about the North Carolina Folk Festival
The North Carolina Folk Festival is a free three day music and cultural festival held each year in downtown Greensboro. Bringing together artists from across North Carolina and around the world, the festival celebrates the many traditions, sounds, and stories that shape our communities through live performance, food, art, and shared experiences.
Founded on the belief that music and culture should be accessible to everyone, the festival welcomes more than 135,000 attendees annually for a weekend built on discovery, connection, and celebration.
What Makes the Festival Unique
More Than a Music Festival
The North Carolina Folk Festival showcases a wide range of musical traditions alongside cultural demonstrations, craft experiences, and community programming. Performances span genres and generations, creating opportunities for audiences to encounter new sounds while honoring deep artistic roots.
Folklife areas invite visitors to experience traditions up close through storytelling, foodways, crafts, and interactive demonstrations led by artists and culture bearers. Together, these experiences reflect the living traditions that continue to shape North Carolina and communities around the world.
Free Admission, Community Powered
The festival remains free and open to the public thanks to the support of sponsors, donors, partners, and volunteers. This commitment ensures that people of all ages and backgrounds can experience live music and cultural programming without barriers to entry.
By keeping admission free, the North Carolina Folk Festival creates a shared public space where residents and visitors gather, explore, and celebrate together.
Each year, the North Carolina Folk Festival brings people together through music, culture, and shared experience. Whether discovering a new artist, exploring traditions up close, or simply gathering with friends and neighbors, the festival creates moments of connection that extend far beyond the weekend itself.