RICHMOND, Va. —The Richmond Folk Festival returns October 10-12 to Downtown Richmond's riverfront, marking 21 years as one of Virginia's largest and most cherished cultural events.
The free festival expects to draw 200,000 people over the three-day weekend to celebrate the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling and food.
Featuring six stages, this year's festival will showcase music and dance from more than 30 performing groups from around the nation and the world. The festival has announced its full schedule of performances:
Full Performance Schedule
Friday, October 10
Altria Stage
- 6:30 – 7:30 The Amanda Cook Band (bluegrass)
- 7:45 – 8:45 Raiatea Helm (Hawaiian falsetto singing)
- 9:00 – 10:00 *Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy (blues)
CoStar Group Stage
- 7:30 – 8:30 Richard Hagopian Ensemble (Armenian)
- 8:45 – 9:45 Cécilia (Québécois)
CarMax Stage
- 7:15 – 8:15 Melissa Carper (classic country)
- 8:30 – 9:30 Son Qba (Cuban son)
Dominion Energy Dance Pavillion
- 7:15 – 7:45 zydeco dance lesson with Zydeco Steve
- 7:45 – 8:45 Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys (zydeco)
- 9:00 – 10:00 Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band (Togolese)
Saturday, October 11
Altria Stage
- 12:00 – 12:40 The Broussard Sisters (juré)
- 1:00 – 1:40 Richard Hagopian Ensemble (Armenian)
- 2:00 – 2:40 Raiatea Helm (Hawaiian falsetto singing)
- 3:00 – 3:40 Melissa Carper (classic country)
- 4:00 – 5:00 The Blackbyrds (jazz, R&B, and funk)
- 6:00 – 6:55 Elizabeth King (sacred soul and gospel)
- 7:15 – 8:10 Son Qba (Cuban son)
- 8:30 – 9:30 Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band (Togolese)
CoStar Group Stage
- 12:00 – 12:40 Yamini Kalluri & the Kritya Music Ensemble (Kuchipudi dance)
- 1:00 – 1:45 The Amanda Cook Band (bluegrass)
- 2:00 – 3:00 Cécilia (Québécois)
- 3:20 – 4:00 Richard Hagopian Ensemble (Armenian)
- 4:15 – 5:15 Squares & Two Steps: Social Dances in North American—Cécilia, Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys, Villa 5
- 6:15 – 7:00 The Broussard Sisters (juré)
- 7:15 – 8:00 Raiatea Helm (Hawaiian falsetto singing)
- 8:20 – 9:20 Saami Brothers feat. Ustad Naseeruddin Saami (khayal)
CarMax Stage
- 12:00 – 12:30 The Sinquah Family (Hopi hoop dance)
- 12:50 – 1:35 Saami Brothers (qawwali)
- 1:55 – 2:40 *With Spirit & Style: Dance from South Asia to the DMV—Yamini Kalluri & the Kritya Music Ensemble, Beat Ya Feet Academy, The Sinquah Family
- 3:00 – 3:40 The Amanda Cook Band (bluegrass)
- 4:00 – 4:45 Global String Section—Troy Boone, Carolynne Boone (The Amanda Cook Band); Kamalakiran Vinjamuri (Yamini Kalluri); Jeff Patterson, Casey Olsen (Raiatea Helm); Franklin Reytor (Son Qba)
- 5:45 – 6:30 Yamini Kalluri & the Kritya Music Ensemble (Kuchipudi dance)
- 6:50 – 7:30 Cécilia (Québécois)
- 7:45 – 8:30 Villa 5 (música norteña)
- 8:45 – 9:30 Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy (blues)
Dominion Energy Dance Pavillion
- 12:15 – 1:00 *Melissa Carper (classic country)
- 1:15 – 1:45 Cuban son dance lesson with Eileen Torres
- 1:45 – 2:30 Son Qba (Cuban son)
- 2:45 – 3:30 Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys (zydeco)
- 3:45 – 4:45 Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band (Togolese)
- 5:00 – 6:00 Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy (blues)
- 7:00 – 8:00 *Meta & the Cornerstones (reggae)
- 8:20 – 9:30 The Blackbyrds (jazz, R&B, and funk)
Family Stage
- 12:15 – 1:00 Prabir (presented by JAMinc)
- 1:15 – 2:00 Sing the Blues & Play the Bones with Jackie & Resa
- 2:15 – 3:00 Webley Twizzle Project (presented by JAMinc)
- 3:00 – 3:10 Junior Ranger Swearing-In
- 3:15 – 4:00 Beat Ya Feet Academy (beat ya feet dance)
- 4:15 – 5:00 Sing the Blues & Play the Bones with Jackie & Resa
Center for Cultural Vibrancy Stage at Allianz Amphitheater
- 12:30 – 1:15 Anya Hinkle (Americana)
- 1:45 – 2:45 Kadencia (bomba y plena)
- 3:15 – 4:00 Danny Knicely, Cesar Garabini, & Fernanda Bravo (Appalachian/Brazilian)
- 4:30 – 5:15 Rodney Stith (soul)
- 5:45 – 6:45 No BS! Brass Band (brass band)
Street Performance at Tredegar Plaza
- 3:30 – 4:00 The Sinquah Family (Hopi hoop dance)
Virginia Folklife Riverlore Workshop Stage
- 12:00 – 12:45 How Rivers Shaped The Land: Carving Out An Inclusive Narrative (Horace Scruggs)
- 1:00 – 1:45 Indigenous Virginia Shoreline Restoration (panel)
- 2:00 – 2:45 The Great Return: Atlantic Sturgeon & Migratory Fish (panel)
- 3:00 – 3:45 Indigenous Virginia Craft Revivals (panel)
- 4:00 – 4:45 “Ancient New” Exploring the Oldest River in North America (music, dance, spoken word)
- 5:00 – 5:45 Tales & Tunes of Virginia’s Rivers (music and storytelling)
- 6:30 Virginia Folklore Society Reunion/Meet up
‘Along the Canal Walk’ Folklife Demonstration Area
Sunday, October 12
Altria Stage
- 12:00 – 12:40 Elizabeth King (sacred soul and gospel)
- 1:00 – 1:40 Cécilia (Québécois)
- 2:00 – 2:40 Villa 5 (música norteña)
- 3:00 – 3:40 Meta & the Cornerstones (reggae)
- 4:00 – 4:40 Son Qba (Cuban son)
- 5:00 – 6:00 Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band (Togolese)
CoStar Group Stage
- 12:00 – 12:40 The Broussard Sisters (juré)
- 1:00 – 2:00 Endangered Traditions: Performing Under Pressure— The Broussard Sisters; Richard Hagopian, Philip Hagopian; Raiatea Helm, Kilin Reece; Saami Brothers feat. Ustad Naseeruddin Saami
- 2:20 – 3:00 The Amanda Cook Band (bluegrass)
- 3:20 – 4:00 *Yamini Kalluri & the Kritya Music Ensemble (Kuchipudi dance)
- 4:20 – 5:00 Richard Hagopian Ensemble (Armenian)
- 5:20 – 6:00 Saami Brothers (qawwali)
CarMax Stage
- 12:00 – 12:40 Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys (zydeco)
- 1:00 – 1:55 African Crossroads in the Americas—Dogo du Togo & the Alagaa Beat Band, Meta & the Cornerstones, Son Qba
- 2:15 – 3:00 *Elizabeth King (sacred soul and gospel)
- 3:20 – 3:50 Beat Ya Feet Academy (beat ya feet dance)
- 4:10 – 5:00 *Soulful Southern Sounds—Melissa Carper, Amanda Cook, Diunna Greenleaf, Elizabeth King
- 5:15 – 6:00 Raiatea Helm (Hawaiian falsetto singing)
Dominion Energy Dance Pavillion
- 12:00 – 12:45 Villa 5 (música norteña)
- 1:00 – 1:45 Melissa Carper (classic country)
- 2:00 – 3:00 Diunna Greenleaf & Blue Mercy (blues)
- 3:15 – 4:25 Terry & the Zydeco Bad Boys (zydeco)
- 4:45 – 6:00 Meta & the Cornerstones (reggae)
Family Stage
- 12:15 – 1:00 Jonathan Paige Brown Jr. (presented by JAMinc)
- 1:15 – 2:00 Sing the Blues & Play the Bones with Jackie & Resa
- 2:15 – 3:00 The Sinquah Family (Hopi hoop dance)
- 3:00 – 3:10 Junior Ranger Swearing-In
- 3:15 – 4:00 Holy River (presented by JAMinc)
- 4:15 – 5:00 Sing the Blues & Play the Bones with Jackie & Resa
Center for Cultural Vibrancy Stage at Allianz Amphitheater
- 12:15 – 1:00 Alum Ridge Boys & Ashlee (classic bluegrass and country)
- 1:30 – 2:45 RVA Jams for Justin Golden (blues and roots)
- 3:00 – 4:00 Lonesome River Band (bluegrass)
- 4:30 – 5:30 The Legendary Ingramettes (gospel)
Street Performance at Tredegar Plaza
- 2:00 – 2:30 Beat Ya Feet Academy (beat ya feet dance)
Virginia Folklife Riverlore Workshop Stage
- 1:00 – 1:45 Honoring the African Spirit in the James River (Omilade Janine Bell, Elegba Folklore Society)
- 2:00 – 2:45 “Waterways to Freedom” (storytelling by Sheila Arnold)
- 2:30 Assembling an Eel Pot with Brad Hatch (Folklife Demonstration Tent)
- 3:00 – 3:45 We Are All Connected: James River Watershed (panel)
- 4:00 – 4:45 Riverlore Story Hour (Justin Black & Friends)
- 5:00 – 5:45 Tales & Tunes of Virginia’s Rivers (music and storytelling)
‘Along the Canal Walk’ Folklife Demonstration Area
- 2:00 Poling a Batteau
- 4:00 Poling a Batteau
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