Category Archives: Entertainment

Sunday Folk Festival

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Sahba Motallebi showcasing the Persian tar

The Amazonian group Los Wembler’s were a crowd favorite.

The sun came out and there was delicious food to be had. I hope Dominion did not hack my phone while charging it. Two other things to think about- One, when will the Richmond Folk Festival join other festivals in getting rid of the plastic and styrofoam? It’s 2017, it’s past time to do so.
Two, why don’t we see permanent solar charging stations in our parks and other places? Oh, that’s right, Dominion discourages solar with things like the VEPGA contract.

Eddie Cotton, Jr. playing some high energy blues.

Romanian Nicolae Feraru and his excellent band showed what the cimbalom (hammered dulcimer) could do.

Stalking funnel cake.

Mellowing to some jazz guitar.

Kids sledding cardboard down canal embankment.

Photos from Folk Festival Saturday

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Wayne Hancock singing about reefer!

Innov Gnawa (If you liked them, there is an excellent new album out by gnawa master Maalem Mahmoud Gania called Colours of the Night that you should check out).

Wild Horses

The Green Fields of America (playing IN the Kanawha Canal where hundreds of Irish and African laborers worked and died)

Accordians!

Betsayda Machado y La Parranda El Clavo (The main band led a procession down to the stage to start of their set)

Spanish flamenco was spellbinding (despite a rather noisy and disruptive audience)

The San Francisco Taiko was exuberant and fun.

The female-led go-go group Be’la Dona got the crowd going…

Soul singer Don Bryant singing “I Can’t Stand The Rain”

Thankfully, I have only saw a few parking problems in the neighborhood. And police were patrolling. On the other hand, I have heard some anecdotes from neighbors about some traffic problems that still need to be corrected.

Ready to do it again today, Richmond?

Enjoy The Folk Festival But Don’t Park In Oregon Hill

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There will be restricted parking in Oregon Hill this year for the this year’s 13th Annual Richmond Folk Festival.

Councilperson Parker Agelasto announced this at last night’s City Council meeting and OHNA President Jennifer Hancock confirmed that they are going over plans now.
Some portions of the neighborhood will be password protected for residents and some barricaded streets will be in effect.

While many neighbors are thankful and relieved to hear this, it is somewhat curious. With the roundabout construction, the route through or into the neighborhood is going to be congested anyway. There have been a few complaints from Southside residents about the lack of a Folk Festival bus shuttle to/from Southside. While the schedule is definitely rich in fantastic talent that should not be missed, there are no huge, blockbuster, headliner names. The Tredegar Civil War Center construction will also take up a lot of space that was previously used for the Festival.

In other words, while folks should look forward to attending the Richmond Folk Festival and expect to hear some great music, and certainly encourage others do so also, it seems like it will be purposely smaller this year. It’s a good year to use mass transit or ride bicycles to the Festival.