Join us in New Bedford, America’s largest commercial fishing port, to learn about the men and women who harvest the North Atlantic.
Walk the decks of a scalloper, dine on fresh seafood, see fishermen’s contests, and watch a cooking demonstrations. Experience the workings of the industry which brings seafood from the ocean to your plate.
The Working Waterfront Festival presents performances of music, dance and poetry; demonstrations and contests of industry skills; tours of workboats; documentary films and footage at sea; cooking demonstrations; author readings; children’s activities; U.S. Coast Guard demos; Tug Boat Muster; whaleboat races, and more!
Dar Williams with Special Guest Catie Curtis
A benefit concert for Americans United for Separation of Church and State
Friday, February 5th at 7:30pm
Tickets and More Info: Click Here
“Dar Williams is a songwriter of immense talent” – Telegraph UK
Williams growth as an individual over her almost two-decade-long career has gone hand-in-hand with her evolution as an artist. Raised in Chappaqua, N.Y., and educated at Wesleyan University, Williams spent 10 years living in the thriving artistic community of Northampton, Mass., where she began to make the rounds on the coffeehouse circuit. Joan Baez, an early fan of her music, took Williams out on the road and recorded several of her songs.
Every new album from Dar Williams represents her thoughts and feelings about both her own life and larger forces in the world. But her ninth studio record, Emerald, marks a particularly dramatic confluence between her experiences and broader contemporary culture—and what it means to be a songwriter at this moment in history.
“I’m now experiencing the fruits of the alternative culture I was part of in the ‘90s,” she says. “I think I’ve made choices about how I lived my life, outside of the world that was going to fit me among the mainstream norms, and I chose to stay with my friends, to stay with my culture. That turns out to have been the sturdiest structure I could have built for myself. And that’s in my songs, it’s in my teaching. I’m a believer in what can happen when we make music together.” – Dar Williams
Special Guest Catie Curtis
Catie Curtis is a veteran on the singer/songwriter folk scene. She’s performed at the White House, two Presidential Inaugural Balls, with Lilith Fair, and at Carnegie Hall. Winner of several Boston Music Awards, she also took the Grand Prize in the 2006 International Songwriting Competition (out of 15,000 entries). The New Yorker called Catie a “folk-rock goddess.”
Americans United for Separation of Church and State is a nonpartisan organization that lobbies, educates and litigates in order to preserve the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.
Tickets and More Info: Click Here
The 20th Annual Healing Garden MusicFest Concert takes place on October 15, at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA. Sponsored by Patio Records this benefit concert is geared towards raising funds to build healing gardens at hospital treatment centers. Musicians include: Garnet Rogers, Barbara Kessler, Rick Fines, Suzie Vinnick and many more. More information about the Healing Garden Fest here.
About Patio Records
The Mary Eagan Garden Fund was created in memory of Mary (1947-1992), who succumbed to Acute Myelogenous Leukemia. Mary, a mother of four children, requested that any monies raised in her honor be directed towards building a patio for future patients’ well-being during their times of receiving cancer treatments.
While working with local hospitals towards patio construction, a concurrent pursuit is the universalization of the concept of having such a facility be part of an overall treatment plan for those unfortunate to be so afflicted. The Waltham (MA) Hospital embraced this goal, and on April 27th, 2001, saw the opening ceremony and ribbon cuttting of the magnificent Mary Eagan Garden adjoining the Cancer Care Center; providing a setting of comfort and solace for people who our hearts go out to.
The first Mary Eagan Garden in Canada was opened within the the 4.5 acre Richard and Annette Bloch Cancer Survivors Park in Ottawa on September 24, 2008.
Annual Benefit Concerts have led the way as a fundraising vehicle. To date, Patio Records has hosted nearly 40 events in New England and Canada, featuring lineups of Canadian and U.S. virtuosos. These exceptional musicians have been enthusiastic in response to the concert series.
The Working Waterfront Festival presents performances of music, dance and poetry. Experience demonstrations and contests of industry skills; tours of workboats; documentary films and footage at sea. There will be cooking demonstrations; author readings; children’s activities; tug boat muster; whaleboat races, and more!
The largest fishing port in the US!
Join us in New Bedford, America’s largest commercial fishing port, to learn about the men and women who harvest the North Atlantic. Walk the decks of a fishing vessel, dine on fresh seafood, see fishermen’s contests, and watch a cooking demonstrations. Experience the workings of the industry which brings seafood from the ocean to your plate.
This will be THE folk singer/songwriter event of the year. Tickets Here
For over forty years, Dick Pleasants was a mainstay on Boston radio, as well as part of the Boston and New England music community.
Proceeds from this concert will go to “The Richard E. Pleasants Supplemental Needs Trust.”
We have some of the most respected musicians lending their talents for this show. Lori McKenna, Patty Larkin, Garnet Rogers, Cliff Eberhardt and Mark Erelli.
Lori McKenna
Lori McKenna puts a magnifying glass on un-championed lives. She doesn’t just notice the quiet and ordinary, she delights in it – effortlessly transforming the average to extraordinary. Lori is one of the most sought after songwriters in the industry with her songs recorded by top artists including Reba, Alison Krauss, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Keith Urban. McKenna’s songwriting credits include the 2x Platinum Billboard No. 1 hit, I Want Crazy, by Hunter Hayes. She penned the 2015 massive Little Big Town hit, Girl Crush, which reached 11 weeks on the Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and netted McKenna a CMA Award, NSAI Songwriters and her first Grammy. She wrote Tim McGraw’s hit, Humble & Kind. The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart marking the first time in more than four years a song written by one writer topped the chart.
Patty Larkin
Patty Larkin redefines the boundaries of folk-urban pop music with her inventive guitar wizardry and uncompromising vocals and lyrics. Acoustic Guitar hails her “soundscape experiments” while Rolling Stone praises her “evocative and sonic shading.” She has been described as “riveting” (Chicago Tribune), “hypnotic” (Entertainment Weekly) and a “drop-dead brilliant” performer (Performing Songwriter )
Cliff Eberhardt
Cliff Eberhardt knew by age seven that he was going to be a singer and songwriter. Growing up in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, he and his brothers sang together and their parents played instruments. His dad introduced him to the guitar and he quickly taught himself to play. Fortunate enough to live close to the Main Point (one of the best folk clubs on the East Coast), he cut his teeth listening to the likes of James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Springsteen, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Bonnie Raitt, and Mississippi John Hurt — receiving an early and impressive tutorial in acoustic music. At the same time, he was also listening to great pop songwriters like Cole Porter, the Gershwins, and Rodgers and Hart, which explain his penchant for great melodies and clever lyrical twists.
Garnet Rogers Photo -Steve Ide
Garnet Rogers has established himself as “One of the major talents of our time”. Hailed by the Boston Globe as a “charismatic performer and singer”, Garnet is a man with a powerful physical presence – close to six and a half feet tall – with a voice to match. With his “smooth, dark baritone” (Washington Post) his incredible range, and thoughtful, dramatic phrasing, Garnet is widely considered by fans and critics alike to be one of the finest singers anywhere.
Mark Erelli
Mark Erelli has won several prestigious awards, including the Kerrville New Folk Contest and the International Song Contest, where a song he co-wrote with Catie Curtis (“People Look Around”) bested 15,000 entries to win the grand prize. He has maintained a rigorous touring schedule, appearing onstage everywhere from coffeehouses and major folk festival stages (Newport, Philadelphia) to Fenway Park, where he once sang the national anthem before a Red Sox game. In recent years, Mark has gained notoriety as a multi-instrumentalist sideman and producer, accompanying GRAMMY-winning artists such as Lori McKenna, Paula Cole and Josh Ritter everywhere from Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry to London’s Royal Albert Hall.
More information and tickets here.
Presented by Barnes Newberry of My Back Pages Radio & Brian Quinn of Last Dance Productions
New Bedford Folk Festival brings together over 70 renowned and emerging performers and 90 plus juried arts and crafts vendors in New Bedford’s authentic historic district in July. In 2017, we celebrated the 22nd New Bedford Folk Festival on July 8 & 9. In 2018 the festival will be held on July 7 & 8.
The two day family-oriented festival offers continuous folk music from 11 AM to 9 PM on seven sound stages in and around the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park ranging from the majestic 1200 seat Zeiterion Performing Arts Theater to the intimacy of the National Park Garden Stage.
The Artisans’ Marketplace showcases the handcrafted work of many local artists as well as artisans from Maine to California and the International Bazaar offers high-quality, imported handcrafts, many of them Fair Trade, from around the globe.
Food is also a great part of the festival. From street carts, to the food court to the restaurants in and around the festival you can sample some of the tasty cuisine the area has to offer.
Presented by the Zeiterion Performing Arts Theater and hosted by the City of New Bedford, the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and the New Bedford Whaling Museum the New Bedford Folk Festival offers an exciting atmosphere with great music, beautiful arts and crafts and fun activities for the whole family.
The Zeiterion Performing Arts Center entertains, educates, and inspires our community by presenting a diverse array of high quality performing artists and providing engaging learning opportunities that contribute to the cultural, social, and economic vitality of the Southcoast. By presenting hundreds of world-class performing artists and hosting countless other community events, The Z is a gathering place that connects generations, unites diverse groups, and opens a world of possibilities to our children
Check out the performers here
It’s the best deal of the summer. Get your tickets here.
The 32nd Lowell Folk Festival continues to provide the finest in traditional music, craft, foodways and more in downtown Lowell. This annual celebration is the best in traditional folk music, artisan crafts and ethnic foods, and will be returning to downtown Lowell with a full lineup beginning with the traditional parade of nations from Lowell’s City Hall Plaza to Boarding House Park. The free festival offers something for everyone, from 8 to 80-year-olds all within the heart of Lowell National Historical Park.
“This will be the 32nd year of the Lowell Folk Festival,” said Kevin Dwyer, Executive Director of the Lowell Folk Festival. “There will be a number of great new artists to the lineup this year. For a lot of performers, it will be their first time in Lowell. It’s really exciting to bring new world class artists to Lowell and get our attendees to see them for the first time! This community has embraced a festival that has drawn millions of people over the last 30 years. We’re very excited to present the 32nd festival this July.”
To celebrate the Festival’s 32nd Anniversary the Foodways area will be featuring Flatbreads: Plain & Fancy. Check out cooks who have adapted their traditions and how they found their way to America, and to the Lowell Folk Festival! Make sure you stop by and have a “Taste of Tradition!”
The Lowell Folk Festival is presented by Lowell National Historical Park, Lowell Festival Foundation, the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the City of Lowell, the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Greater Lowell Chamber of Commerce.
The perfect summer festival. More info here.
We are inviting volunteers, businesses, and organizations to donate their time and energy. Individual volunteers will continue to be the event’s backbone, and we are also recruiting teams of volunteers sponsored by businesses and organizations.
- Call the Lowell National Historical Park Volunteer Office at 978-275-1740, or
- Stop in at the Lowell National Historical Park Visitor Center at 246 Market Street, Lowell (free parking at 304 Dutton Street) and fill out an application.
Another of our favorites, April Verch, comes home.
The Ottawa Valley (Canada) fiddler, step-dancer, singer and all-around wonderful performer is back as part of a new dynamic trio. An unassuming delight in person, April’s talents are many, and she has gained worldwide renown. You might have seen her performing at 2010 the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Vancouveras part of a segment called “Fiddle Nation.” We are thrilled to have her back to conclude our 30th season and be the featured act after our 27th annual Performing Songwriter Competition.
April knows how relevant an old tune can be. She was raised surrounded by living, breathing roots music—her father’s country band rehearsing; the lively music at church and at community dances; the tunes she rocked out to win fiddle competitions. She thought every little girl learned to stepdance at the age of three and fiddle at the age of six. She knew nothing else and decided early on that she wanted to be a professional musician.
She took that leap, and for over two decades has been recording and captivating audiences worldwide, exploring new and nuanced places each step of the way. In 2017 she released The April Verch Anthology (Slab Town Records), an 18-track collection celebrating her life’s work. Hand-picked by Verch, the songs on this compilation offer an enchanting mix of regional Canadian, American old-time, bluegrass, country and Americana tracks.
The April Verch Anthology is a testament to the many chapters in Verch’s musical journey.
Moving from exuberant stepdancer to fiddle wunderkind and silver-voiced singer; from upstart prodigy to mature and reflective songwriter, interpreter, and storyteller. The compilation is an excursion through Verch’s 1998-2015 recordings, featuring tunes and songs dear to Verch as well as a healthy dose of fan favorites and two newly recorded tracks. “Through this anthology, I am reminded of the inspirations with which I began and of the hopes I hold for the future. I take a moment to reflect and to celebrate,” says Verch.
While Verch is perhaps best known for playing traditional fiddle styles from her native Ottawa Valley, Canada, her performances extend into old-time American and Appalachian styles and far beyond.Verch and her fellow trio members pare down their arrangements, highlighting the simple pleasures of upright bass, guitar, clawhammer banjo, voices, fiddle, and stepping in intimate conversation. At the heart lie Verch’s delicate voice, energetic footwork, and stunning playing. Sometimes she sings, steps and fiddles all at once, with apparent ease and precision. Verch is – as they say – a triple threat in performance, her live show a beautiful companion to her music: versatile, robust, and masterfully executed.
Verch began her full time touring career in 2000 and has performed around the world.
including festival, theatre and performing arts centre appearances in Canada, USA, China, Australia, United Kingdom, Belgium, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, France, Spain, Czech Republic and the United Arab Emirates. She also presents workshops, master classes, and lectures as part of her tours and at selected music camps.
Verch won’t be the one to tell you about her championship titles, nominations, and awards, or the fact that she was one of 6 fiddlers who represented the Canadian fiddle tradition to the world at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, as part of a segment called “Fiddle Nation.” Instead, in speaking with her, you’ll hear about how passionate she is about sharing her music; in small gatherings in remote communities in Iqaluit, to large prestigious concert halls like Mozartsal in Vienna.
Even as she plays with the tradition she inherited, Verch keeps the community-fired celebratory side of her music at the forefront, honing a keen awareness of how to engage contemporary listeners. It’s why Rolling Stone cited her “One of the 12 best things we saw at MerleFest in 2016.”
“Just as contemporary bluegrass has Alison Krauss as an ambassador, the Ottawa Valley has April Verch,” said NPR’s Marco Werman on “The World.” And Verch never forgets the roots of her music, that connection to the people out there in the audience, on the dance floor, to the community sparked by a good song. “It’s about joining together to celebrate everyday life, through music. We’re all in this together.”
Welcome home to Mansfield, April!
The New Bedford Folk Festival
New Bedford Folk Festival brings together over 70 renowned and emerging performers and 90 plus juried arts and crafts vendors in New Bedford’s authentic historic district in July. In 2018, we celebrated the 23rd New Bedford Folk Festival on July 7 & 8. In 2019 the festival will be held on July 6 & 7.
The two-day family-oriented festival offers continuous folk music from 11 AM to 9 PM on seven sound stages in and around the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park ranging from the majestic 1200 seat Zeiterion Performing Arts Theater to the intimacy of the National Park Garden Stage.
The Artisans’ Marketplace showcases the handcrafted work of many local artists, as well as artisans from Maine to California and the International Bazaar, offers high-quality, imported handcrafts, many of them Fair Trade, from around the globe.
Food is also a great part of the festival. From street carts to the food court to the restaurants in and around the festival you can sample some of the tasty cuisines the area has to offer.
Presented by the Zeiterion Performing Arts Theater and hosted by the City of New Bedford, the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and the New Bedford Whaling Museum the New Bedford Folk Festival offers an exciting atmosphere with great music, beautiful arts and crafts and fun activities for the whole family.
Check out the crafts and commercial vendors
New Bedford Folk Festival – Vendors
33rd Lowell Folk Festival
The Lowell Folk Festival continues to provide the finest in traditional music, craft, foodways and more in downtown Lowell. This annual celebration is the best in traditional folk music, artisan crafts and ethnic foods, and will be returning to downtown Lowell with a full lineup beginning with the traditional parade of nations from Lowell’s City Hall Plaza to Boarding House Park. The free festival offers something for people of all ages all within the heart of Lowell National Historical Park.
