Sunday, October 12, 2008

the Richmond Folk Festival — balancing kids' needs and adults' wants

The first Richmond Folk Festival was a clear success, building on the past three years of the National Folk Festival. Almost 200,000 people came out for the shows, and it all came off without visible hitches.

Banana and I saw Mayan pole dancers, Japanese taiko drummers, great blues, Inuit throat singers, Zuni traditional dances, and remarkable celtic harmonies from Liadan. Sad to say, I wasn't able to get great photographs — I'm still trying to put enough spending money together for a digital SLR. Nonetheless, here's a brief taste of a remarkable afternoon.









With any luck, the partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts will tamp down the usual Richmond non-profit egotistical inefficiency and this remarkable festival will continue for years to come.