And so it begins – The AFF Kick-off party is tonight!

Today is Thursday, August 27th which means one thing: THE VIP PARTY and the official Kick-off to the 2015 American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront!

I work in the Communications team at St. Joe’s and we are thrilled to be a sponsor—and partner—of this great Festival. We are proud to be involved for a number of years now, and look forward to a great event this year. This event fits in perfectly with who we are here at St. Joe’s – we too are community-minded, we love life and encourage dancing and enjoying all that every day has to offer. Sounds just like what will be happening this weekend on the Bangor waterfront!

Photo of Maria Baeza

Maria Baeza. Photo courtesy of Whittling Fog Photography

Tonight, I gather up 9 of my friends from St Joe’s and we head to the Penobscot stage, just down the way from the Sea Dog, to be thanked by members of the Board of Directors and sub-committees of the Folk Fest. We will be educated on all the goodness that will be this year’s festival and we will hear from a few of the key players who bring this event to life each year. Oh – as well, we’ll enjoy the tasty treats that the Sea Dog Brewing Company offers and maybe grab a drink with friends and fellow sponsors. This special event is planned specifically for the sponsors as an opportunity to personally thank and be thanked.

 

 

 

Now, on to tomorrow. Be sure to get lots of sleep tonight because tomorrow we launch into the 14th Annual American Folk Festival! This three-day event starts on Friday at 6:00 p.m. until 10:30 p.m. Saturday it goes from noon –10:30 p.m., and Sunday from noon – 6:00 p.m. Rain or shine, people! RAIN OR SHINE!

Bucket Brigade at the Kick-off Party

Photo courtesy of Whittling Fog Photography

It will be you, me and about 120,000 other visitors in Bangor’s downtown and waterfront enjoying the efforts of a ton of volunteers and staff! The Festival will include 16+ groups performing the traditional arts of their region, their culture, and their heritage.

Performers in 2015 will include:

Wylie and the Wild West (Cowboy)

Preston Shannon (Memphis Blues)

Imamyar Hasanov (Azerbaijan)

Mickey Galyean and Cullen’s Bridge (Bluegrass)

De Temps Antan (Quebecois)

Creole United (Creole)

Sensational Royal Lights (Gospel)

Sleepy LaBeef (Rockabilly)

Tal National (Niger)

The Dardanelles (Newfoundland)

Kasi Aysola (Bharata Natyam)

Mitch Frohman and the Bronx Horns (Salsa & Latin Jazz)

Kinan Idnawi (Music and Dance of Syria)

Andre Veloz (Dominican Bachata)

Red Trouser Show (Circus Arts)

Asociacion Carnavale de Massachusetts (Dominican Parade)

You know you can’t miss this! See ya in the Dance Tent!