National Folk Festival

<p>This isn't really much of a question, rather a suggestion.</p>

<p>I went to the Saturday session of the National Folk Festival in Butte, Montana today. I had never heard of the National Folk Festival until last year when it was held in Butte for the first of three consecutive years. This festival has been going since the 1930's and is definately a big deal now, with over 100,000 people expected to attend the three day festival this year. I can believe it, at times it seemed as if half the state was there.</p>

<p>Since it is being held in Montana this year and next there is a heavy emphasis on Montana folk arts and traditions, which means lots of Native American arts, cattle roping demonstrations and what not. I am deeply sorry that I didn't plan ahead so that I would have had time to attend all three days of the festival, since photo ops abound, and the people watching is great.</p>

<p>Of course, no folk festival would be complete without folk music and this festival has it in spades. One of the nice things about it is that most artists play several sets on different stages during the course of the festival, so you never have to choose between seeing one act over another, you can almost always arrange a schedule where you can see all of the acts you are interested in, besides having time to see everything else there is to sample. And music they do have -- in four hours on one stage I saw and photographed: Magic Slim and the Teardrops, a really fine traditional Chicago Blues band, Beausoleil, one of the finest Cajun bands there is, and Thomas Mapfumo a brilliant Zimbabwean musician who now resides in Portland, OR. In addition they had bluegrass, old timey, Texas swing, Nortena, Mariachi, Fiddle music, Acadian (an ancestor of Cajun), breakdance, New Orleans Jazz, Irish -- you get the picture. The event is a giant multi-cultural smorgasborg.</p>

<p>And did I mention? The entire event is free!</p>

<p>As far as photography is concerned: they don't seem to put any restrictions on it. You can bring whatever you want, shoot with flash if need be and have a grand old time.</p>

<p>So, if you can't make it to Butte, MT next year (highly recommend as the area around Butte is quite lovely), keep an eye out for it in a city near you. It is well worth the cost of a plane ticket or a drive and three or four nights in a hotel. Check out <a href="http://www.nationalfolkfestival.com">www.nationalfolkfestival.com</a> and mark your calender.</p>

 

<p>I am listening to it now, live on public radio, in Missoula. Great place to photograph, aside from the fest. </p>