For its 15th year on the Bangor Waterfront, the American Folk Festival will celebrate the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling and food, on Friday through Sunday, August 26, 27 and 28. The American Folk Festival is supported entirely by public donations.

Friday night performers get started at 6:15 at the EMHS Two Rivers Stage with Beat Boxer Shodekeh, followed by Acadian group Vishten. Following Vishten, around 7:15 p.m., the Treme Brass Band will lead a parade from Sea Dog Brewing Company to the Bangor Daily News Railroad Stage, while playing traditional New Orleans-style brass band music. Following the parade, there will be Chicago blues, big band jazz and swing, African-American a cappella gospel, Celtic, and Portuguese Fado continuing until 10:30 p.m. on the Railroad Stage, the L.L. Bean Penobscot Stage and the Dance Pavilion.

On Saturday, the music starts at noon. The Children’s Village will feature four performances, including tap dance, beat boxing, Sri Lankan dance, and hoop dancing. The Maine Folklife Center Folklife Stage will open at noon on Saturday and Sunday with a focus on fiber arts. Music continues through the evening hours, with Lurrie Bell’s Chicago Blues Band providing Saturday night’s final note around 10:30.

Sunday’s schedule starts at noon and includes four performances in the Children’s Village, six events at the Folklife Stage, and an additional 23 performances across the four large stages of the American Folk Festival. The Sunday noon gospel show with the Northern Kentucky Brotherhood Singers making their second trip to Bangor for the American Folk Festival begins Sunday’s program, while Tribu Baharu and Lurrie Bell’s Chicago Blues Band will close out the festival at the end of the day.

American Folk Festival Executive Director Heather McCarthy welcomes volunteers. “Volunteers are key to the success of the American Folk Festival, and we are still encouraging people to go to our website to sign up and get involved for a completely different experience at the American Folk Festival.”

The complete schedule of performances can be found online at www.americanfolkfestival.com.
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