The Boston Folk Festival

at UMass Boston | September 24 & 25, 2005 | Call (617) 287 - 6911 for info

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Boston Folk Festival 2005

Festival goers enjoy the view from the Fox Point Pavilion stage

The Eighth annual Boston Folk Festival was a feast for the senses, with three stages ever bustling with non-stop music, a bazaar of artists and crafters adorning the perimeter of the field with hand-made jewelry, wind chimes and tie dye of every color, and food vendors infusing the air with the smells of Thailand, Mexico and beyond. And a portion of this festival ran on solar power!

Saturday, September 24th, what a beautiful day! Or, as Matapat would put it "Quel beau jour!" The Quebecois quartet opened the festival on Saturday morning, and, in doing so, set the feel for the entire festival. More than 250 festival volunteers nervously watched weather reports, hoping the UMass Boston campus wouldn't receive any of the residual affects of Hurricanes Rita. Their wishes came true. Festival goers, whether armed with chairs or blankets, made the short trek along the

The almost 200 festival volunteers were easy to spot in their bright blue shirts.

Fans of all ages enjoyed the "Fresh Folk Showcase"	waters edge to the Field Stage, where they waited for two days of music and fun to begin with a high-energy set by Matapat. Saturday's Field Stage line-up also featured the likes of Guy Davis, Ruthie Foster, Chris Smither and headliner Suzanne Vega. If festival goers needed a change of scenery from the Field Stage, they could take a stroll to the Fox Point Pavilion stage. Located right on the edge of Boston Harbor this smaller, more intimate performance area provided a scenic backdrop for the variety of ensembles and "song swaps" that took place there.	The Coffeehouse stage was the perfect setting for an intimate performance.
For a sample of the New England coffeehouse scene, one could head inside to the Coffeehouse Stage. On the way upstairs, many took a few moments to look at the DOT Art exhibit. The display featured sculptures and paintings made by local Dorchester students. While upstairs at the Coffeehouse audience members could grab a cup of java, take a seat and watch some of their favorite performers up close and personal. On the way back down to the Field Stage, a must-see was the Fresh Folk Showcase, a showcase for up-and-coming folk musicians.

Dorchester Art's (Dot Art) exhibit of sculptures, doors, masks, and works on paper was created by Dorchester youngsters who have taken classes at the Dorchester Community Center for the Visual Arts. Dot Art helps young people develop self-esteem, discipline, and problem solving skills through the creation of two and three-dimensional art. Dot Art is a non-profit organization founded in 1998.

Early comers to Sunday's festivities witnessed a special moment as Redbird gave their last festival performance as a trio. The members have decided to focus on their solo careers this winter and it was an honor for the Boston Folk Festival to be the setting of their final Boston area performance.

Another special moment on Sunday was the performance by Randy Parsons, the winner of this year's Boston Folk Festival songwriting contest. The second annual contest, held in June, spotlighted the music of exceptionally talented, established and amateur songwriters. Of the 250 hopefuls who entered the contest, Randy's song "Morning Sky" was deemed fit to be performed on the Field Stage between two such notable performers as Lori McKenna and Janis Ian.

While the Boston Folk Festival's chief mission is to preserve the broad expanse of all that is folk music, the 2005 festival went beyond that by collaborating with the UMass Boston Chapter of the International Golden Key Honor Society to collect more than $1100 in donations that the American Red Cross will use to provide relief for Tsunami and hurricane victims.

Valerie & Walter Crockett look on as Chris Smither wails during a song swap.

Redbird takes a bow as they give their final group performance.

A blue sky was the perfect compliment to Ruthie Foster's talent.

People of all ages took interest in the solar power display, which supplied all the vendor on Saturday

Second only to singing, dancing was a most popular activity of the weekend.

Bright tie-dyed clothing was just one item among a diverse selection of clothes, jewelry and other items festivalgoers could buy at the 8th annual Boston Folk Festival.