2013 New Bedford Folk Festival

You may know it as Summerfest, but the weekend long folk music extravaganza will be back again this summer with a new name but the same excitement and energy. Now called the New Bedford Folk Festival, this will be the 18th year that arts and music will be celebrated in the streets of New Bedford the weekend of Saturday July 6th and Sunday July 7th. Tickets are already up for sale and the music roster is coming together with another promising line-up of incredible talent and variety.

One of the things that has makes the New Bedford Folk Festival truly remarkable every year is the variety of musicians that take the stage over the course of the weekend. For two days, from 11 AM to 9 PM, performers from all over the world showcase the many different sounds and styles that fall into the eclectic folk music category. Take for example this year’s list of talent. Some groups fall into a more traditional category, like The Beans who have had a long history of performing in New England and are a vocal trio performing classic folk harmonies. Other groups are experimental or have a fusion element, like the Grand Slambovians who have been called “the hillbilly Pink Floyd”.

Of course, there will be plenty of fiddle, banjo and guitar as can only be expected at a proper folk festival but another thing that is really striking about this year’s performers are the number of awards and accomplishments that many of these musicians have under their belts. Take for example Michael Johnson, a guitarist and songwriter who has had several Billboard-charting hits including, “Bluer than Blue”, “This Night Won’t Last Forever” and “Almost Like Being in Love”. There’s also Jeremy Kittel who has performed with the Grammy winning Turtle Island String Quartet and helped arrange and record strings for the rock band My Morning Jacket.

As in past years, the New Bedford Folk Festival will also feature their incredible “workshops”, which entail jam sessions where musicians with different styles come together on stage to perform something truly unique to the moment. For music lovers, this type of creative expression is a rare treat and something that makes the New Bedford Folk Festival stand out amongst many other summer music festivals.

I for one am very excited about the talent and variety that the New Bedford Folk Festival will be bringing to our city this summer.

Of course, the vendors present at the festival are another major factor to the fun of this weekend long event. As in years past, the New Bedford Folk Festival will feature artisans from all over who will be selling their art, jewelry, furniture and other handmade items (http://www.newbedfordfolkfestival.com/vendors.html). The 2013 list of vendors is still being finalized, but expect to find rare and unique artisan crafts lining the cobblestone roads of Downtown New Bedford during the festival!

Another factor of any good festival is the food. This year’s food vendors include the Seafood Hut for your surf, JTL Enterprises for your turf, and Timi’s food for your Mediterranean and veggies. It is likely that more food vendors will be added as the date draws nearer, and of course you will be in walking proximity to all of the wonderful Downtown NB restaurants.

Ticket prices have been lowered this year with some great deals for those who buy advance tickets as the festival is intent on getting more people from the Greater NB area to come out and have a good time at this event. A weekend pass is now $20 if purchased online (plus $1 PayPal fee) in advance: http://www.newbedfordfolkfestival.com/ourstore.html.

Tickets can also be purchased at an even greater discount if bought in person- only 15 dollars for the weekend! The Whaling Museum has New Bedford Folk Festival Tickets on sale Tuesday- Friday 10 AM- 5 PM and Saturday 11 AM- 4 PM. The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center has tickets on sale Tuesday- Friday 10 AM- 5 PM and Saturday 10 AM- 3 PM. It should be noted that these tickets or wristbands DO include admission to shows that are taking place exclusively at the Zeiterion (i.e. Cheryl Wheeler, Lori McKenna, John Gorka, Ellis Paul, Anais Mitchell, the Celtic Extravaganza on Sunday night, etc.) There is no extra charge for admission into the Zeiterion and the shows on the other 6 stages including the Whaling Museum Theater are part of the deal! Simply an amazing bang for your buck.

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