The Richmond Folk Festival returns Friday-Sunday, October 7-9, and celebrates its 18th anniversary, having become one of Virginia’s largest and most beloved events. The festival draws attendees each year to downtown Richmond’s riverfront to celebrate the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling and food.
The free, three-day event hosts 200,000 people over the weekend and is produced by Venture Richmond Events in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities, the Center for Cultural Vibrancy, Children’s Museum, and the City of Richmond.
Featuring six stages and showcasing music and dance from more than 30 performing groups from around Virginia, the nation and the world, the Richmond Folk Festival today announces the full performance schedule as well as the Virginia Folklife Area and Stage and the Family Area. Once again featuring a new artistic program and the nation's finest traditional artists, this year's festival offers something for everyone.
Read all about the performers at each stage, and see the full weekend event schedule.
Read all about each artist performing, plus audio and video samples.
Virginia Folklife Area and Stage
For the first time, the Virginia Folklife Area is produced as a partnership between the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities and the newly formed Center for Cultural Vibrancy. Along with this newly formed partnership, this year provides many reasons to celebrate. 2022 marks the twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program, which supports the continuation of living traditions by giving direct support and a public platform to artists.
In addition to an interactive exhibit to celebrate this milestone, there will be an Instrument Makers Workshop spotlighting several current and previous apprenticeship artists. Eleven luthiers who build and repair guitars, banjos, mandolins, violins, dulcimers and more will travel from across the state to showcase the many skills required to build stringed instruments. In addition to their craft demonstrations, there will be an Instrument Makers Jam on the Virginia Folklife Stage along with a special one-time-only performance uniting Tata Cepeda, one of Puerto Rico’s finest bomba dancers, with the Fredericksburg non-profit Semilla Cultural, led by Isha M Renta Lopez. Lopez and Cepeda are current Virginia Folklife Program apprenticeship artists.
The Traditional Crafts Area is produced by the Virginia Folklife Program at Virginia Humanities, the state center for the documentation, presentation, support and celebration of Virginia’s rich cultural heritage. For more than thirty years, the program has documented the Commonwealth’s music and material traditions and shared those histories through hands-on workshops, performances, exhibitions, audio and video recordings, and apprenticeships across Virginia.
Read all about the artists of the Virginia Folklife Area and Stage.
Family Area, Produced by the Children’s Museum
Super Heroes of all sizes will enjoy themed zones from iconic bag hats, hand painting and balloon artists, to the Creation zone where everyone can contribute to a joint art project recognizing our own community “super heroes.” Kids can test their super powers in the obstacle course or show off other amazing skills in the Activity zone. Guests can visit each zone and complete a passport for a prize! The City Singers and The Autism Society of Virginia will bring added “Super” dimension to the Family Area with instruments and sensory exploration. It’s a POWERFUL experience for the whole family!
The Family Area is in its new location this year just up the hill in the grassy field at 2nd Street and Brown’s Island Way.
Festival Hours
Friday, October 7 — 6:30pm - 10:00pm
Saturday, October 8 — 12:00pm - 9:30pm
Sunday, October 9 — 12:00pm - 6:00pm
Friends of the Festival
Become a Friend of the Festival to help sustain the Richmond Folk Festival for many years to come! Gifts from our Friends ensure the consistency and future of the performances and programs that we all enjoy the most. Your support is invaluable as we work to sustain the largest artistic and cultural gathering in Richmond. Benefits include: weekend parking passes, name mentioned on festival banners and website, a commemorative Richmond Folk Festival Friend of the Festival enameled lapel pin and a limited-edition, screen printed, hand signed and numbered poster by the 2022 official poster artist.
Learn more here! https://www.richmondfolkfestival.org/donations
For more information about the Richmond Folk Festival, visit www.richmondfolkfestival.org. #RVAFolkFest - Text to Give! Text FOLK to 44321