After going completely virtual last year in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival has adopted a hybrid model for its 33rd year and will be considerably shorter than in previous years. A one-day only festival with full pandemic precautions and both socially distanced in-person and livestream options is set for Saturday, July 31, 2021 at the Goshen Fairgrounds in Goshen, Connecticut — where the Podunk Bluegrass Music Festival and the Black Bear Americana Music Fest also take place in August and October, respectively.
Marking its usual calendar spot and Brigadoon-like appearance, the fest will be shorter & sweeter yet still brimming with love, talent, community spirit and, of course, still accessible and ASL-interpreted, according to Anne Saunders, the festival’s artistic director. She noted that this year’s festival will seek to be as contact-free as possible and advises attendees to bring and use only their own chairs. There will be no on-site camping.
A Day of Falcon Ridge — for which advance ticket sales end by July 28 — will feature eight acts on two stages, along with more limited food and crafts and the ever-present community vibe. Slated to perform are festival stalwarts Vance Gilbert, Nerissa & Katryna Nields, the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, and Susan Werner.
The Fox Run Five are (l.-r.) Tom Prasada-Rao, Neale Eckstein, Jagoda, Eric Schwartz, and Matt Nakoa.
Over the span of more than 30 years, the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival has drawn thousands of music lovers to a farm in Hillsdale, New York — located in the foothills of the Berkshires near the tri-state corner of NY, Connecticut and Massachusetts — where the multi-day event usually takes place. The festival generally features dozens of artists performing on several stages, children’s music and activities, and a wide array of crafts, food and other vendors. In recent years, it has been preceded by a Pre-Fest Tastings Day & Farm Market featuring locally grown food, drink and artisanal items, along with performances by a number of artists on The Lounge Stage curated by Tribal Mischief Productions. Those camping at Falcon Ridge and staying up through the early morning hours have enjoyed an array of informal jams, mini-showcases and after-hours song circles that help foster a sense of “folk” community.
Saunders expressed hope that Falcon Ridge can return to its previous incarnation next year. “But this year, amid the pandemic, we’re following state and federal guidelines and exhibiting an abundance of caution out of concern for the health and safety of our community,” she said.
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