More to Explore: NCff Expands 2025 Lineup with New Artists, Experiences, and a 5th Stage

(Greensboro, N.C.) June 19, 2025 – The North Carolina Folk Festival has even more in store for fans this year, unveiling a second round of artists in this More to Explore lineup: a vibrant mix of performers, dancers and community talent that will bring energy, creativity and cultural connection to every corner of the festival footprint in downtown Greensboro from September 12-14.

The newly announced acts include:

• William Hinson & The Slys

• The Aint Sisters

• Ranford Almond

• Geoff Clapp

• Del Ward

• Too Phat Brass Band

• Tender hearted Ramblers Review

• Laura Jane Vincent & Tom Troyer

• Matty Sheets Memorial Open Mic

• GSOUL Street Dance

• Wake Forest University Gamelan Giri Murti

• SUAH African Dance Theatre

• Paperhand Puppets Project

• Heritage Awards Video Screenings

• NC Brazilian Arts Project

• Greensboro Youth Orchestra

• Montagnard Traditional Dance

• Barn Dancing with T-Claw Crawford

• Beats Batch with Katie Blvd

• Bhangra with Carolina Indian Arts

• Drum Circle with And The Beats Go On

• Flamenco Dance Program

• Honky Tonk Jam with Mark Dillon

• Old-Time Jam with Christen Blanton

• Latin Social Dance with Casa Azul

• Youth Talent Contest Presented by Chromatica

These performances will take place throughout the festival footprint including the International Folk Communities Area, which includes the Van Dyke Performance Space, Center City Jams presented by Revity Federal Credit Union, The Flat Iron and at pop-up locations along Church Street.

Several of the artists in this second round of announcements  reflect deep partnerships with local universities and cultural institutions, reinforcing the festival’s role as a connector within the community. Among the highlights: Wake Forest University’s Gamelan Giri Murti; Christen Blanton, an award-winning fiddler and music educator at UNC Greensboro; NC Heritage Awards video screenings presented by the NC Arts Council; UNC School of the Arts’ SUAH African Dance Theatre; and barn dancing led by T-Claw Crawford, Music and Dance Events Coordinator at the John C. Campbell Folk School.  The festival also partnered with the International Advisory Committee of Greensboro to bring Montagnard dancers to the festival and reintroduce the Folk Life International Communities area.

“These performances reflect the diversity, creativity, and connection that folk traditions are all about – not just on a stage, but in the streets, in the drum and dance circles, and in the shared moments between artist and audience,” said Savannah Thorne, NC Folk Festival’s Programming Director.

With this announcement, the festival is also unveiling its fifth official stage: The Flat Iron, a downtown Greensboro music venue that will host a curated lineup of performances programmed to flow between sets at the adjacent Summit/Church Street Stage.

“Greensboro’s live music venues are an essential part of what makes our city so vibrant,” said Jodee Ruppel, Executive Director of the NC Folk Festival. “With The Flat Iron’s central location within the festival footprint and strong live music roots, it made sense to fold them into the official footprint this year. We’ve programmed their sets to flow seamlessly with the nearby stage, so music never stops on this end of the festival.”

The More to Explore lineup builds on an already robust 2025 lineup featuring headliners Sammy Rae and The Friends, Arrested Development, and Steep Canyon Rangers, plus more than 30 other national and international acts performing over three days across five stages – all completely free to attend.