditions

  Wayne Henderson and Friends

• Americana

  Wild Ponies

Richmond Folk Festival, October 7-9, 2022

• a cappella imbube singing
  Black Umfolosi

• African American a cappella gospel
  The Legendary Ingramettes

• beatboxing
  Beatbox Dads

• Bentonia blues
  Jimmy “Duck” Holmes

• bluegrass
  Sideline

• Brazilian forró
  Felipe Hostins

• Cape Breton
  Beòlach

• deejaying
  Art of Noise RVA

• forró dance instructor
  Luciano Lima

• hill country blues
  Cedric Burnside

• honky-tonk country
  Jesse Daniel

• Ladino traditional song
  Nani Noam Vazana

• Mexican marimba and cumbia
  Son Rompe Pera

• Moorish griot
  Noura Mint Seymali

• Moroccan chaabi women’s ensemble
  Bnat el Houariyat & Esraa Warda

• New Orleans Black Masking Carnival music
  79rs Gang

• polyphonic singing from Epirus
  Isokratisses

• pungmul and samulnori
  Korean Performing Arts Institute of Chicago

• sacred steel guitar
  Fran Grace

• Tlingit storyteller, musician, and dancer
  Gene Tagaban (Guuy Yaau)

• zydeco
  Andre Thierry 

• zydeco dance instructor
  Jarene Fleming

Center for Cultural Vibrancy Virginia Folklife Stage

• blues
  Andrew Alli and Josh Small

• Bolivian/Appalachian
  Ouros with Danny Knicely

• gospel
  Ken Heath and the True Disciples
  The Legendary Ingramettes

• Indian Carnatic violin
  Kamalakiran Vinjamuri

• old-time and bluegrass
  Instrument Makers Jam

• Puerto Rican bomba
  Bomba Showcase: Tata Cepeda & Semilla Cultural

• singer-songwriter
  Scott Miller

• Trinidadian steel pan
  The Josanne Francis Septet

• Venezuelan/Appalachian
  Larry and Joe

Richmond Folk Festival, October 11-13, 2021

• Argentine tango
  The Pedro Giraudo Tango Ensemble

• bluegrass
  Danny Knicely & Will Lee
  Linda Lay & Springfield Exit

• blues
  Sugaray Rayford

• bomba y plena
  Plena Es

• Cajun
  Donny Broussard & the Louisiana Stars

• go-go
  Rare Essence

• Irish
  Joanie Madden & Cherish the Ladies

• jazz, hip hop, and tap dance
  Sean Jones “Dizzy Spellz” feat. Brinae Ali

• Lakota hoop dance and Northern Plains drum
  Jasmine Bell & North Bear

• Persian santour
  Nava Persian Trio

• reggae
  Taj Weekes

• Sicilian traditional music
  Rosa Tatuata with Michela Musolino

• trío romántico
  Tres en Punto

• western swing
  The Western Flyers

Virginia Traditions Folklife Stage

• bluegrass
  Danny Knicely and Will Lee
  David Via and Corn Tornado
  Linda Lay and Springfield Exit

• blues
  Justin Golden & the Come Up

• Gospel
  Gospel Stars of Greensboro
  Legendary Ingramettes with Special Guest Sherman Holmes

• hip hop and soul
  J Pope and the Hearnow

• honky-tonk
  Redd Volkaert

• Mongolian dance and mask making
  Gankhuyag Natsag

• old-time
  Jackson Cunningham and Nobody’s Business

• oyster shucking
  Deborah Pratt and Clementine Macon Boyd

Richmond Folk Festival, October 11-13, 2019

• Afro-Cuban
  Conjunto Guantánamo

• Afro-funk and go-go orchestra
  Plunky & the Oneness of Juju

• Aleppian wasla music and whirling dervish dance from Syria
  Aleppo Ensemble

• Appalachian songs and ballads
  Riley Baugus

• balafon masters
  Balla Kouyaté & Famoro Dioubaté

• bluegrass
  Lonesome River Band

• Cajun
  Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet

• Carnatic veena
  Saraswathi Ranganathan

• Delta blues
  Super Chikan & the Fighting Cocks

• Garifuna
  The Garifuna Collective

• Georgian polyphonic singing
  Iberi Choir

• gospel brass “shout band”
  Mangum & Company

• honky-tonk and country
  Dale Watson

• Irish step dance and music
  Kevin Doyle & Friends

• Memphis soul
  Stax Music Academy Alumni Band

• powwow dance traditions
  Native Pride Dancers

• puppetry
  Jeghetto

• salsa dance instructor
  Eileen Torres

• steel pan orchestra
  CASYM Steel Orchestra

• Tejano conjunto fiddle
  Panfilo’s Güera

• traditional music from Epirus
  Petroloukas Halkias & Vasilis Kostas

• traditional Scottish song, pipes, and whistles
  Julie Fowlis

• Tuareg guitar
  Bombino

• Tuvan throat-singing
  Huun Huur Tu

• zydeco dance instructor
  Talia Moser

Virginia Traditions Folklife Stage
“Hot Rods and Hot Licks”

• Americana
  Wild Ponies

• Appalachian singer-songwriters
  Willard Gayheart Family feat. Dori Freeman

• autoharp virtuoso/folk
  Bryan Bowers Band

• bluegrass
  Linda Lay & Springfield Exit

• blues
  Dr. Levine & the Dreaded BluesLady with Andrew Alli

• gospel
  Legendary Ingramettes with J Pope

• hip hop and house dance
  Urban Artistry

• Mongolian contortion
  Madkhai Erdembat

• old-time
  Whitetop Mountain Band

• oyster-shucking contest
  Deborah Pratt & Clementine Macon Boyd

• songwriting showcase
  Dori Freeman, Martha Spencer, Telisha & Doug Williams, and J Pope

• Virginia Dance Traditions
  Bend, Buck, and Break: Junious Brickhouse, Mandkhai Erdembat, & Danny Knicely

• youth banjo contest
  The Scott Street Five-String Finals
  
  
  

Richmond Folk Festival
October 12-14, 2018

• Acadian
  Vishtèn

• Afro-Colombian champeta
  Tribu Baharú

• Appalachian storytelling
  Josh Goforth

• Blue Ridge piano
  Jeff Little Trio

• bluegrass
  Claire Lynch

• blues and boogie-woogie piano
  Kenny “Blues Boss” Wayne

• Crimean Tatar
  The New York Crimean Tatar Ensemble

• gospel
  Cora Harvey Armstrong

• gospel choir
  Larry Bland & The Volunteer Choir

• gospel, soul, rhythm and blues
  Mavis Staples

• Gypsy jazz
  Lulo Reinhardt

• Irish
  Jarlath Henderson

• jazz
  Brianna Thomas

• Kathak dance
  Farah Yasmeen Shaikh

• Laotian khaen
  Bounxeung Synanonh

• Manding griot
  Sona Jobarteh

• New Orleans bounce
  Ricky B

• old-time
  New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters

• polish dance instructor
  Marsha Searle

• polka
  Pan Franek, Zosia & the Polka Towners

• reggae
  CANCELLED-The Abyssinians

• reggae
  Ras Michael & the Sons of Negus

• rockabilly
  Linda Gail Lewis

• salsa
  Orquesta el Macabeo

• tamburitza
  Tamburaški Sastav Ponoć

• traditional wind and percussion music from central-eastern China
  Zhou Family Band

• Zuni dance and song
  Zuni Olla Maidens

• zydeco
  Leroy Thomas & the Zydeco Roadrunners

• zydeco dance instructor
  Talia Moser

Virginia Traditions Folklife Stage
“Masquerade”

• a cappella gospel
  The Chosen Few feat. Tarrence Paschall

• Americana/blues
  Sherman Holmes Project

• bluegrass
  Mason Via & Hot Trail Mix

• bluegrass & old-time duets
  Corrina Rose Logston & Jeremy Stephens

• classical Persian music
  Nader Majd

• gospel
  The Legendary Ingramettes 

• jazz
  Danny Knicely Quartet feat. Bert Carlson

• Mongolian contortion
  Mandkhai Erdembat

• music of Vietnam
  Nguyen Dinh Nghia Family

• Old-time
  New Ballard Branch Bogtrotters

• Flatpick Guitar Masters
  Scott Fore & Brandon Davis

Richmond Folk Festival
October 13-15, 2017

• Afro-Venezuelan parranda
  Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo

• bluegrass
  Dale Ann Bradley

• Cabo Verdean funaná
  Bitori feat. Chando Graciosa

• Cajun dance instructor
  Talia Moser

• classic big band jazz
  The U.S. Army Blues

• cumbia amazonica
  Los Wembler’s

• flamenco
  Corazón de Granada: Flamenco Joven y Jondo

• go-go
  Be’la Dona

• gospel
  Spencer Taylor & the Highway QC’s

• honky-tonk
  Wayne Hancock

• Irish
  The Green Fields of America

• Japanese taiko drumming
  Grand Master Seiichi Tanaka & the San Francisco Taiko Dojo

• jazz guitar
  Jan Knutson

• Memphis soul
  Don Bryant

• menhaden sea chanteys
  Northern Neck Chantey Singers

• Métis fiddle and dance
  Patti Kusturok

• Moroccan Gnawa
  Innov Gnawa

• New Orleans brass band
  Paulin Brothers’ Brass Band

• old-time
  Crooked Road Ramblers

• Persian tar
  Sahba Motallebi

• Romanian cimbalom
  Nicolae Feraru

• soul blues
  Eddie Cotton, Jr.

• square dance caller
  Julie Shepherd-Powell

• step team competition

  • A Step Ahead

  • Omega Gamma Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta (sorority)

  • Henrico County Alumnae Chapter - Delta Sigma Theta (sorority)

  • Epsilon Zeta Chapter of Sigma Gamma Rho (sorority)

  • Eta Xi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi (fraternity)

  • Phi Delta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi (fraternity)

  • Gamma Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha (fraternity)

  • Delta Upsilon Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma—CANCELLED

  • Nu Psi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi—CANCELLED

  • Coordinator: Mecca Marsh

  • Intermission: The Bolden Academy School of Performing Arts

• western swing and hot jazz
  Hot Club of Cowtown

• zydeco
  C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band

Virginia Folklife Area
“Feed Your Soul”

• Americana
  Sherman Holmes Project

• country singer-songwriter
  Laura Leigh Jones

• gospel
  Cora Harvey Armstrong

• gospel
  The Legendary Ingramettes

• honky-tonk/country
  Wild Ponies

• Malian ngoni meets American banjo
  From African to Appalachia: Cheick Hamala Diabate, Sammy Shelor, and Riley Baugus

• Northern Indian khyal singing
  Ved Sheth

• Old Regular Baptist a cappella gospel
  Reverend Frank Newsome

• old-time and bluegrass
  Cabin Creek Boys

• Sephardic musical traditions
  Susan Gaeta & Gina Sobel

• Shenandoah Valley and southwestern Virginia
  Danny Knicely’s Next Generation with Eli and Aila Wildman, Victor Furtado, Andrew Vogts, and Jack Dunlap

• southern soul
  Big G

Richmond Folk Festival
October 7-9, 2016

• Afghan rubâb and tabla
  Homayoun Sakhi & Salar Nader

• African American gospel quartet singing
  The Fairfield Four

• Appalachian songs, stories, and ballads
  Sheila Kay Adams

• beatboxing
  The Beat[box] Goes On: Nicole Paris & Ed Cage

• beatboxing
  The Beat[box] Goes On: Rahzel

• bluegrass
  Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers

• blues
  Marquise Knox

• bomba y plena
  Viento de Agua – CANCELLED

• Brazilian mamulengo
  Chico Simões

• Bulgarian kaba gaida
  Kaynak Pipers Band

• Cajun
  BeauSoleil Trio: Doucet, Doucet, & Reed

• Cajun dance instructor
  Talia Moser

• Cape Breton and Ontario fiddling
  Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy

• Congolese soukous
  L’Orchestre Afrisa International

• conjunto dance instructor
  Tomas Salas

• conjunto tejano and norteño
  Conteño

• Cuban son
  Adonis Puentes & the Voice of Cuba Orchestra

• flamenco
  La Chiqui de Jerez Company feat. Eduardo Guerrero – CANCELLED

• funk
  Maceo Parker

• gamelan orchestra
  Balinese All Stars

• Irish
  Paddy Keenan & Jimmy Noonan

• klezmer
  Frank London Mini-Klezmer Allstars

• Lakota hoop dance and flute
  Kevin Locke

• Piedmont blues and dance
  Phil Wiggins Blues House Party

• rockabilly
  Jason D. Williams

• son dance instructor
  Eileen Torres

• Southern Italian pizzica tarantata
  Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino

• The Norfolk Sound
  Gary U.S. Bonds with Gene “Daddy G” Barge

• traditional African American gospel
  The Branchettes

• traditional Sri Lankan dance
  Sri Lankan Dance Academy of NY

• “Travis-style” thumb-picked guitar
  Ben Hall

• zydeco
  Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie

Union Bank & Trust Virginia Folklife Area
“Tasty Licks: Virginia’s Food Traditions”

• Appalachian singer and songwriter
  Dori Freeman

• bluegrass
  Shadowgrass

• bluegrass/singer-songwriters
  David and Mason Via

• blues/gospel
  Sherman Holmes

• gospel
  Cora Harvey Armstrong

• gospel
  The Legendary Ingramettes

• Northern Indian Khyal singing
  Humayun Khan

• Old Regular Baptist a cappella gospel
  Reverend Frank Newsome

• old time
  Unique Sound of the Mountains: Larry Sigmon and Martha Spencer

• Sephardic folk songs
  Trio Sefardi

• Tidewater gospel
  The Hurdle Brothers with Reverend Tarrence Paschall

Richmond Folk Festival
October 9-11, 2015

* indicates shared artist with Virginia Folklife

• Appalachian blues songsters
  The Harris Brothers

• big band free jazz
  Sun Ra Arkestra

• bluegrass
  Danny Paisley & the Southern Grass

• bluegrass gospel
  The Church Sisters*

• blues
  Shemekia Copeland

• blues & gospel
  Reverend John Wilkins

• Cajun
  Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band

• Cajun dance instructor
  Talia Moser

• Colombian
  Grupo Rebolú

• cumbia dance instructor
  Eileen Torres

• Dominican bachata
  Amargue Bachata Quintet with Andre Veloz

• Ethiojazz
  Feedel Band

• Georgian polyphonic chants, songs & dances
  Zedashe

• Haudenosaunee song & dance
  Oneida Nation Social & Smoke Dancers – CANCELLED
  Ongwehoñwe Singers & Dancers

• hip hop
  DJ Grandmaster Flash

• Irish
  The Alt

• Japanese candy art
  Masaji Candyman

• jump blues
  Deacon John’s Jump Blues

• Khmer classical dance
  Cambodian American Heritage Dance Troupe

• klezmer & cantorial
  Ahava Raba

• Masters of Appalachian music
  The Virginia Luthiers

• New England barn dances & contra dance
  Dudley Laufman & His Barn Dance Band

• Québécois
  De Temps Antan – CANCELLED

• rockabilly
  Sleepy LaBeef

• sacred steel guitar (African American gospel)
  The Campbell Brothers

• South Asian qawwali
  Riyaaz Qawwali

• tap
  Leonardo Sandoval

• traditional music & dance from the Persian Gulf
  Ensemble Shanbehzadeh

Union/University of Richmond Virginia Folklife Area
“Youth Will Be Served”

• Bluegrass
  Bud’s Collective
  Johnny and Jeannette Williams

• Bluegrass Banjo
  Sammy Shelor

• bluegrass gospel
  The Church Sisters*

• bluegrass/Country
  Ash Breeze

• Bolivian Traditions
  Tinkus Unidos
  Nelly Zapata
  Julia Garcia
  William Pozo-Zarate

• Elk Creek, Virginia and Traphill, North Carolina
  Kitty Amaral and Presley Barker

• Gospel
  The Ingramettes, in loving memory of Maggie Ingram
  Zion’s Voice

• Instrument-Contest Emcee
  Harold Mitchell

• Luthier and Guitar Player
  Wayne Henderson

• Multi-Instrumentalist
  Danny Knicely

• Old Regular Baptist a cappella gospel
  Frank Newsome

• R&B
  Anhayla

• Russian Folk Music
  Washington Balalaika Society Orchestra featuring Andrei Saveliev and Aaron Mott

• Youth Old-Time/Bluegrass Project
  Close Kin

Richmond Folk Festival
October 10-12, 2014

* indicates shared artist with Virginia Folklife

• Balkan brass band
  Boban and Marko Markovič Orkestar

• beatbox
  Shodekeh

• bluegrass
  Jesse McReynolds & The Virginia Boys*

• blues, gospel, R&B
  The Holmes Brothers

• Chinese string ensemble
  Ann Yao Trio

• circus arts
  Derek McAlister

• country & western
  Kayton Roberts & Friends

• Dominican merengue
  Joaquin Diaz

• Egyptian dance and music – replaced Ensemble Shanbehzadeh
  Egyptian Celebration

• go-go
  Trouble Funk

• gospel
  Maggie Ingram & the Ingramettes*

• gospel brass “shout band”
  The Bailey Hummingbirds*

• gospel choir
  The Virginia State University Gospel Chorale

• Hawaiian
  Masters of Hawaiian Music: Led Ka’apana, George Kahumoku, Jr., & Richard Ho’opi’i

• Indian slide guitar
  Debashish Bhattacharya & Family

• jazz
  Lafayette Gilchrist & the New Volcanoes

• Mayan sundance
  Tezcatlipoca Voladores

• merengue instructor
  Eileen Torres

• Mexican mariachi
  Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano

• Native American hip hop
  Supaman

• old-time
  Whitetop Mountaineers

• Pontic Greek
  Kostas Fetfatsidis and Evan Karapanagiotides

• Québécois
  Le Vent du Nord

• urban dance
  Throwdown on Brown: Breakdance Competition

• soul/R&B
  William Bell

• Tibetan opera, folk song and dance
  Chaksam-pa

• traditional music and dance from the Persian Gulf - CANCELLED
  Ensemble Shanbehzadeh

• West African highlife
  West African Highlife Band

• zydeco
  Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers

• zydeco dance instructor
  Talia Moser

Union/University of Richmond Virginia Folklife Area
“Sharing Living Traditions: Celebrating 25 Years of the Virginia Folklife Program at the Richmond Folk Festival”

• Bluegrass
  Jesse McReynolds*
  Linda and David Lay
  Randy Cook
  Furnace Mountain

• Bluegrass Banjo
  Sammy Shelor

• Gospel
  Maggie Ingram and the Ingramettes*

• Honky Tonk/Country
  Wild Ponies

• Old Regular Baptist a cappella gospel
  Frank Newsome

• Old Time
  Crooked Road Ramblers

• Shout Band
  The Bailey Hummingbirds*

• West African Traditions
  Cheick Hamala Diabate

Richmond Folk Festival
October 11-13, 2013

• African American A Cappella Gospel
  The Brotherhood Singers

• Appalachian Ballads and Songs
  Elizabeth LaPrelle
  Anna Roberts-Gevalt

• Bluegrass
  The James King Band

• Buckdance & Old-Time Band
  Thomas Maupin, Daniel Rothwell and Overall Creek with Korey Posey

• Cajun
  Jesse Lége & Joel Savoy

• Cajun Dance
  Talia Moser

• Circus Arts
  Red Trouser Show

• Garifuna
  Aurelio Martinez

• Chicaqo Blues
  Lurrie Bell Blues Band

• Go-Go
  The Chuck Brown All-Star Tribute Band with Special Guests

• Mali
  Abdoulaye Diabaté and Super Mande

• Maloya
  Christine Salem

• Newfoundland Traditional Music
  The Dardanelles

• New Orleans Brass Band
  Stooges Brass Band

• Polish Village Music
  The Prusinowski Trio

• Polka
  The Alex Meixner Band

• Portuguese Fado
  Nathalie Pires

• Québécois
  Yves Lambert Trio

• Rajasthani Music and Dance
  Rhythm of Rajasthan

• Reggae
  Don Carlos and the Dub Vision Band

• Rhythm and Blues
  Mighty Sam McClain

• Salsa
  Spanish Harlem Orchestra

• Salsa Dance
  Eileen Torres

• Tuvan Throat Singing
  Alash

• Vietnamese Bamboo Music
  Khac Chi

• Western Swing
  Marshall Ford Swing Band

• Old-time/Country
  Whitetop Mountain Band
  

Richmond Folk Festival
October 12-14, 2012

• Argentine Tango
  Hector Del Curto Tango Quartet

• Bluegrass
  Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice
  Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys

• Brazilian Forró
  Forró Pé de Serra All Stars

• Buckdance
  Williette Hinton

• Chinese Jaw Harp and Calabash Flute
  Wang Li

• Circus Arts
  Benjamin the Clown

• Cuban
  Eileen Torres
  Septeto Nacional

• Delta Blues
  Super Chikan & the Fighting Cocks

• Ethiopian Azmari Music and Dance
  Fendika

• Funk & Jazz
  Fred Wesley and the New JBs

• Haitian Twoubadou
  Ti-Coca et Wanga-Négés

• Hula Kahiko
  Hula Halau 'o Keikiali'i

• Iraqi Oud
  Rahim AlHaj

• Irish & Cape Breton Fiddling
  Liz Carroll Trio & Troy MacGillivray

• Kiowa/Comanche Music and Dance
  American Indian Music and Dance Show

• Kosher Gospel
  Joshua Nelson

• Louisiana Zydeco
  Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas

• Moroccan Gnawa
  Hassan Hakmoun

• Old-Time
  The Stage Hogs

• Piedmont Blues
  John Dee Holeman
  Phil Wiggins

• Rockabilly
  Lance Lipinsky

• Singer/Songwriter
  Rosanne Cash

• Swedish American Fiddlers
  Paul Dahlin and the Äkta Spelmän

• Traditional New Orleans Jazz
  Dr. Michael White and the Original Liberty Jazz Band

• Bluegrass
  Jesse McReynolds

Richmond Folk Festival
October 14-16, 2011

• African
  Bassekou Kouyaté & Ngoni Ba

• Afro-Cuban
  Pedrito Martinez Group

• Appalachian Guitar
  Gerald Anderson

• Azerbajani kamancha
  Imamyar Hasanov & Pejman Hadadi

• Banjo songs
  Tony Ellis & The Musicians of Braeburn

• Bluegrass
  Chatham County Line

• Blues
  Big Time Sarah
  Magic Slim & the Teardrops

• Cajun / Zydeco
  Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys

• Cape Breton
  Mary Jane Lamond and Wendy MacIsaac

• Ceili caller
  Jim Keenan

• Country
  Cindy Cashdollar
  Redd Volkaert Band

• Doo-wop
  Larry Chance & The Earls

• Funk & R&B
  Original P

• Gospel
  S.H. Thompson Memorial Choir

• Irish dance
  Old Bay Ceili Band

• Jewish
  Winograd's Nue Tanzhoyz Kapele with Hank Sapoznik

• Jewish dance instructor
  Steven Weintraub

• New Orleans piano
  Davell Crawford

• Peking Opera
  Qi Shu Fang Peking Opera

• Punch & Judy
  Professor Horn's Punch & Judy Show (Mark Walker)

• Reggae
  The Mighty Diamonds

• Tibetan sacred music and dance
  Tibetan Monks from the Drepung Loseling Monastery

• Traditional Tsimshian dance
  Git Hoan Dancers

• Trio romantic
  Los Tres Reyes
  

Richmond Folk Festival
October 8-10, 2010

• Andean
  Andes Manta

• Norwegian Hardanger fiddle and song
  Benedicte Maurseth

• Cajun
  Bonsoir, Catin

• Haitian mizik rasin
  Boukman Eksperyans

• Brazilian capoeira
  Capoeira Luanda

• Rockabilly
  Deke Dickerson and the Ecco-fonics with piano master Daryl Davis
  The Dazzlers
  Victor Mizelle
  Russell Williford

• Jazz and Mardi Gras Indian traditions
  Donald Harrison Jr. & The Congo Square Nation

• Bushehri music and dance of Iran
  Ensemble Shanbehzadeh

• Irish, West Virginia, Missouri and Texas fiddle
  Brendan Mulvihill
  Lester McCumbers
  Charlie Walden
  Jim “Texas Shorty” Chancellor

• Hammond B-3 gospel organ
  Dr. Harold Lilly

• Salsa dura
  La Excelencia

• Chicago Blues
  Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials

• Conjunto tejano
  Los Texmaniacs

• Irish
  Lúnasa

• Brass band
  No BS! Brass Band

• Tamburitza
  Otrov

• Bluegrass
  Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
  Tony Rice

• Go-Go
  Rare Essence

• Shape-note singing
  Sand Mountain Sacred Harp Singers

• Traditional music from Siberia
  Sibirskaya Vechora

• North Indian tabla
  Zakir Hussain

• Old Regular Baptist Singing
  Frank Newsome
  

Richmond Folk Festival
October 9-11, 2009

• Irish
  Martin Hayes & Dennis Cahill

• Bluegrass gospel
  Paul Williams & Victory Trio

• East African rumba & soukous
  Samba Mapangala & Orchestre Virunga

• Indian slide guitar
  Debashish Bhattacharya

• Go-Go
  Trouble Funk

• Greek Smyrneika
  Sophia Bilides Trio

• Zydeco
  Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys

• Sacred Steel
  Aubrey Ghent

• Western
  Wylie & The Wild West

• Acoustic blues
  Phil Wiggins & Corey Harris

• Puerto Rican bomba
  Jorge Negron’s Master Bomba Ensemble

• Cowboy poetry
  Paul Zarzyski

• Traditional Korean dance
  Sounds of Korea (with Min Ji Kim & Bora Ju)

• Bluegrass innovator
  Jerry Douglas Band

• Rhythm & Blues
  Swamp Dogg

• Maine French fiddle
  Don Roy Trio

• Colombian brass papayera
  La Gran Banda

• Cherokee storyteller
  Lloyd Arneach

• Northern Plains drum
  North Bear

• New Orleans jazz
  Bob French’s Original Tuxedo Jazz Band

• Jamaican reggae
  Clinton Fearon & The Boogie Brown Band

• Rhythm & Blues pioneer
  Mr. Wiggles

• New Orleans Brass Band (parade band)
  No BS! Brass Band

• Tuvan throat singing
  Khogzhumchu
  

Richmond Folk Festival
October 10-12, 2008

• Cajun
  BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet

• Gospel
  Larry Bland and the Volunteer Choir

• Zuni flute, song and dance
  The Cellicion Traditional Zuni Dancers

• Cree fiddler
  James Cheechoo

• Go-go
  EU

• Colombian joropo music
  Grupo Cimarrón

• Texas/Czech polka
  Mark Halata and Texavia

• Eastern European
  Harmonia

• Reggae
  The Itals

• Hawaiian
  Ledward Kaapana and Mike Kaawa

• Flatpicked and fingerpicked guitar
  Robin Kessinger & Todd Hallawell

• Old-time
  Lee Sexton Band

• Honky-tonk country
  Dale Watson

• Saharan blues
  Vieux Farka Touré

• Salsa dance instructor
  Eileen Torres

• Bluegrass
  The Dan Tyminski Band

• African American fife and drum
  Sharde Thomas and The Rising Star Fife and Drum

• Mayan sundance
  Tezcatlipoca Voladores

• Javanese shadow puppetry
  Tamara and the Shadow Puppet Theatre of Java

• Japanese ritual drumming
  San Jose Taiko

• Soul/R&B
  Howard Tate

• Salsa / bomba y plena
  Plena Libre

• Kentucky thumb-picked guitar
  Eddie & Alonzo Pennington

• Inuit Throat Singing
  Nukariik

• Arabic
  Nadeem Dlaikan & Friends

• Irish
  Líadan

• Youth percussion ensemble
  Drums No Guns

• Glass harmonica player (Family Area)
  Dean Shostak

• Sea chanteys (Family Area)
  Bob Zentz

• Ships in a bottle (Family area)
  Jim Goodwin

• Americana
  The Company Store (JAM Inc.)
  

69th National Folk Festival
Richmond, Virginia
October 12-14, 2007

• African-American tap and North Indian Kathak dance
  Jason Samuels Smith & Pandit Chitresh Das

• Zydeco
  Rosie Ledet & The Zydeco Playboys

• Guatemalan alfombra maker
  Ubaldo Sanchez

• Filipino Gong Orchestra
  Palabuniyan Kulintang Ensemble

• Ivorian dance & percussion ensemble
  Kotchegna Dance Company

• Go-Go
  Junk Yard Band

• Blues, Gospel and R&B
  The Holmes Brothers

• New Orleans piano professor
  Henry Butler

• Blue Ridge guitar and piano
  Wayne Henderson and Jeff Little

• Irish song and music
  Karan Casey

• Acadian Music and Dance
  Vishten

• Autoharp player and singer
  Bryan Bowers

• Native American Storyteller
  Dovie Thomason

• Persian santur
  Manoochehr Sadeghi

• Bluegrass and bluegrass gospel
  Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
  Bluegrass
  Big Country Bluegrass

• Western Swing
  Elana James & Cindy Cashdollar

• Ethiopian Christian Liturgical Music
  Moges Seyoum & The Yared Choir

• Gospel
  Maggie Ingram & The Ingramettes

• Punch and Judy puppetry
  John Styles

• 18th-century circus arts
  Signora Bella

• Historical woodwork and crafts
  Robert Watson

• American Indian drumming, singing and dance
  Virginia Indian Intertribal Dance Group and Drum

• Tamburitza musician & composer
  The Jerry Grcevich Tamburitza Orchestra

• Latin dance music
  Grupo Fantasma

• Hip-hop innovators
  Wild Style 25th Anniversary Reunion

• Honky-tonk Cajun
  D.L. Menard with Terry Huval and the Jambalaya Cajun Band

• Guatemalan marimba
  Marimba Linda Xelajú

• Chinese music
  Melody of China

• African American gospel brass
  The Madison Hummingbirds

• Piedmont blues
  Cephas & Wiggins

• Bluegrass singing
  Linda & David Lay
  

68th National Folk Festival
Richmond, Virginia
October 13-15, 2006

• New Orleans Creole jazz and blues
  Don Vappie & The Creole Jazz Serenaders

• Bluegrass
  Kenny & Amanda Smith Band

• Go-Go
  Chuck Brown

• Blues
  Willie King & The Liberators
  Warner Williams & Jay Summerour
  Jeffrey Scott
  Nat Reese

• Jamaican ska
  The Skatalites

• Texas fiddling
  The Quebe Sisters Band

• Chinese guzheng player
  Grace Chang

• Québécois
  Le Vent du Nord

• Sacred Steel
  The Lee Boys

• Conjunto tejano
  Santiago Jimenez, Jr.

• Irish
  Boston Edge: Joe Derrane, Seamus Connolly and John McGann

• Rockabilly
  Sonny Burgess & The Legendary Pacers

• Cajun
  Lost Bayou Ramblers

• Crucian scratch band music
  Jamesie & The Allstars with Blinky McIntosh

• Throat Singing from the Altai Republic
  AltaiKAI

• Latin dance and jazz
  Carlos de Leon Orchestra

• Old-time
  New Ballards Branch Bogtrotters

• Klezmer
  Hank Sapoznik & The Youngers of Zion

• Appalachian ballads and songs
  Brien Fain
  Elizabeth LaPrelle
  Hazel Dickens

• Armenian
  Richard Hagopian Ensemble

• New Orleans Parade Band
  Treme Brass Band

• Hawaiian Hula Kahiko
  Hula Halau O’Lilinoe

• Bharata Natyam
  Mythili Prakash and the Dance of India Ensemble

• Flatpick guitar
  Scott Fore

• Tobacco auctioneer
  Bob Cage

• Menhaden chantey singers
  Northern Neck Chantey Singers

• Chinese rod puppetry
  Yuqin Wang Dragon Art Studio

• Clowns
  New York Goofs

• Chinese yo-yo
  Chinese Folk Art Workshop

• Gourd Ensemble
  Richmond Indigenous Gourd Ensemble

• African-American work song
  Buckingham Lining Bar Gang
  

67th National Folk Festival,
Richmond, Virginia
October 7-9, 2005

• Bluegrass
  Mountain Heart

• Klezmer
  Frank London’s Klezmer Brass All-Stars

• Gospel
  The Paschall Brothers
  First African Baptist Singers

• Blues
  Cephas & Wiggins
  Bernard Allison

• Puerto Rican Bomba y plena
  Los Pleneros de la 21

• Shout band
  The Madison Hummingbirds

• Mexican mariachi
  Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano

• Cajun
  Savoy Family Band

• Cape Breton
  J.P. Cormier

• Irish
  Dervish

• Music from the Crooked Road, various artists
  Kirk Sutphin
  Sammy Shelor

• Bulgarian wedding music
  Ivo Papasov & Yuri Yunakov

• Traditional Cambodian music and dance
  Cambodian-American Heritage Dance Troupe

• Zydeco
  Zydeco Joe & Lassiez Le Bon Temp Rouler Band

• Rockabilly
  Hayden Thompson & The Rhythm Rockers

• New Orleans boogie-woogie piano
  Marcia Ball

• Nepalese/Himalayan music and dance
  Prem Raja Mahat

• Black banjo traditions
  Sankofa Strings

• Malian
  Cheick Hamala Diabate Ensemble

• Native American Yup’ik
  Chuna McIntyre

• Cowboy poet
  DW Groethe

• Bluegrass Banjo
  Sammy Shelor

• Old-time banjo and fiddle
  Kirk Sutphin

The Richmond Folk Festival is produced by Venture Richmond Events, LLC in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA). Other producing partners include the City of Richmond and the Children’s Museum of Richmond.

Venture Richmond is a non-profit organization formed to engage business and community leaders in partnering with the City to enhance the vitality of the community, particularly Downtown, through economic development, marketing, promotion, advocacy and events. Venture Richmond provides enhanced property management services for both the Downtown and Riverfront including; the Clean & Safe program, beautification and landscaping projects and management and maintenance of Brown's Island, the Canal Walk and Belle Isle parking lot. Venture Richmond Events produces Friday Cheers, the 2nd Street Festival, the Richmond Folk Festival, and partners with the Richmond Sportsbackers to produce Dominion Energy Riverrock. Venture Richmond also operates Riverfront Canal Cruises. Both Venture Richmond Events, LLC and Riverfront Canal Cruises, LLC are subsidiaries of Venture Richmond, Inc. For more information visit www.venturerichmond.com.