American Folk Festival 2014 schedule available online – plan your weekend now!

Once again, the end of August draws near, and the weather hasn’t disappointed us. Hot, sunny days and cool nights are full of things that signal the nearness of the American Folk Festival.

The full schedule of the 2014 American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront has been released on the Folk Festival website for your planning convenience. Print a copy, grab a pen, and circle your favorites, or if you’re a busy family like mine, let the planner in your group take over and decide how to split your time between a full lineup of fantastic musicians and dancing in order to take in the folk life exhibits, visit the Children’s Village and peruse the multitude of vendors selling their wares.

At 6:15 pm on Friday, the Chinese Folk Art Workshop kicks off the parade beginning at the Sea Dog Restaurant. Grammy nominated Bill Kirchen’s guitar mastery follows, with Quebecois, Cajun, and bluegrass performances getting the weekend off to the great start. I’m sure that a lot of our Saturday will be spent at the Maine Folklife Center Narrative Stage, where doll-making and readings from Maine children’s authors are taking place. Thank goodness, these events are repeated at different times on Sunday in case we miss a few trying to race between stages to catch all of the action. What’s a good daddy to do?

Of course, with all of the bands, dancing, drumming, and learning opportunities, you may have thought I overlooked the most delicious thing: The food! Oh, the food. Gyros, quesadillas, funnel cake, dough boys, strawberry shortcake, barbecue, po’ boys, crabcakes, turkey legs and blueberry smoothies are just the tip of the iceberg. There’s even taffy pulling on Sunday from 4 to 5 pm – I am sure that will soon be a favorite of mine!

Don’t worry, you can plan your food and shopping trips into the mix as well! All vendors for art, crafts and food are located on the American Folk Festival’s vendor page.

Whether you’re a tried and true organizer or one who likes to just go where their heart desires, the 2014 American Folk Festival on August 22, 23, & 24 is sure to keep you moving from one event to the next.

Dan Cashman

About Dan Cashman

Dan Cashman has been involved with the American Folk Festival since 2011 and is currently serving on the board of the Festival. For more information about the American Folk Festival, visit www.americanfolkfestival.com.