The stages and tents are up. Performers have arrived. Food is cooking. Beginning this evening, it’s time for you to head down to the Bangor Waterfront for the American Folk Festival. To continue its success, the festival needs you to go enjoy the music, food and arts — and to contribute financially.
If you’ve been in Bangor any of the past 10 years, you likely know the routine. There will be four main stages stretching from Main Street to the Kenduskeag Stream. Musicians, ranging from a western swing band to Cape Breton singers to bluegrass and Cajun, will provide nonstop music.
Food vendors, selling everything from alligator meat to gooey chocolate cake to blueberry smoothies, will be spread throughout the venue, with a large cluster near the Penobscot River. Handmade crafts will be displayed and sold throughout the festival area.
As always, admission is free and dogs should stay at home. Parking at Bass Park will cost $8 for the day or $10 for the entire weekend and free shuttle buses will take festival-goers to the waterfront.
The eighth season of the American Folk Festival starts Friday at 6:45 p.m. with the Anah Highlanders leading a parade through the festival grounds. The music continues until 10:30 p.m. with salsa, music from Mali and more. The fun begins again at noon Saturday and runs through 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
The weather forecast calls for warm sunny days with no rain in sight this weekend.
While festival attendance is free, it costs about $900,000 to put on the three-day affair. The budget was trimmed after controversy in recent years about the festival’s mounting debt and how much it owed to the city of Bangor. Local businesses contribute about half of the festival’s funding. There is also money from the government, although Bangor’s contribution has been reduced in recent years. The rest must come from individual donors and the sale of festival merchandise.
As in past years, volunteers will walk through the crowds with buckets for donations, not only to meet this year’s obligations, but to jump-start next year’s festival. So, give generously.
Through three years as host of the National Folk Festival and subsequent years as host of its successor, the American Folk Festival, Bangor has answered skeptics who doubted the small city could pull off such an event. The top-notch entertainment, enthusiastic crowds and positive reviews made the city look at itself in a more positive way. That enthusiasm has helped spawn the ongoing waterfront concert series, which now features big name performers, and other arts events, including KahBang.
It also helps the region economically. According to a 2011 economic impact study by the Maine Arts Commission, the annual festival generates estimated revenue in the region of more than $15.3 million — from an audience that’s 68 percent local and 32 percent from elsewhere in the state, the country, and the world.
To get in on the excitement, head downtown and enjoy the festivities.
We give generously every time we go, but if businesses make the money You would think they would donate more for this cause. If this isn’t enough funds then charge admission, then the ones who really want it will pay for their entertainment.
Hm. Why wasn’t there an editorial encouraging people to attend the Senior League World Series? No other event brings people to Bangor from around the world and showcases the city on ESPN for two hours. Seven players from the World Series have gone on to play in a major league game.
I live up in The County and attend many shows at the Bangor Waterfront. I don’t mind one little bit paying admission to see a good act. I can tell you another reason that a lot of people up here don’t go. It’s simple. They don’t advertise. Waterfront Concerts flood the airwaves with every show. The Folk Festival won’t spend a nickle on radio, at least up here. If people knew what some of the groups sounded like, they would be much quicker to drive the 3 hours or more that it takes most of us to get there.
Last night at Def Leppard, there were a tremendous amount of people from up here who made the drive. The promoter got his advertising money back that he spent up here , many times over.
I was one of them, and I was there on Sunday too and am coming back twice on Labor Day. I am not going to the Folk Festival because I have no clue who is there.
Just my opinion
You can get that clue here-http://www.americanfolkfestival.com/content/5016/performersCome on down!
http://www.americanfolkfestival.com/ this link might work better
It does appear that the meaning of folk has changed. It does seem that the booking is in keeping with the National Folk Festival and not a strong deviation from it.
17 acts | 8 friday | 31 saturday | 23 sunday | 62 shows total
That’s between 3 and 4 sets per act.
Basically, it’s the same thing, over and over and over again, between 3 and 4 times.
also should add that Hymn for Her should also be playing. a 2 piece, from Philly, with a banjo, they usually spend a month in Maine in August. They’re in Maine now. They’re playing the Stonington Opera House next Wednesday and in Eastport this Saturday http://www.pollstar.com/resultsArtist.aspx?ID=167392 – that’s their Pollstar. Professional bands typically have their dates put on Pollstar. Only 1 American Folk Festival band is on Pollstar – Marshall Ford Swing Band – so, I’d recommend them.
Another question that arises as to this “American Folk” festival is – if the cost is in the stages, why not just have one stage? You only have 17 acts. Have some play on Friday on the 1 stage, have others play on Saturday, and the rest play on Sunday. That’s where you cut your costs. Instead of one band playing 4 times on 4 different stages, have 1 band play 1 time on 1 stage. Instead of spending money on 4 stages, save that money and keep it in your pocket. Maybe pay Viking Moses and Hymn for Her. Having the same bands play over and over is, I will admit, a good way to see a lot of stuff really quickly. But if the costs are big for staging, like the old article seems to say, that’s where they can make cuts. I looked at the map and it looks fairly similar to the Kahbang setup. The railroad stage is likely the big permanent stage. And there are 3 other stages that are likely like the 3d tent stage. Those couldn’t be too expensive. You might figure that most people are going to go to the railroad stage. You fill those 17 slots on the main stage, and you can put the stages up for cheap and the talent is already there for the main stages.
Perhaps if some cancellation takes place and you need to fill slots, the 2 top notch american folk acts that are right here in Maine, right now are Hymn For Her and Viking Moses. You might be able to call on Viking Moses. He’s on Monhegan Island right now, apparently. http://burstandbloom.bandcamp.com/track/jones-boys – that’s Devendra Banhart covering Viking Moses.
Facebook links
Hymn For Her http://www.facebook.com/hymnforher?ref=ts – They’re at the Eastport Arts Center on Saturday.
Brendon Massei / Viking Moses http://www.facebook.com/brendon.massei?ref=ts
http://www.facebook.com/vikingmoses/app_204974879526524
well why not just have it for 2 hours and only 2 bands? All the stages are what make the folk festival so engaging. You can stroll down the waterfront and hear so many different sounds. If it was just one stage that would get old quickly. The I love being able to stay at one stage for a little bit and look at what else is going one, then after a while head somewhere else to listen to something different.
Sounds like you just want to see those two bands/people. Maybe you could have your own “FOLK MUSIC” Festival in the County. Personally , I like the diversity and varying Folk ARTS that are offered and the fact that I can pick ONE of the days to go , as I work all weekends .
I have seen some big name artists there ( I prefer the Blues ,Cajun,Zydeco ) and they were well-known and Great bands from away ( as am I ) .
I enjoy learning new things about other cultures and think the World would be better off if we ALL learned about our neighbors near and far. You know, it is only a small blue marble we live on .
That way you can see the act. Miss it the first or even second time because you went to hear someone else, you’ll still have a chance to see the missed performance. Well planned out. All in all a very good time!
Advertising costs money. The American Folk Festival has a suggested donation of $10 per day. Waterfront concerts … those ticket prices are well out of my price range. And my kids have more fun at the Folk Festival. They see friends. They get a sense of community. They feel they’re part of something. The AFF lead to other concerts being staged on the waterfront. They’re all good for Bangor. And AFF is the proud parent! See you there starting tonight!!
Does BDN not do links? I’m looking for the link to the page that shows who is playing and when to determine whether I want to drive 2 hours to this thing. I probably won’t, but if there’s a nice set of names there, I might. I appreciate the “support the local economy” angle, but I want to see if there’s something good there. Not doing anything is always an option, and Portland has Picnic which has quite a good lineup of indie acts.
Ah, i see someone has posted a link. I’ll check it out.
All of us that live in Bangor give generously each year, whether we want to or not.
And we will be for a while until the debt to the city is paid back.
It is hard to support an organization that basically is only
in place to put on a three day event, but the Executive Director gets an exorbitant
salary over 80 K, more than most business owners in this area pull down.