October 10-12, 2025
The Richmond Folk Festival returns, October 10-12, to celebrate 21 years as one of Virginia’s largest and most cherished events. The festival draws fans each year to Downtown Richmond’s riverfront to celebrate the roots, richness, and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling, and food. Over the past two decades, the event’s success has contributed to transforming the riverfront’s popularity and growth.
The free festival hosts 200,000 people over a three-day weekend and features six stages. Showcasing music and dance from more than 30 performing groups from around the nation and the world, the Richmond Folk Festival today announces its full schedule of performances.
Full Performance Schedule
See the full weekend event schedule.
Read all about each artist performing, plus audio and video samples of each.
Virginia Folklife Area
Riverlore
Explore life on, under, and along the James River and Virginia’s other mighty waterways! Riverlore is inspired by the James, which runs through the festival site in downtown Richmond and offers the country’s only urban class IV rapids. Artists, historians, scientists, musicians, environmental leaders, boaters and other “riverlorians” will reveal different layers of significance to Virginia’s waterways. See historical watercraft of the James, including a batteau used to haul cargo before the railroad. Learn about Virginia’s indigenous river traditions, listen to stories and music of river histories, explore fishing and harvesting methods, see a sturgeon, and discover ongoing efforts to restore migratory fish and healthy shorelines. Our local waterways are at once ancient and ever-changing, hyper-local and ultimately all interconnected. What can our rivers teach us?
Riverlore is presented by the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities and the James River Association, with additional curatorial support from Justin Black (Headwaters Down).
Virginia Folklife Exhibition Tent Featuring:
- Exhibit of historical watercraft of the James River
- Environmental education with the James River Association
- Indigenous Virginia Pottery traditions with Allyson Gray and Autumn Morningstar Custalow Alfaro
- Appalachian fish traps and baskets, Clyde Jenkins
- Fly tying with Kensley Barker and Bri Winter of Richmond Fly Women
- Patawomeck Eel Pots, Brad Hatch
- Chesapeake Bay crabbing and Tangier traditions, James “Ooker” Eskridge
- Water archaeology with the Fairfield Foundation
- Decoy carving, Arthur Leonard
- And more. . .
Riverlore Stage Featuring:
This intimate stage will host conversation panels organized by the James River Association (Indigenous River Stewardship, The Great Return: Atlantic Sturgeon & Migratory Fish, and Building a River for All) and presentations by Horace Scruggs, Elegba Folklore Society and Riverlore guest curator Justin Black. Other performances include the multimedia “Ancient New” film, dance, and spoken word project by Tom Hansell, Trevor McKenzie and Julie Shepherd-Powell, stories of Virginia waterways in the Underground Railroad told by Sheila Arnold, and river-related tunes and tales by Southwest Virginia musicians Malcolm Smith with Dayne and Cassidy Shelor.
Check out the schedule and artists.
Center for Cultural Vibrancy Stage
The Center for Cultural Vibrancy Stage returns this year with another scintillating lineup of some of the finest traditional artists from across the Commonwealth and beyond. Joining our good friends at the Virginia Folklife Program at Virginia Humanities in their theme of “Riverlore,” we will christen our new home in the brand-new Allianz Amphitheater with plenty of favorites from the River City. Look out for a host of Richmond’s own including the explosive horns of the No BS! Brass Band, the soulful sounds of Rodney Stith, the infectiously danceable bomba y plena of Kadencia, and of course our beloved Sunday closers, the Legendary Ingramettes.
In addition, we’re excited to welcome back some friends who have graced our stage through the years. We’ll revel in the Appalachian and Brazilian stylings of Danny Knicely, Cesar Garabini, and Fernanda Bravo and Virginia’s legendary bluegrass stalwarts the Lonesome River Band. We will also be treated to a few newcomers to our stage, including the gifted Americana artist Anya Hinkle and roots mountain music rising stars from Floyd, Virginia, the Alum Ridge Boys and Ashlee.
And in a very special Sunday set, the Richmond music community will come out in a show of support and love for one of our favorite local artists, Justin Golden.
2025 has brought a big change for the Cultural Vibrancy Stage as our location has changed (and grown!), but the vibe and soul we’ve brought for more than two decades remains the same.
Check out the stage schedule.
The Center for Cultural Vibrancy Stage at Allianz Amphitheater’s Bag Policy
BAG CHECK HOURS: Saturday, October 11 from 11:30am-7:00pm and Sunday, October 12 from 11:30am-6:30pm
ENTRY POINTS: On 5th Street and on Brown’s Island Way
BAG POLICY:
- Allow only clear plastic, vinyl, or pvc bags (maximum size 12” x 6” x 12”) OR small clutch bags that don’t need to be clear (maximum size 6” x 9”). All bags are subject to search upon entry.
- The festival will provide a very limited number of clear plastic bags for temporary use.
- There will be a bag check/valet option for those with full size bags at each entry.
The Virginia Folklife Area and Center for Cultural Vibrancy Stage is a partnership between the Virginia Folklife Program of Virginia Humanities and the Center for Cultural Vibrancy.
Family Area, Produced by the Children’s Museum
It’s a Dinosaur Delight with CMoR and friends in the Family Area. Create your own dino version of our iconic bag hat or stop by the hand painting station to embellish yourself. In the Discover area, become an archeologist and dig for dinosaur bones and fossils or learn some interesting dinosaur facts. In the Build Area, design a LEGO brick dinosaur or habitat. If you have lots of energy, Soccer Shots is the spot for you or if you desire a quieter option, our friends at ASCV will have a sensory zone with several engaging Dino activities. City Singers Youth Choirs and Music Orchard Richmond will provide hands-on percussion exploration of Jurassic proportions. And the National Park Service will be back with activities and their Junior Ranger program.
No matter how you like to play, there is something for everyone at this year’s Family Area presented by the Children’s Museum.
Get to know bones player Jackie Merritt, performing on Saturday and Sunday in the Family Area.
Richmond Folk Festival in Schools
The Richmond Folk Festival once again fills auditoriums and classrooms at Richmond-area schools with performances and presentations of deeply rooted cultural expressions shared by some of the country’s finest traditional artists. These programs expose children to performances by excellent artists and provide them with opportunities to learn about new cultures, communities, and artistic traditions, expanding their horizons with interactive, multicultural learning experiences. These outreach programs often reach students with limited access to cultural enrichment opportunities.
This year, the festival will continue its outreach to incarcerated communities as blues singer Diunna Greenleaf visits the State Farm Correctional Complex, where she will perform for the inmates there.
For the first time, the festival is bringing music and dance to the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, where kids will be delighted by South Asian Kuchipudi dancer Yamini Kalluri & the Kritya Music Ensemble.
These programs are made possible through the generous support of the festival’s sponsors, especially its school shows partner, JAMinc, who provides transportation, audio support, and local on-site coordination.
2025 participating performers*:
- The Amanda Cook Band
- The Broussard Sisters
- Cécilia
- Raiatea Helm
- Richard Hagopian Ensemble
- Saami Brothers
- Yamini Kalluri & the Kritya Music Ensemble
Participating schools:
- Bellevue Elementary School
- J. B. Fisher Elementary School
- Linwood Holton Elementary School
- John Marshall High School
- Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School
- Mary Munford Elementary School
- Swansboro Elementary School
- Westover Hills Elementary School
- William Fox Elementary School
*Artists and schools are subject to change.
Festival Hours
Friday, October 10 — 6:30pm – 10:00pm
Saturday, October 11 — 12:00pm – 9:30pm
Sunday, October 12 — 12:00pm – 6:00pm
For all information about the Richmond Folk Festival, visit richmondfolkfestival.org. #RVAFolkFest
Text to Give! Text FOLK to 44321.
Venture Richmond Events produces the Richmond Folk Festival in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), Virginia Humanities, Center for Cultural Vibrancy, and the City of Richmond.
The Richmond Folk Festival is sponsored by: Altria, Dominion Energy, CoStar Group, CarMax, Pauley Family Foundation, NewMarket Corp., Performance Food Group, Brown Distributing, Unlocking Potential: VCU’s Campaign for the Future, Community Foundation, Atlantic Union Bank, WNRN, VPM and Style Weekly, 12 On Your Side, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Westminster Canterbury Richmond, Hamilton Family Foundation, Children’s Museum, University of Richmond, Mid-Atlantic Folk and Traditional Arts, Fralin Pickups, Davenport, American Civil War Center, National Park Service, Jam, Inc., Plan 9 Music, RMC Events, PD Brooks, Virginia Housing, Winn Transportation, House of Hayes, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and Virginia War Memorial.
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About the Richmond Folk Festival
The Richmond Folk Festival is one of Virginia’s largest events, drawing visitors from all over the country to downtown Richmond’s historic riverfront. The festival is a FREE three-day event that started when Richmond hosted the National Council for the Traditional Arts’ National Folk Festival, held in Richmond from 2005-2007. In the tradition of “The National,” the Richmond Folk Festival features excellent performing groups representing a diverse array of cultural traditions on seven stages. The festival includes continuous music and dance performances, a Virginia Folklife Area featuring ongoing demonstrations, an interactive Family Area produced by the Children’s Museum, a folk-art marketplace, regional and ethnic foods, festival merchandise and more. Additional information is available at www.richmondfolkfestival.org.
About Venture Richmond
Venture Richmond, Inc. is a non-profit organization formed to engage business and community leaders in partnering with the City to enhance the vitality of the community, particularly Downtown, through economic development, marketing, promotion, advocacy and events. Venture Richmond provides enhanced property management services for Downtown, Manchester and the Riverfront, including the Clean & Safe program, beautification and landscaping projects, and management and maintenance of Brown’s Island, the Canal Walk and the Belle Isle parking lot.
Venture Richmond Events, LLC, produces Friday Cheers, the 2nd Street Festival, and the Richmond Folk Festival and partners with Sports Backers to produce Dominion Energy Riverrock.
Riverfront Canal Cruises, LLC, operates historically narrated boat tours and private charters of the James River and Kanawha Canal.
Both Venture Richmond Events, LLC, and Riverfront Canal Cruises, LLC, are subsidiaries of Venture Richmond, Inc. For more information visit www.venturerichmond.com.
About the National Council for the Traditional Arts
A leading non-profit in the field, the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is dedicated to the presentation and documentation of folk and traditional arts in the U.S. Stressing excellence and traditionality, the NCTA strives to expand awareness of the richness of America’s multicultural, living heritage through exciting, thoughtfully curated live programs that create dynamic cultural encounters between the nation’s finest artists and the public. It works in partnership with communities across America to establish new, sustainable traditional arts events that deliver lasting social, cultural, and economic benefits. Over 7,000 hours of the NCTA’s archival audio recordings dating from the 1930s are permanently housed at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. The NCTA also champions the interests of folk and traditional artists and organizations in the arena of public policy. ncta-usa.org
