FOLK FOR ALL, ALL FOR FOLK
Older than Woodstock: Legendary festival is 50, but Philly Folk Fest is 58
Woodstock 50th anniversary? UPPER SALFORD >> Meh.
Consider that the Philadelphia Folksong Society had already presented the Philadelphia Folk Festival for eight years by the summer of 1969. Regardless of dusty drought, heavy downpours, or plain old August heat, it has been around each year without fail for 58 years.
At the end of May the festival site at the Old Pool Farm, and surrounding Upper Salford Township, bore the brunt of a damaging storm with excessive winds, and even some hail.
On Friday, shortly after introducing a noon set by Aaron Nathans and Michael G. Ronstadt on the Lobby Stage, Folksong Society executive director Justine Nordell confirmed that in June, with the festival just two months away, there were a number of downed trees on-site that needed to be cleared.
“We have an ‘angel donor,’ who has done a lot of work (on the Folk Fest site)
through his company, who wishes to remain anonymous,” Nordell said.
Between the storm cleanup and drilling a “French drain” in the crafters area — addressing an issue of pooling muddy water at last year’s Fest — Nordell estimated the donated labor to be hundreds of thousands of dollars. “We can’t thank this person enough,” he said.
The Folk Fest continues through Sunday on the Old Pool Farm at Salford Station and Clemmers Mill roads. If you are on Route 63 west, coming from the direction of the Lansdale Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange, Folk Fest signs direct you to turn left onto Shelly Road, and you will miss the traffic lights and restricted lanes from a bridge repair project.
If you’re planning to attend the Folk Fest on Sunday, be aware that Montgomery County has issued a Code Red Hot Weather Health Warning for noon to 6 p.m. that day. Code Reds are issued when the heat index is anticipated to reach at least 100 degrees or greater. To prevent heat-related stress and exhaustion, you should:
• Drink plenty of non-alcoholic, non-caffeinated fluids.
• Wear lightweight, lightcolored, loose-fitting clothing.
• Take some rest in the shade, such as the festival’s Dulcimer Grove, Culture Tent or Lobby Stage areas.
Nordell added that there are “hydration stations,” with five-gallon jugs of spring water, that can be found on the hill that slopes down to the main stage.
One particularly interesting drink, available in free samples and for sale by the can and case at the festival, is CB Delight, a line of lemonade, ginger beer, cola, diet cola and iced tea, all made with hemp-derived CBD oil. “Everything but the THC,” said CB Delight’s Ashleigh Baldwin, referring to the intoxicating chemical in marijuana.
Around 4 p.m. Friday, a giant smiling banjo — the Folk Fest’s traditional logo — with human legs, and long arms being moved about by Fest volunteers to the left and right, was strolling the perimeter of the hill during the afternoon main stage concert.
When asked if she had any safety concerns being in a music festival crowd, Los Angeles resident and West Philadelphia native Patty McGettigan Postil said that a general atmosphere of cooperation and goodwill seems to ward off bad or harmful intentions.
“The best part of the festival is everybody is really chill, and even in the worst (weather) environments, everybody’s really nice. This environment is so loving, and it’s (put on by) a nonprofit,” said McGettigan Postil, who first attended the event in 1971.
Friday’s musical lineup involved Sharon Katz & The Peace Train, Gordie MacKeeman & His Rhythm Boys, Mwsenso & The Shakes, The Way Down Wanderers, and Digging Roots in the Martin Stage afternoon concert, and East Pointers, Yola, Joan Osborne (performing a selection of Bob Dylan’s music) Cha Wa and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band rounding out the evening.
“This is great,” said Flourtown resident Jim Freedman. Still taking in his first impression of the Folk Festival, Freedman said he was there to see an afternoon set by his niece, Emily Drinker, on the Lobby Stage.
According to the festival program, Drinker is “an
award-winning singersongwriter who blends folk, soul and pop, with a ukulele backing band, and captivating harmonies through live looping.”
Planning only to attend Friday’s festivities, Freedman hinted that a relative, who was also at the Folk Fest, would talk him into staying for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
Bordentown, N.J. resident Claudia Dunlevy confessed that Sunday evening main stage performer David Crosby was the only Folk Fest performer’s name that she recognized. But in the festival’s spirit of musical discovery, that didn’t stop her from taking in the Folk Fest with her daughter, Eleanor, her son, Ash, and a 10-month-old German shepherd puppy in training to be a seeing eye dog, named Leif. “We just like live music. We’ve seen dozens of shows, and just thought we’d check it out,” she said.
According to the Folksong Society, the Folk Fest is the first outdoor festival in the U.S. to take the Keychange Pledge — setting a goal to achieve an even gender balance between, male, female and non-binary artists by 2020.
Karen Devine, who is running for a position on the Philadelphia Folksong Society Board of Directors, shared her take on already meeting that goal this year. “Because I’m a pediatric nurse, (I’ve seen that) children respond more positively to a male voice. However you grow up and you need to be more mature, and ... have a sense of fair play. (Festival and programming director) Lisa Schwartz did a fabulous job (assembling the lineup),” she said, adding her opinion that venues from local municipal summer concert series to the biggest places for live music in Philadelphia still heavily favor male musicians and entertainers.
Connie O’Kane of Roslyn, who has only missed the Folk Fest once since 1988, feels that camping