October 9-11, 2020
RICHMOND, VA – The Richmond Folk Festival is excited to announce the full schedule for the virtual celebration that will take place the weekend of October 9-11, as well as final details about all the artists who will be featured throughout the weekend, bringing together the community through a special television program, radio broadcasts and online streaming.
Venture Richmond Events, in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the Virginia Folklife Program and the Children’s Museum, will present new music and dance performances that are exclusive to the festival, highlights of favorite artists from past festivals, cooking demonstrations, a crafts marketplace and an official festival poster!
The show will go on—a virtual event celebrating the roots, richness, and variety of American culture.
The final five artists who will be featured in new, exclusive performances in the livestream event include:
Ann Yao (Chinese guzheng)
Orlando, FloridaThe Campbell Brothers (sacred steel guitar)
Rochester, New YorkDon Bryant (Memphis soul)
Memphis, TennesseeJasmine Bell & North Bear (Lakota hoop dance and Northern Plains drum)
Riverton, WyomingPine Leaf Boys (Cajun)
Lafayette, Louisiana
Click here for extended artist bios, plus audio and video samples on our website.
Past Favorite Performances on VPM Music (radio)
Listen all weekend to hear some of your favorite performances from the past 15 years of the Richmond Folk Festival. Tune in to Richmond public radio VPM Music stations 107.3 FM & 93.1 FM for great musical memories.
VPM Music Radio Schedule
Friday, October 9 from 6:00-10:00pm tune in to hear:
Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band (traditional New Orleans jazz) 2012
The Alt (Irish) 2015
Maggie Ingram & the Ingramettes (gospel) 2007
AltaiKAI (Altai throat-singing and traditional music) 2006
Bombino (Tuareg guitar) 2019
Saturday, October 10 from 12:00-6:00pm tune in to hear:
Jeff Little Trio (Blue Ridge piano) 2018
Nathalie Pires (fado) 2013
Le Vent du Nord (Québécois) 2014
Debashish Bhattacharya & Family (Indian slide guitar) 2014
Joshua Nelson (kosher gospel) 2012
Lulo Reinhardt & Daniel Stelter (Gypsy jazz) 2018
Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (Southern Italian pizzica tarantata) 2016
Marcia Ball (Gulf Coast boogie-woogie piano) 2005
On Sunday, October 11 from 12:00-6:00pm tune in to hear:
Virginia Sacred Singing feat.
Frank Newsome (Old Regular Baptist hymns) 2007
The Paschall Brothers (a cappella gospel quartet) 2005Andes Manta (Andean) 2010
Dale Ann Bradley (bluegrass) 2017
Lurrie Bell (Chicago blues) 2013
Amargue Bachata Quintet with Andre Veloz (Dominican bachata) 2015
Ahava Raba (klezmer & cantorial) 2015
Sona Jobarteh (Manding griot) 2018
Clinton Fearon (Jamaican reggae) 2009
The full radio schedule and specific performance timing can be found on our website.
All Together Now VPM Plus Television Show
The Richmond Folk Festival proudly presents All Together Now, a two-part television program celebrating Virginia artists, to be aired on VPM Plus on Saturday, October 10 and Sunday, October 11 from 6:00-8:00pm. This television program, created specifically for the 2020 festival, features new performances from some of Virginia’s most talented artists, along with several of our favorite past performances from the festival’s beloved Virginia Folklife Stage. Viewers will also enjoy brand new, 30-minute sets filmed at Richmond’s Spacebomb Studios in partnership with VPM, from artists including Butcher Brown feat. J. Plunky Branch, Cora Harvey Armstrong, Jared Pool & Friends, and Kadencia. All Together Now features both new performances and some of our favorites from the past.
The full television schedule, channels, and list of performers can be found on our website.
CarMax Family Activities, Produced by the Children’s Museum
Enjoy great new interactive videos from the Children’s Museum over the event weekend! Festival fans can make the iconic Children’s Museum bag hats, among many other creative and inspiring activities. Pick up your child's bag hat kit in advance at the Children’s Museum’s downtown location, 2626 W Broad Street, at the doors closest to Terminal Pl. Pick up dates are: Saturday, October 3 from 10:00am-noon, and Saturday, October 10 from 10:00am-noon. Limited availability, one per child in each household. First-come, first-served.
Together Apart: Participatory Art Installation on Brown’s Island
A new and exciting addition to this year’s festival is an interactive art installation on Brown’s Island, by artist Kevin Orlosky. Public participation is encouraged! The artwork will manifest as a massive stone labyrinth that when viewed from above reveals a hand. Become a part of the sculpture and paint a rock that represents something you miss, mourn, or are excited to experience again after the period of social distancing ends. Place your rock on the black fabric inside the contours of the rock perimeter. The public installation will take place from October 4-16 on Brown’s Island. More information can be found on our website.
Official Festival Beer, Hazy Folk
The official Richmond Folk Festival beer, Hazy Folk, our collaborative effort with AleWerks Brewing Company, is now available at select retailers throughout the state! This New England-style IPA greets you with aromas of ripe peaches, grapefruit and tangerines on the nose. Notes of tropical fruit and slightly citrusy pine take center stage with your first sip. The addition of oats and wheat to a light and crisp pilsen malt base yields a velvety mouthfeel. Grab a 4-pack while you can! Learn more about Hazy Folk and where you can purchase it on our website.
Official Festival T-shirt and Poster For Sale
VCU graduate Shannon Wright joins a talented collection of artists commissioned to design the official poster for the Richmond Folk Festival. Posters and event t-shirts are for sale at Plan 9 Music in Carytown or at Plan 9 Online.
Craft Marketplace Online Shopping
The festival’s Craft Marketplace features artisans selling handcrafted and traditional items, ranging from jewelry and specialty goods to original artwork. This year, enjoy shopping from over 25 of your favorite festival merchants online.
Ways to Watch and Listen to This Year’s Virtual Celebration
This year’s virtual celebration is a great opportunity for families to plan gatherings and watch parties at home in a safe, fun and responsible way.
Friday, October 9
6:00-10:00pm
LISTEN to Richmond public radio VPM Music stations 107.3 FM & 93.1 FM for great musical memories from past festivals.
6:30-8:30pm
VIEW LIVESTREAM at RichmondFolkFestival.org, the Richmond Folk Festival’s Facebook page, and the Richmond Folk Festival on YouTube.
Saturday, October 10
12:00-6:00pm
LISTEN to Richmond public radio VPM Music stations 107.3 FM & 93.1 FM for great musical memories from past festivals.
1:30-5:45pm
VIEW LIVESTREAM at RichmondFolkFestival.org, the Richmond Folk Festival’s Facebook page, and the Richmond Folk Festival on YouTube.
6:00-8:00pm
WATCH All Together Now, a special television program celebrating Virginia artists, to be aired on VPM PBS Plus Channel 57.1 WCVW digital HD transmitters, and other VPM TV stations found on our website, as well as livestreamed on VPM’s Facebook page and VPM’s YouTube page.
Sunday, October 11
12:00-6:00pm
LISTEN to Richmond public radio VPM Music stations 107.3 FM & 93.1 FM for great musical memories from past festivals.
2:00-6:00pm
VIEW LIVESTREAM at RichmondFolkFestival.org, the Richmond Folk Festival’s Facebook page, and the Richmond Folk Festival on YouTube.
6:00-8:00pm
WATCH All Together Now, a special television program celebrating Virginia artists, to be aired on VPM Plus Channel 57.1 WCVW digital HD transmitters, and other VPM TV stations found on our website, as well as livestreamed on VPM’s Facebook page and VPM’s YouTube page.
Stay Informed
Folk Fest Insider enewsletter subscribers are among the first to receive updates and breaking news about the festival. For more information about the Richmond Folk Festival, visit www.richmondfolkfestival.org. #RVAFolkFest
Text to Give!
We won’t be able to gather on downtown Richmond’s riverfront this year, but the show will go on and we still need your support. Text FOLK to 44321 to donate or donate online.
Many thanks to our sponsors:
Altria, City of Richmond, Dominion Energy, WestRock, Capital One, Community Foundation, CarMax, NBC12 & CW Richmond, Richmond Times Dispatch, VPM, SummitMedia, National Park Service, Plan 9 Music, House of Hayes, Tonal Park Studios, Spacebomb Studios
###
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 as 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 seven 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 www.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 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, 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 www.venturerichmond.com.
About the National Council for the Traditional Arts
A leading non-profit in the field, the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is dedicated to the presentation and documentation of folk and traditional arts in the U.S. Stressing excellence and authenticity, the NCTA presents the nation’s finest traditional artists in major festivals, tours, concerts, workshops, demonstrations, exhibitions, media productions, school programs, cross-cultural exchanges, and other activities. It works in partnership with American communities to establish new, sustainable traditional arts events that deliver lasting social, cultural, and economic benefits. Over 7,000 hours of the NCTA’s archival audio recordings dating from the 1930s are permanently housed at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. The NCTA champions the interests of folk and traditional artists and organizations in the arena of public policy. For more about the NCTA, visit http://ncta-usa.org/.