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BANGOR — Consider
this your invitation. Bangor is hosting a party
this weekend on its newly renovated waterfront and
more than 110,000 guests are expected to attend.
 The
66th National Folk Festival starts Friday and runs
through Sunday.
No need to RSVP.
Scheduled are 26
musical acts in a range of origins and styles,
playing on five stages over the course of the
three-day festival.
Performers will
entertain audiences with blues, rockabilly,
gospel, klezmer, jazz, bluegrass, cowboy, polka,
tamburitza, old-time, mariachi, western swing,
honky-tonk, rhythm and blues, and zydeco music, as
well as traditional music and dance from Cajun,
Native American, Celtic, Middle Eastern,
Caribbean, East Asian, Appalachian, Hispanic,
African and
Pacific Island cultures.
The festival
stretches along the Penobscot waterfront and
includes an area that has recently been upgraded
with paving, a grassy area, benches and light
posts.
Folk and
traditional arts demonstrations will feature
several types of boats built on-site, sail making
and basket weaving. Maine folklorists will narrate
some of the demonstrations.
The Folk Arts
Marketplace provides an opportunity to purchase
products created by 36 artisans.
Representatives
from four Greek communities in
Maine will take to the Foodways
Stage to demonstrate the preparation and culinary
traditions of Greek fare.
And no party would
be complete without food — and lots of it.
Thirty-eight food vendors will be on hand
providing ethnic foods, as well as festival foods.
Beer and wine tents will be set up as well.
The Children’s
Area is being coordinated by the
Maine Discovery
Museum. Parents and children can participate in games, watch performances for
children or create arts and crafts with a maritime
focus. The area is open Saturday from
noon to 6 p.m. and Sunday from
noon to 5 p.m.
The museum is
hosting “Parent’s Night Out” on Saturday from 6:30
to 10:30 p.m. for a fee. The museum will provide
children with a night of fun and a snack while
parents enjoy the music at the festival.
Reservations are required. For more information,
call Maine Discovery
Museum at 262-7200.
Admission to the
festival is free, however, volunteers known as the
Bucket Brigade, will move through the crowd
collecting donations to help offset the cost of
the festival.
Free parking will
be available at Bass
Park, and a shuttle will provide
transportation from the park to the festival
grounds. Parking also is available at the Bangor
Parking Garage for $5.
Bicycle
enthusiasts are encouraged to take their bikes to
the festival. The Bike Coalition of Maine will
monitor bikes at the bike rack on the corner of
Broad and Washington streets.
Booths for
festival information and T-shirt sales will be
available, as well as a booth for buying CDs from
your favorite musical artists.
There are no
automated teller machines on-site; however, there
are a number of banks in the surrounding area.
The shows will go
on rain or shine.
Noelle Richard,
assistant director of the National Folk Festival,
wants people to come to the festival prepared and
suggests sunblock, chairs, blankets and
comfortable clothes.
She also says,
“Bring your friends, but leave your pets at home.”
Music is scheduled
to play continuously during festival hours: Friday
5:30-10:30 p.m., Saturday from noon-10:30 p.m. and
Sunday from noon-6 p.m.
The National Folk
Festival moves next year to Richmond, Va.
For more festival
information and a complete schedule of acts visit,
www.nationalfolkfestival.com. |
