A VPM Documentary
RICHMOND, VA – VPM, working in partnership with Venture Richmond and the Richmond Folk Festival, has produced a television documentary for the 20th anniversary of the Richmond Folk Festival.
Capturing footage of the 2023 Richmond Folk Festival, as well as interviews with staff, artists, volunteers and more, The Sounds of Culture sheds light into Richmond’s best festival and the country’s largest Folk Festival.
Each fall for nearly 20 years, people from across the country converge on downtown Richmond’s Riverfront for the Richmond Folk Festival. The tradition began in 2005 when the city and Venture Richmond hosted The National Folk Festival, which reflected “the ongoing national pursuit to fulfill the country’s founding principles of equality, liberty, and justice for all people” (via the National Council for the Traditional Arts).
“The Richmond Folk Festival celebrates our country's diverse culture with food, storytelling, dance, crafts and music,” said VPM’s chief content officer and executive producer Steve Humble. “The Festival is a tremendously popular tradition in Richmond and we’re excited to share some of the stories behind how it began and what it means to the community.”
The Sounds of Culture: 20 Years of the Richmond Folk Festival weaves the story of The Festival’s history into the broader image of today’s festival. The documentary chronicles the numerous stages, folk-life areas and public participation around the expansive festival grounds, with music at the center point of the narrative. Viewers also meet Stephen Lecky, director of events at Venture Richmond, as he navigates the 2023 festival. Stephen contributes historical and logistical details of the festival and acts as a common thread throughout the film. Other interviews include current and past performers, volunteers and festival attendees.
Watch a 1-minute trailer video here!
The Sounds of Culture: 20 years of the Richmond Folk Festival premieres on Tuesday, September 17, at 8:00 p.m. It can be seen on VPM PBS Richmond, VPM PBS Charlottesville, VPM PBS Harrisonburg and livestreamed on the PBS app. The documentary can be seen again on Sunday, September 22 at 3:00 p.m. and then on Thursday, September 26 at 8:00 p.m. For more information, visit VPM.org.
The 2024 Richmond Folk Festival will take place on a special weekend this year, September 27-29, to avoid falling on the Jewish High Holiday, Yom Kippur.
The Richmond Folk Festival is presented by Venture Richmond Events, in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the Center for Cultural Vibrancy, Virginia Humanities and the City of Richmond. For more information about the Richmond Folk Festival, visit richmondfolkfestival.org.
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About the Richmond Folk Festival
The Richmond Folk Festival is one of Virginia's largest events, drawing visitors from all over the country to Downtown Richmond's historic riverfront. The Festival is a FREE three-day event that got its start when Richmond hosted the National Council for the Traditional Arts’ National Folk Festival, held in Richmond from 2005-2007. In the tradition of “The National," the Richmond Folk Festival features excellent performing groups representing a diverse array of cultural traditions on six stages. The festival includes continuous music and dance performances, a Virginia Folklife Area featuring ongoing demonstrations, an interactive Family Area produced by the Children's Museum, a folk-art marketplace, regional and ethnic foods, festival merchandise and more. Additional information is available at richmondfolkfestival.org.
About Venture Richmond
Venture Richmond, Inc., 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 Downtown, Manchester and the Riverfront including the Clean & Safe program, beautification and landscaping projects and management and maintenance of Brown's Island, the Canal Walk and the Belle Isle parking lot.
Venture Richmond Events, LLC, produces Friday Cheers, the 2nd Street Festival, the Richmond Folk Festival, and partners with Sports Backers to produce Dominion Energy Riverrock.
Riverfront Canal Cruises, LLC, operates historically narrated boat tours and private charters of the James River and Kanawha Canal.
Both Venture Richmond Events, LLC, and Riverfront Canal Cruises, LLC, are subsidiaries of Venture Richmond, Inc. For more information visit venturerichmond.com.
About VPM
As Virginia’s home for public media, VPM connects nearly 2 million people across Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley to insightful programming in news, education, arts and culture across its television, radio and digital channels. The VPM News team delivers award-winning coverage of Virginia’s General Assembly; statewide politics; educational, economic and legal issues; as well as the news of the day. VPM produces acclaimed series and documentaries, plus a range of music shows with local hosts curating selections in classical, jazz, hop-hop and alternative music. VPM also creates content through its Science Matters initiative and provides early childhood educational resources to families, caregivers and educators. Since 2021, VPM has operated Style Weekly, a magazine centered on deeper arts and culture coverage and local storytelling. Learn more at VPM.org and on Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok, Instagram and several channels on YouTube.
Venture Richmond, 200 S. Third Street, Richmond, VA 23219