New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
CT Folk Fest returns to Edgerton Park
NEW HAVEN — The
29th CT Folk Fest & Green Expo is back to entertain in a (somewhat) post-COVID world, returning to Edgerton Park after a two-year hiatus as a two-day event with two stages and its most diverse lineup ever, including Valerie June, Oliver Wood of The Wood Brothers and Vance Gilbert.
“We’re thrilled,” said Festival Director Nicole Heriot-Mikula. “It’s been a two-year hiatus and we’re so excited to be back ... and to present an expanded format of two days and two main stages.”
In addition to music, the festival will include local artisan vendors and an expanded Green Expo, HeriotMikula said. It will take place Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 6 p.m. Edgerton Park is located off Whitney Avenue in the East Rock neighborhood at 75 Cliff St.
The musical lineup will include Valerie June headlining Saturday with The Alpaca Gnomes directly preceding her and Oliver Wood headlining Sunday with
Kaia Kater immediately preceding him.
The packed lineup also features Raye Zaragoza, Buffalo Rose, Vance Gilbert, Goodnight Moonshine, Stephen Peter Rodgers and the Unfinished Hearts, Kuf Knotz & Christine Elise, Jonah Tolchin, Latin Americana — a new collaboration between Rick Reyes and Dick Neal — Sarah King, Emery Major and Manny James, Max Garcia Conover, Moonrise Cartel and Haunt the House. Special guests the ACES Educational Center for the Arts Choir will join Knotz and Elise at noon Sunday.
A complete, detailed schedule is located at www.ctfolk.org.
Even with two stages running, “there will be minimal overlapping of sets,” said Heriot-Mikula, urging people to check out artists they are familiar with and acts new to them.
“This lineup is so incredibly strong that if you’re familiar with an artist ... and you may not know some others, we really encourage you to check them out because every artist is really a heavy-hitter,” she said. “Our lineup is diverse across the board,” regarding musical genres, gender and ethnicity.
The Green Expo will take place 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Saturday and noon-4:30 p.m. Sunday. It will include more than 75 handmade artisans and exhibitors and a number of area non-profits.
For families, the Green Kids Village offers all-day workshops including yoga and hula hooping sessions, hands-on projects with EcoWorks, Eli Whitney Museum, Massaro Community Farm and entertainment including Liz McNicholl, Cyril the Sorceror and Infinite Roots Drumming.
The Green New Haven tent will feature two days of workshops with local organizations, ranging from topics of climate change awareness to spoken word.
The expanded food truck lineup includes Rasta Rant, Lalibela, Mamoun’s, Street n’ Savory, Tex Mex Fusion, Rolling Rolls, Cafe Rebelde, Cinnabomb Mini Donut Factory and Everything About Crepes & Creamery. A craft brews beer garden will be presented by New England Brewing Company, with wine and hard seltzers also available.
The CT Folk Fest & Green Expo “has organically grown into one of the leading folk festivals and largest Green Expo in Connecticut,” Heriot-Mikula said in a release.
“The festival is a champion of diversity and community, bringing people of all backgrounds together through shared passions for the arts, supporting local artisans and investing in a sustainable future,” it said. “The festival’s mixture of music, cuisine and culture shows there is something for everyone.”
Admission is free but there is a $20 suggested donation to support CT Folk’s continuing efforts. Proceeds benefit CT Folk’s mission “to engage, entertain and inspire through diverse folk music,” while helping to foster a more socially just and environmentally sustainable community, HeriotMikula said.
Parking is available on Whitney Avenue and all surrounding streets around Edgerton Park as well as Hamden Hall for the entirety of the weekend. Parking for people with disabilities will be available on Cliff St. and a few spaces at Presbyterian Hall.
Shuttles will run all day Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. from the Stetson
Branch Library, 197 Dixwell Ave., and the Newhallville Learning Corridor, 224 Shelton Ave. thanks to Sea Grant CT, Heriot-Mikula said.
Carpooling and use of public transportation is encouraged, Heriot-Mikula said, pointing out that CT Transit buses currently are free to ride.
For more information, visit CTFolk.org, Facebook.com/CTFolk, or Instagram.com/CT_Folk.