The Richmond Folk Festival will return in the fall to celebrate its 19th anniversary the weekend of October 13-15, 2023. The festival has become one of Virginia’s largest, drawing fans each year to downtown Richmond’s riverfront to celebrate the roots, richness, and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling, and food. Featuring six stages and showcasing music and dance from more than 30 artists from around the nation and the world, the Richmond Folk Festival promises, as always, to return with a culturally diverse and impressive program.

The free, three-day event is presented by Venture Richmond Events, in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the Center for Cultural Vibrancy, Virginia Humanities, the Children’s Museum, and the City of Richmond.

ADMISSION - FREE

The Richmond Folk Festival is a FREE event – you can enjoy the performances, the Virginia Folk Life Area & Stage, and the Family Area at no cost. Food, drink, and merchandise are available for sale.

Richmond Folk Festival Schedule

Friday, October 13

ALTRIA STAGE

6:30 – 7:30   Genticorum (Québécois)

7:45 – 8:45   Chuck Mead (rockabilly and honky-tonk)

9:00 – 10:00  Baba Commandant & the Mandingo Band (Manding)

COSTAR GROUP STAGE

7:30 – 8:30 State of the Ozarks String band (Ozark old-time)

8:45 – 9:45 Kala Ramnath (Hindustani violin)

DOMINION ENERGY DANCE PAVILION

7:15 – 7:45  zydeco dance lesson with Zydeco Queen Jarene

7:45 – 8:45  Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas (zydeco)

9:00 – 10:00 Melody Angel (Chicago blues)

Saturday, October 14

ALTRIA STAGE

12:00 – 12:45 State of the Ozarks String Band (Ozark old-time)

1:00 – 1:45      Cheres (Ukrainian)

2:00 – 2:45      Stanley & the Ten Sleepless Knights (quelbe music)

3:00 – 3:45      Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas (zydeco)

4:00 – 5:00      Bio Ritmo (salsa)

6:00 – 7:00      Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (bluegrass)

7:15 – 8:15      Melody Angel (Chicago blues)

8:30 – 9:30      Cyril Neville with Omari Neville & the Fuel (New Orleans funk and R&B)

COSTAR GROUP STAGE

12:00 – 12:30 Chris Thomas & His Smoke Dancers (Haudenosaunee social dance)

12:45 – 1:30    Kala Ramnath (Hindustani violin)

1:45 – 2:30      H?lau ’O Lilinoe (traditional Hawai’ian hula)

2:45 – 3:30      Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (bluegrass)

3:45 – 4:45      String Session: Picked, Plucked, and Struck—Igor Iachimciuc (Cheres), Nathan Livers (Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper), Octavio Vega Hernández (Grupo Mono Blanco), Wayne Henderson, Yann Falquet (Genticorum)

5:00 – 5:45      Cheres (Ukrainian)

6:45 – 7:30      * Helobung (traditional Tboli music and dance)

7:45 – 8:30      Grupo Mono Blanco (son jarocho)

8:45 – 9:30      Genticorum (Québécois)

CARMAX STAGE

12:00 – 12:45  Genticorum (Québécois)

1:00 – 1:45      Grupo Mono Blanco (son jarocho)

2:00 – 3:00      * Songs of Love, Loss, Trouble, and Faith—Annie & the Caldwell Singers, Chuck Mead, Lutchinha, Melody Angel

3:15 – 4:00      Kala Ramnath (Hindustani violin)

4:20 – 5:15      Leading the Movement: Building Community through Music and Dance—Grupo Mono Blanco, Stanley & the Ten Sleepless Knights, State of the Ozarks String Band

6:15 – 7:00      Lutchinha (Cabo Verdean)

7:15 – 8:00      Annie & the Caldwell Singers (gospel)

8:15 – 9:15      Chuck Mead (rockabilly and honky-tonk)

DOMINION ENERGY DANCE PAVILION

12:00 – 1:00    Lutchinha (Cabo Verdean)

1:15 – 2:15      Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas (zydeco)

2:30 – 3:30      State of the Ozarks String Band (old-time square dance)

3:45 – 4:45      Chuck Mead (rockabilly and honky-tonk)

5:00 – 6:00      * Melody Angel (Chicago blues)

7:00 – 8:00      Baba Commandant & the Mandingo Band (Manding)

8:15 – 9:30      Bio Ritmo (salsa)

FAMILY STAGE

12:00 – 12:45 Los Alacranes de R.V.A. (presented by JAMinc)

1:00 – 1:30      Greenbelt S.I.T.Y. Stars (precision jump rope) (Performance is up on 2nd Street behind Family Area)

1:45 – 2:30      Mary & the Classroom Instrument Band (presented by JAMinc)

2:30 – 2:40      Junior Ranger Swearing-In (presented by JAMinc)

2:45 – 3:30      Chris Thomas & His Smoke Dancers (Haudenosaunee social dance)

3:45 – 4:30      Make a Lei and Hula Dance with H?lau ’O Lilinoe (traditional Hawai’ian hula)

4:45 – 5:15      Greenbelt S.I.T.Y. Stars (precision jump rope) (Performance is up on 2nd Street behind Family Area)

CENTER FOR CULTURAL VIBRANCY VIRGINIA FOLKLIFE STAGE

12:15 – 1:00    Virginia Meets the Virgin Islands—The Legendary Ingramettes, Stanley & the Ten Sleepless Knights 

1:15– 2:00       Gail Caesar (Piedmont blues)

2:15 – 3:00      Wayne Henderson & Friends (Appalachian traditions)

3:15 – 4:00      Danny Knicely & Chao Tian (Appalachian traditions with Chinese dulcimer)

4:15 – 5:00      Wild Ponies (Americana)

5:15 – 6:30      Farm and Fun Time® featuring Bill & the Belles, Linda Lay, Elizabeth LaPrelle and Elsa Howell (country radio hour)

STREET PERFORMANCES AT TREDEGAR PLAZA

3:00 – 3:30      Greenbelt S.I.T.Y. Stars (precision jump rope)

4:30 – 5:00      Helobung (traditional Tboli music and dance)

Sunday, October 15

ALTRIA STAGE

12:00 – 12:45 Annie & the Caldwell Singers (gospel)

1:00 – 1:45     Grupo Mono Blanco (son jarocho)

2:00 – 2:45     Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (bluegrass)

3:00 – 3:45     Lutchinha (Cabo Verdean)

4:00 – 4:45     Melody Angel (Chicago blues)

5:00 – 6:00     Cyril Neville with Omari Neville & the Fuel (New Orleans funk and R&B)

COSTAR GROUP STAGE

12:15 – 1:00   State of the Ozarks String Band (Ozark old-time)

1:15 – 1:45     Chris Thomas & His Smoke Dancers (Haudenosaunee social dance)

2:00 – 2:45     * In Harmony: Dance and the Natural World—Chris Thomas & His Smoke Dancers, H?lau ’O Lilinoe, Helobung

3:00 – 3:45     Genticorum (Québécois)

4:00 – 5:00     Playing First Fiddle: Asia to the Americas—David Scrivner (State of the Ozarks String Band), Kala Ramnath, Michael Cleveland, Pascal Gemme (Genticorum), Valeri Glava (Cheres)

5:15 – 6:00     Cheres (Ukrainian)

CARMAX STAGE

12:00 – 12:45 H?lau ‘O Lilinoe (traditional Hawai’ian hula)

1:00 – 1:45     Kala Ramnath (Hindustani violin)

2:00 – 2:45     Baba Commandant & the Mandingo Band (Manding)

3:00 – 3:45     Funk and Boogie from South Louisiana to West Africa—Baba Commandant & the Mandingo Band, Cyril Neville, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas

4:00 – 4:45     * Annie & the Caldwell Singers (gospel)

5:00 – 5:45     Stanley & the Ten Sleepless Knights (quelbe music)

DOMINION ENERGY DANCE PAVILION

12:00 – 1:00   Stanley & the Ten Sleepless Knights (quelbe music)

1:15 – 2:15     Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas (zydeco)

2:30 – 3:30     * Chuck Mead (rockabilly and honky-tonk)

3:45 – 4:45     Bio Ritmo (salsa)

5:00 – 6:00     Baba Commandant & the Mandingo Band (Manding)

FAMILY STAGE

12:00 – 12:45 Susan Greenbaum (presented by JAMinc)

1:00 – 1:30     Greenbelt S.I.T.Y. Stars (precision jump rope) (Performance is up on 2nd Street behind Family Area)

1:45 – 2:15     Eric Stanley (presented by JAMinc)

2:15 – 2:25     Junior Ranger Swearing-In

2:30 – 3:15     Learn Square Dancing with State of the Ozarks String Band (Ozark old-time)

3:30 – 4:15     Helobung (traditional Tboli music and dance)

4:30 – 5:00     Greenbelt S.I.T.Y. Stars (precision jump rope) (Performance is up on 2nd Street behind Family Area)

CENTER FOR CULTURAL VIBRANCY VIRGINIA FOLKLIFE STAGE

12:00 – 1:15   New Sounds of Bristol Showcase

1:30 – 2:30     Sherman Holmes & Cora Armstrong with Jared Pool, Andrew Alli and Rev. Almeta Ingram-Miller (gospel and soul)

2:45 – 3:30     Martha Spencer & the Wonderland Band (honky-tonk)

3:50 – 4:45     Rodney Stith (classic soul)

5:00 – 6:00     The Legendary Ingramettes (gospel)

STREET PERFORMANCE AT TREDEGAR PLAZA

2:30 – 3:00     Greenbelt S.I.T.Y. Stars (precision jump rope)

4:00 – 4:30     H?lau ’O Lilinoe (traditional Hawai’ian hula)

Date:  October 13-15, 2023

HOURS OF OPERATION:

Friday, October 13 — 6:30pm - 10:00pm 

Saturday, October 14 — 12:00pm - 9:30pm 

Sunday, October 15 — 12:00pm - 6:00pm

Location: Brown's Island

Richmond, VA 23219

Click here for more information