Folklife lives up to promise of “something for everyone”
May 23, 2014, 2:01 PM | Updated: 2:09 pm
The 43rd annual Northwest Folklife Festival features over 5,000 performers spanning more than 100 genres of music. (Cait Walsh/MyNorthwest.com)
(Cait Walsh/MyNorthwest.com)
Plenty of arts festivals promise something for everyone, but few actually deliver like this weekend’s annual Northwest Folklife Festival at Seattle Center.
The festival showcases music and arts spanning virtually every conceivable genre and corner of the globe.
“We are going to have more than 5,000 performers, all of whom are offering their talent for free, just for the general joy and sharing with all of their neighbors,” says Folklife executive director Rob Townsend. “We have more than 100 different genres of music and dance represented.”
In all, the festival features over 850 scheduled events at 20 different venues around Seattle Center over its four-day run. Admission remains free, thanks to the generosity of sponsors and thousands of donors. But the festival encourages donations to help support its operations,Townsend says.
“This is a gift to the people of Seattle of and by the people,” he says.
Among the new offerings for this year’s festival are a partnership with Seattle International Film Festival with film screenings daily at the SIFF Film Center, more Indie Roots programming and a cultural focus on “India and Its People.”
For families, an expanded Discovery Zone features kid-friendly performances, workshops and activities in the Next 50 Pavilion.
There are plenty of opportunities to participate, from dances to sing-a-longs to beginners’ classes for guitar, fiddle and more.
If you get hungry, there are plenty of food vendors offering eats from all over the world, and beer gardens to slake your thirst.
“We really do try to have something for everyone,” Townsend says. And once again, they’ve delivered.
The Northwest Folklife Festival runs through Monday at Seattle Center.
