The 42nd Northwest Folklife Festival

Posted by: Dennis Brady

This Memorial Day Weekend (May 24-27), Northwest Folklife is pleased to bring
the region four extraordinary days of music, dance, and cultural experiences at
the 2014 Northwest Folklife Festival at Seattle Center! Join your friends and
neighbors for the greatest show of talent and tradition in the Northwest.
Step inside any of the twenty-six programmed stages and venues for workshops,
performances, dances, and dozens of opportunities to participate in
programming that includes—but goes far beyond—“folk.” Expect hip hop, jazz,
rock, swing, and more.
Northwest Folklife defines “folklife” as, basically, “the things people do at home
to entertain themselves.” That definition allows the Festival to schedule all kinds
of acts—from traditional costumed dance and slack-key guitar to emerging
trends like chiptunes and looping—to best represent the evolving folklife of the
region.
Each year the Northwest Folklife Festival presents over 6,000 performers, 80 hours
of participatory dance, and 200 vendors selling crafts and food from around the
world.
The Festival also incorporates new elements to make each year unique. This
year’s Cultural Focus, or programming theme, is Washington Works, featuring exhibits, films, demonstrations, storytelling, and performances that explore
various aspects of occupational folklore and the ever-changing workplaces in
Washington State.
The popular Indie Roots programming is now expanded across several stages,
and the Festival is partnering for the first time with Ballard’s Fin Records on an
indie music showcase. Folklife is also working with the EMP Museum to present a
special tribute show exploring the roots music that influenced Jimi Hendrix. And
2013 introduces a new showcase presenting the traditional music and dance of
Asia.
The secret to having the best Folklife ever? Get involved! Join a sing-a-long.
Learn a new dance. Appreciate the costumes of a local ethnic group. Or just
listen to the thousands of talented musicians perform from a peaceful spot in
one of the many beer gardens. Northwest Folklife is the perfect place to learn
more about the people around you, and the Festival is proud to create these
opportunities for mutual understanding.
The full schedule and performer listings will be available at
www.nwfolklife.org/festival in early May and printed as an insert in most editions
of The Seattle Times on May 27.
Artwork and high resolution images are available for download from
http://www.nwfolklife.org/for-the-press/.
About the Northwest Folklife Festival
Every year since 1972, Northwest Folklife has presented the Northwest Folklife
Festival over Memorial Day Weekend at Seattle Center. The Festival honors and
celebrates the musical and cultural traditions that make our region great and
provides opportunities for the public to connect with the many diverse cultures
that make up the Northwest through dance, song, and art.
About Northwest Folklife
Northwest Folklife is a year-round nonprofit organization dedicated to creating
opportunities for all people to appreciate, share, and participate in the evolving
traditions of the Pacific Northwest.