Throngs of music lovers are expected to converge on the Old Pool Farm in Upper Salford Township (Montgomery County), near bucolic Schwenksville and Harleysville, Pennsylvania, August 15-17, for the annual Philadelphia Folk Festival (https://folkfest.org). This will be the 62nd edition of the family-friendly event that is produced and presented by the Philadelphia Folksong Society, a nonprofit arts organization.
Financial issues compelled the festival to go on hiatus in 2023 prior to resuming last year – strategically restructured to help ensure its sustainability and vitality.
Dozens of musical artists and acts will perform daily from 11 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sunday. Seven stages –including the shady, family-oriented Dulcimer Grove — will offer a diverse array of internationally touring, regional and hyper-local performers, daytime workshops, in-the-round sets featuring several artists/acts, and more. As in years past, many artisans will display and sell their crafts, while a wide array of food and beverages will be available for purchase.
Evening concert performers on the Martin Main Stage include American Patchwork Quartet, The April Fools (featuring funny singer-songwriters David Buskin, Robin Batteau, Christine Lavin, John Forster, and Carla Ulbrich), Alison Brown, Vanessa Collier, Alejandro Escovedo, bluegrass duo The Gibson Brothers, John Gorka, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, Eileen Ivers, The Lee Boys, John McCutcheon, John Moreland, Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius, Ordinary Elephant, Celtic supergroup Solas, SONiA disappear fear, David Jacobs-Strain & Bob Beach, Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole, and Robin & Linda Williams. 
Some 40 artists from the greater Philadelphia region – Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware — including a number of members of the Philadelphia Folksong Society’s Musical Artists Cooperative (MAC) – will showcase their talents during the festival. Those performing on the Main and side stages include Brittany Ann Tranbaugh, Carla Ulbrich, Charlie Miller, Charlie Rutan, Chris Kasper, Dave Fry, Elijah Wald, Foxhound, Gather Round, Hezekiah Jones, Hinton, Bower, Jones, Ian Zolitor (folk DJ and Thursday night emcee), Jack Murray, John Flynn (singer-songwriter and Main Stage emcee), Kut Knotz & Christine Elise, Kyle Swartzwelder, Lili Anel, Mark Schultz & The Wayne Rangers, Mason Porter, Mike Miller Sings Again presented by Sweet Corn, Nick Franclik, The Keystone Breakers, and Todd Chappelle. The PFS MAC Showcases and other presentations will include performances by The Alex Radus Quartet, Ann Ramsey, Barry Rabin, Brother John, Johnny Never & John Cpolgan-Davis, Emmett Drueding, John Byrne Band, Larry Ahearn, Lisa Jeanette, Matthew Gordon & Silvershade Scener, Max Davey, Medea, David C. Perry, River Drivers, Swing That Cat, Tracy Coletto, Two of a Kind, and Whirled Music. The Musical Artists Cooperative (MAC) is an initiative designed to support professional musicians who perform regularly in the local area, with many touring nationally as well.
Other artists slated to showcase their talents during the festival include John Byrne Band, Cloudbelly, Ben de la Cour, Goldpine, Reggie Harris, The Kennedys, Heather Aubrey Lloyd, Sam Robbins, Jane Rothfield & Allan Carr, Kyle Swartzwelder, and Jesse Terry.
There’s also a festival within the festival for those who opt to camp onsite and enjoy some late-night musical revelry. The 40-acre campground – chock-a-block with tents – is home to a unique late-night scene, with singing by campfires and jamming into the early morning hours, as well as a Thursday night Camp Stage kickoff performance for campers only that will feature Hezekiah Jones and special guests Mason Porter and Chris Kasper.
Both day and full-festival passes are available for purchase. Discounted tickets are available for youth (ages 12-17) and children (ages 5-11), while all festival tickets without camping for Wee Folk (children up to age 4) are free.
For more information about the Philadelphia Folk Festival – including stage schedules — and to order tickets, visit folkfest.org.
