People, Get Ready!

the Montana Folk Festival Returns

to Butte, Montana July 13-15.

 

In 2011 Butte, Montana made the transition to the Montana Folk Festival after hosting the National Folk Festival for three years from 2008-2010.

Organizers from throughout Montana collaborated to establish a new and exciting event that built upon the success of the National while drawing from the strengths of the state in which it has been hosted.

The success of the 2011 event emboldened them to hope that as long as the support remains strong, the festival will grow and evolve for many years to come. The Montana Folk Festival is a new and exciting event while it remains very familiar to anyone who has attended in previous years.

As those who attended in 2011 discovered to their delight, the Montana Folk Festival continues to feature multiple stages with continuous live performances by some of the best traditional performers in the nation, including Montana's finest, some of the region's best traditional artists, ethnic and festival foods, a lively Family Area, and Folklife demonstrations and workshops that focus on a new theme each year that highlights Montana's heritage. In 2012, that theme is transportation -- Traveling Through and beyond the Western Crossroads: Transportation in Montana and the Mountain West and will feature a special focus on railroads.

All of this is presented in the spectacular setting of Butte, Montana in summer surrounded by historic headframes, historic tall buildings and the majestic Northern Rockies in every direction. We invite other organizations, individuals and corporations to support the event as it moves toward its second presentation in 2012 as a tourism engine and cultural magnet that will continue to feature top national cultural acts, as well as showcase Montana’s rich heritage bearers.

"We will continue to build on the solid foundation built from hard work, precious experience and valuable infrastructure over the past four years," said Tom Staples, president of Mainstreet Uptown Butte, the Montana non-profit that first invited the National to the Treasure State in 2007.

“The Folk Festival has brought tens of thousands of new visitors to Montana, and is helping to market the best of our community and our state to new and returning friends,” Staples added.

The Montana Folk Festival will continue to market the natural and cultural wonders of Montana to new visitors each July. From the beginning, the goal has been to build coalitions and collaborations of arts and festival sponsors to ultimately support established summer festivals throughout Montana as well as to create a permanent base of support for the annual Montana Folk Festival in Butte.

Explore this website to experience what this event is all about and what it means to Montana and let us know how much you would like us to continue in years to come.

Volunteer to help organize the 2012 event or plan to attend and enjoy the free performances, demonstrations and workshops.

Ask questions or send comments to us on Facebook or send an email to geverett@montanafolkfestival.com.

Sponsor -- to learn more about sponsorship opportunities for 2012, call (406) 497-6464 or send an email to geverett@montanafolkfestival.com.

__________________________________________________________________

Visit the sites of these other events that agree that folk festivals are serious business: