Julia Olin Quotations

I wouldn't call any of them stars, although some are better known than others. It's more about the traditions than it is the artists. But that being said, we do try to find the absolute best exponent we can find.

Joe is amazing. He knows everyone and he's been everywhere.

The artists that are coming to this festival are some of the finest that you will ever see or hear, and yet they are not stars. This is not a festival about stars, but it's a festival about great music, great dance and great art.

We present artists that are a part of something larger than themselves. They come representing a community or a heritage. And they see themselves that way. It's not about a bunch of people with big egos. It's about people who are passionate about being keepers of culture and keepers of tradition. And that gives them a special magic because when they're on stage there just aren't barriers between them and the audience. It's a sharing. It's their mission.

The National Folk Festival is a brand-new festival every year.

The festival presents a broad diversity of traditions and it is very inclusive, in terms of traditions that evolved here over hundreds of years to very recent immigrant groups. It's an eye-opening experience. It's sort of like you have the chance to grasp the complexity and diversity and wonder of culture in America all in one event.

The festival is going to be happening this weekend. Everyone who decides to come down is going to have a lot of fun even if it is a little drizzly.