Today is the final day of the 77th National Folk Festival in downtown Greensboro. Folk groups from all over the world have been performing for three days now. There are nine stages of performers, a News & Record stage for interviews, tents and tents of crafters, and many food trucks all set up downtown with the City of Greensboro making a great backdrop. To be sure, there is something for everybody. From the above Moroccan group, Innov Gnawa, to the young girl below with her Polish-American, family polka band, Pan Franek, Zoisa, and the Polka Towners, Greensboro's streets are filled with people and music from all parts of the world. While this is the last year for the National Folk Festival to be held in Greensboro, the good news is that the community is planning to support a North Carolina Folk Festival, which will be held this same weekend next year.
Many people worship on Sunday and consider this the most holy of days. If you go downtown and see the diversity of people and the many cultures interacting and enjoying each other, you will find it a most spiritually moving experience. Just maybe, the path to world peace is paved with music. Ponder the spiritually moving aspects of the folk festival at noon today while enjoying the music of Alash, a group of Tuvan throat singers. Tuva is an area of Siberia on the border with Mongolia, where singers make amazing music from their throats. They will be entertaining Greensboro on Lebauer Park Stage at noon. Carolyn Lebauer would be so happy to know that the park she funded such a valuable community resource. The best way to show gratitude for the park and the festival is to vote with your feet and head downtown!
I would LOVE this! I love folk music and try to appreciate the music provided by all the different countries; plus I find the costumes very interesting!
Posted by: Lowell | Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 12:18 PM
Wonderful shots!
There's a folk festival here, but it seems a bit less world music than regular folk music as you've got there.
Posted by: William Kendall | Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 02:15 PM
That is a wonderful shot of the little Polka dancer!
Posted by: Katja | Sunday, September 10, 2017 at 05:33 PM