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Richmond Folk Festival
October 11, 2019 - October 13, 2019
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. The Richmond Folk Festival features performing groups representing a diverse array of cultural traditions on seven stages.
Volunteer Registration is now open!
The Richmond Folk Festival offers a variety of exciting volunteer areas. In 2018, more than 1,300 volunteers joined in the effort to make the Richmond Folk Festival such a success – don’t miss out on your chance this year.
The Festival is a wonderful place for civic, school, church and office organizations to volunteer. Please email Jamie Thomas, Volunteer Coordinator, at jamierichmondfolkfest@gmail.com to learn more about group volunteer opportunities. Please note: All school sponsored groups must have at least one faculty or adult member as the group’s lead contact present at the Festival.
Please see below for job descriptions then use our online form to sign up. You will receive an automatic email confirmation of your application. Job assignments will be emailed this summer.
TAKE THE VOLUNTEER CHALLENGE!
New this year, when you sign up a group of 4 or more for a beer-truck or donation bucket shift, you’ll be rewarded with fun swag when you check in to volunteer!
Schedule:
Friday, October 11, 6 PM – 10:00 PM
Saturday, October 12, Noon – 9:30 PM
Sunday, October 13, Noon – 6:00 PM
* Sign Language Interpreted Performances
Missing a day at the festival? VPM will broadcast live from the Altria Stage – Friday 7:00 – 10:00, Saturday 12:00 – 5:00, and Sunday 12:00 – 6:00. (Look for VPM next to the performances below)
Friday, October 11
ALTRIA STAGE
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6:30 – 7:30 CASYM Steel Orchestra (steel pan orchestra) VPM
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7:45 – 8:45 Iberi Choir (Georgian polyphonic singing) VPM
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9:00 – 10:00 Bombino (Tuareg guitar) VPM
COSTAR STAGE
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7:30 – 8:30 Riley Baugus (Appalachian songs and ballads)
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8:45 – 9:45 Julie Fowlis (traditional Scottish song)
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION STAGE
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8:00 – 9:15 Super Chikan & the Fighting Cocks (Delta blues)
DOMINION ENERGY DANCE PAVILION
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7:30 – 8:30 Conjunto Guantanamo (Afro-Cuban)
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8:30 – 9:00 Cajun dance lesson with Talia Moser
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9:00 – 10:00 BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet (Cajun)
Saturday, October 12
ALTRIA STAGE
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12:00 – 12:45 Petroloukas Halkias & Vasilis Kostas (traditional music from Epirus) VPM
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1:00 – 1:45 Riley Baugus (Appalachian songs and ballads) VPM
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2:00 – 2:45 Huun Huur Tu (Tuvan throat-singing) VPM
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3:00 – 3:45 Plunky & the Oneness of Juju (Afro-funk and go-go orchestra) VPM
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4:00 – 5:00 BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet (Cajun) VPM
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6:00 – 7:00 Mangum & Company (gospel brass “shout band”)
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7:15 – 8:15 Julie Fowlis (traditional Scottish song)
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8:30 – 9:30 Dale Watson (honky-tonk and country) *
COSTAR STAGE
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12:00 – 12:45 Panfilo’s Güera (Tejano conjunto fiddle)
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1:00 – 1:45 Lonesome River Band (bluegrass)
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2:00 – 3:00 String Us Along—Don Pawlak (Dale Watson); Duncan Chisholm (Julie Fowlis); Sammy Shelor (Lonesome River Band); Mohamed Alsiadi, Zafer Tawil (Aleppo Ensemble)
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3:15 – 4:15 In Good Hands: Keepers of Endangered Traditions—Julie Fowlis, The Garifuna Collective, Native Pride Dancers, Panfilo’s Güera*
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4:30 – 5:30 Julie Fowlis (traditional Scottish song)
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6:30 – 7:15 Aleppo Ensemble (Aleppian wasla music and whirling dervish dance from Syria)
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7:30 – 8:15 Balla Kouyaté & Famoro Dioubaté (balafon masters)
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8:30 – 9:15 Huun Huur Tu (Tuvan throat-singing)
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION STAGE
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12:00 – 12:45 Kevin Doyle & Friends (Irish step dance & music)
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1:00 – 2:00 Iconoclasts & Innovators—Bombino; Dale Watson; Michael & David Doucet, Mitch Reed (BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet); James “Plunky” Branch; Super Chikan
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2:15 – 3:00 Mangum & Company (gospel brass “shout band”)
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3:15 – 4:15 Bombino (Tuareg guitar)
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5:15 – 6:00 CASYM Steel Orchestra (steel pan orchestra)
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6:15 – 7:00 Iberi Choir (Georgian polyphonic singing)
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7:15 – 8:00 Lonesome River Band (bluegrass)
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8:15 – 9:15 BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet (Cajun)
DOMINION ENERGY DANCE PAVILION
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12:00 – 12:45 Stax Music Academy Alumni Band (Memphis soul)
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1:00 – 2:00 The Garifuna Collective (Garifuna)
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2:00 – 2:30 Cuban son dance lesson with Eileen Torres
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2:30 – 3:30 Conjunto Guantanamo (Afro-Cuban)
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3:45 – 4:45 Dale Watson (honky-tonk and country)
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5:45 – 6:45 Super Chikan & the Fighting Cocks (Delta blues)
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7:05 – 8:00 Plunky & the Oneness of Juju (Afro-funk and go-go orchestra)
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8:20 – 9:30 Bombino (Tuareg guitar)
CAPITAL ONE STAGE
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12:15 – 1:00 Aleppo Ensemble (Aleppian wasla music and whirling dervish dance from Syria)
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1:15 – 2:00 Native Pride Dancers (powwow dance traditions)*
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2:15 – 3:00 Iberi Choir (Georgian polyphonic singing)
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3:15 – 4:00 Riley Baugus (Appalachian songs and ballads)
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4:15 – 5:00 Saraswathi Ranganathan (Carnatic veena)
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5:15 – 6:00 Petroloukas Halkias & Vasilis Kostas (traditional music from Epirus)
CARMAX FAMILY STAGE
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12:00 – 12:30 Josh Bearman (presented by JAMinc)
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12:45 – 1:15 Jeghetto (puppetry)
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1:30 – 2:15 Saraswathi Ranganathan (Carnatic veena)
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2:30 – 3:15 Irish Step Dance 101 with Kevin Doyle & Friends
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3:30 – 4:15 Deau Eyes (presented by JAMinc)
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4:15 – 4:25 Junior Ranger Swearing-In
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4:30 – 5:00 Jeghetto (puppetry)
RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH VIRGINIA FOLKLIFE STAGE
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12:30 – 1:15 Dr. Levine & the Dreaded BluesLady with Andrew Alli (blues)
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1:30 – 2:15 Bryan Bowers Band (autoharp virtuoso/folk)
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2:30 – 3:15 Bend, Buck, and Break: Virginia Dance Traditions—Junious Brickhouse(Urban Artistry), Mandkhai Erdembat (Mongolian contortion), and Danny Knicely (Bryan Bowers Band)
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3:30 – 4:15 Linda Lay & Springfield Exit (bluegrass)
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4:30 – 5:30 The Scott Street Five-String Finals (youth banjo contest presented by JAMinc)
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5:45 – 6:00 Mandkhai Erdembat (Mongolian contortion)
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6:15 – 7:00 Urban Artistry (hip hop and house dance)
STREET PERFORMANCE AT TREDEGAR PLAZA
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1:00 – 1:30 CASYM Steel Orchestra (steel pan orchestra)
Sunday, October 13
ALTRIA STAGE
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12:00 – 12:45 Mangum & Company (gospel brass “shout band”) VPM
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1:00 – 1:45 Lonesome River Band (bluegrass) VPM
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2:00 – 2:45 Conjunto Guantanamo (Afro-Cuban) VPM
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3:00 – 3:45 Balla Kouyaté & Famoro Dioubaté (balafon masters) VPM
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4:00 – 4:45 Dale Watson (honky-tonk and country) VPM
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5:00 – 6:00 Super Chikan & the Fighting Cocks (Delta blues) VPM
COSTAR STAGE
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12:00 – 12:45 CASYM Steel Orchestra (steel pan orchestra)
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1:00 – 2:00 Rhythm Masters—A. P. Joseph, Nazier Massri (Aleppo Ensemble); Okyerema Asante (Plunky & the Oneness of Juju); Kevin Doyle, Donna Long; members of CASYM Steel Orchestra; Ravi Iyer (Saraswathi Ranganathan)
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2:15 – 3:00 Iberi Choir (Georgian polyphonic singing)
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3:15 – 4:00 Saraswathi Ranganathan (Carnatic veena)
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4:15 – 5:00 Petroloukas Halkias & Vasilis Kostas (traditional music from Epirus)
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5:15 – 6:00 Native Pride Dancers (powwow dance traditions)
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION STAGE
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12:00 – 12:45 The Garifuna Collective (Garifuna)
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1:00 – 1:45 Panfilo’s Güera (Tejano conjunto fiddle)
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2:00 – 2:45 Family Prayers: Family Gospel Traditions in the South—Almeta Ingram-Miller, Cheryl Maroney Yancey, Carrie Jackson (Legendary Ingramettes); Mangum & Company*
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3:00 – 3:45 Stax Music Academy Alumni Band (Memphis soul)*
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4:00 – 5:00 Global Voices: Asia to the Americas—Conjunto Guantanamo, Faraj Abyad (Aleppo Ensemble), Huun Huur Tu, Iberi Choir, Riley Baugus
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5:15 – 6:00 Aleppo Ensemble (Aleppian wasla music and whirling dervish dance from Syria)
DOMINION ENERGY DANCE PAVILION
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12:00 – 1:00 Conjunto Guantanamo (Afro-Cuban)
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1:15 – 2:00 Stax Music Academy Alumni Band (Memphis soul)
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2:15 – 3:15 Super Chikan & the Fighting Cocks (Delta blues)
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3:30 – 4:30 The Garifuna Collective (Garifuna)
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4:50 – 6:00 Plunky & the Oneness of Juju (Afro-funk and go-go orchestra)
CAPITAL ONE STAGE
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12:15 – 1:00 Huun Huur Tu (Tuvan throat-singing)
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1:15 – 2:00 It Takes Two: Dynamic Duos—Balla Kouyaté & Famoro Dioubaté, Petroloukas Halkias & Vasilis Kostas, Saraswathi & Ganapathi Ranganathan
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2:15 – 3:00 Riley Baugus (Appalachian songs and ballads)*
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3:15 – 4:00 Kevin Doyle & Friends (Irish step dance & music)
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4:15 – 5:00 Panfilo’s Güera (Tejano conjunto fiddle)
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5:15 – 6:00 Balla Kouyaté & Famoro Dioubaté (balafon masters)
CARMAX FAMILY STAGE
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12:30 – 1:15 Harry Gore (presented by JAMinc)
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1:30 – 2:00 Jeghetto (puppetry)
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2:15 – 3:00 Powwow Dance with Native Pride Dancers (powwow dance traditions)
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3:15 – 4:00 Endah Laras & Danis Sugiyanto feat. Rumput (presented by JAMinc)
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4:00 – 4:10 Junior Ranger Swearing-In
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4:15 – 4:45 Jeghetto (puppetry)
RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH VIRGINIA FOLKLIFE STAGE
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12:15 – 1:00 Willard Gayheart Family feat. Dori Freeman (Appalachian singer-songwriters)
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1:15 – 1:45 Oyster-Shucking Contest with Deborah Pratt & Clementine Macon Boyd
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2:00 – 3:00 Songwriting Showcase—Dori Freeman, Martha Spencer (Whitetop Mountain Band), Telisha & Doug Williams (Wild Ponies), J Pope
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3:15 – 4:00 Whitetop Mountain Band (old-time)
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4:15 – 5:00 Wild Ponies (Americana)
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5:15 – 6:00 Legendary Ingramettes with J Pope (gospel)