| Description: |
National Folk Festival Hold the date and make your plans now to come to Butte, Montana July 9-11, 2010 for the 72nd National Folk Festival -- traditional music, food, crafts, culture and fun -- a Great American Festival set in the Great American West -- and admission is free! The National Folk Festival, one of the nation’s largest and most prestigious celebrations of the arts, has taken up residence in Butte, Montana until 2010. First presented in 1934, the National is the oldest multicultural festival in the nation. The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the organization that has produced the National Folk Festival since its creation, recognized Butte’s and Montana’s unique natural resources, cultural assets, and strong community spirit. The National Folk Festival is a large-scale three-day outdoor event presented free to the public that celebrates the roots, richness, and variety of American culture. The National features a jubilant and dizzying program that includes music and dance performances, participatory dancing, workshops, children’s activities, regional and ethnic foods, storytelling, parades, craft exhibits and demonstrations, and more. The National brings a jubilant and dizzying feast of the deeply traditional folk arts that appeals to audiences of all ages at all levels. Butte, Montana is the host city for the 70th-72nd National Folk Festivals in 2008-2010. The National Folk Festival kicked off a three-year run in Montana on July 2008. The 2008 event was a huge success, a signature Montana event and an exciting addition to the summer schedule for thousands of visitors to Southwest Montana. In the first year of the festival in Montana, the event was attended by an estimated 75,000 attendees. In 2009, that number rose to nearly 120,000. The economic impact of these visitors to the Southwest Montana economy translates to about $10 to $12 million dollars each summer. Music, Dance, and Tradition From Across America Music and dance traditions from every part of the nation are on display, performed by the country’s finest traditional artists. Audiences are treated to authentic blues, gospel, polka, cowboy, bluegrass, klezmer, old-time, Cajun, rhythm and blues, mariachi, western swing, zydeco and more. Continuous performances on seven stages celebrate Native American, Celtic, Acadian, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, East Asian, Appalachian, Hispanic, Eastern European, African and Pacific Island cultures. A Celebration of America’s Cultural Roots Folk arts are those deeply held grassroots cultural expressions -- music, dance, crafts, stories and foodways -- passed down through time by families, communities, tribal, ethnic and occupational groups. The festival’s programming embraces the heritage and traditions of all Americans – from those whose families have been here for centuries to those of our country’s most recent immigrants. Legendary masters as well as the next generation of dynamic young artists celebrate the musical soul and cultural roots of America. Montana Traditions Each National Folk Festival host city celebrates its own regional traditions and heritage. Folklife demonstrations and exhibits feature Montana’s finest craftspeople and other tradition-bearers, and explore subjects ranging from saddle making to blacksmithing to basket making, from cowboy poetry to quilting, instrument making, woodcarving, needlework, American Indian beadwork and more. Something For Everyone Chinese dragon and lion dancers, New Orleans brass bands and a host of other traditional street and celebratory activities are also part of the National’s mix. Special attention is given to providing engaging and educational performances and hands-on activities for children and youth, sharing the richness and diversity of many cultures with them. The festival’s artistic diversity is complemented by a delicious variety of ethnic and regional food specialties available for sale throughout the festival site. |
| Date: | Friday, July 9, 2010 |
| Repeat Type: | Friday, July 9, 2010 - Sunday, July 11, 2010 (every Day) |
| Priority: | Medium |
| Access: | Public |
| Created by: | Butte Chamber |
| Updated: | Tuesday, October 13, 2009 12:17pm |