National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA)

06/18/2026

Montana Folk Festival Artist Spotlight:

Be'la Dona
go-go
Washington, D.C.

When the nine ladies of Be’la Dona hit the stage, they bring with them a wealth of individual musical experience: classical training of the highest caliber, weekly musical ministry in church, and years of work backing leading national artists ranging from Nile Rogers to Erykah Badu to Salt-N-Pepa. Together, they form one of the hottest bands playing D.C.’s best-known musical product, the unstoppable party music known as go-go.

06/17/2026

Montana Folk Festival Artist Spotlight:

Vasilis Kostas Ensemble
music from Epirus, Greece
Boston, Massachusetts

Vasilis Kostas, a Grammy-nominated performer on the laouto (a long-necked, fretted lute with four paired strings), represents the next generation brought up in the musical traditions of Epirus, a region in northwest Greece known for music with strong melodic lines, mournful lyrics, and slow rhythms. Born and raised in Ioannina, Greece, Vasilis grew up listening to his grandfather sing each night—an early exposure that ignited his passion for this musical tradition. Now based in the United States for some of the year, Vasilis is the first to introduce a course on the music of Epirus in the U.S.; at the Butte Folk Festival, he will be joined by talented rising musicians performing Greek traditional music on voice, violin, and the laouto.

06/12/2026

Montana Folk Festival Artist Spotlight:

Jimmy "Duck" Holmes
Bentonia blues
Bentonia, Mississippi

Bluesman Jimmy “Duck” Holmes is the greatest living proponent of the Bentonia blues, a highly localized style known for its haunting and eerie sound. Some have dubbed him “the last” master of this distinctive style, but his dedication to preserving and passing on his knowledge, his award-winning recent recordings, and his electrifying stage performances are building a renaissance for the unique music that bears the name of his tiny Mississippi hometown.

06/10/2026

The full line-up for the 2026 Lowell Folk Festival has been announced! From Delta blues and Puerto Rican cuatro to Haitian dance and trío romantíco, plus so much more—there is something for everyone. Head to LowellFolkFestival.com to see the full roster and learn about all the artists. We'll see you in downtown Lowell, July 24-26!

New Performers Announced for Lowell Folk Festival 2026! link in comments

06/10/2026

Montana Folk Festival Artist Spotlight:

Gene Tagaban (Guuy Yaau)
Tlingit storyteller, musician, and dancer
Ruston, Washington

“When you’re talking to the people, talk to their spirit,” Gene Tagaban remembers his mentor once telling him. “That’s where you’re going to see miracles happen.” A renowned storyteller and dynamic performer, Gene uses interactive stories, music, and dance as tools to entertain, inspire, and heal. He brings people of all ages and backgrounds into active participation with timeless Indigenous teachings centered on deepening self-knowledge, strengthening interpersonal connections, and developing compassion and respect for the natural world.

06/09/2026

Montana Folk Festival Artist Spotlight:

The Legendary Ingramettes
gospel
Richmond, Virginia

Among the generations of countless gospel groups in Richmond, Virginia, the Legendary Ingramettes have become widely considered the city’s “First Family of Gospel,” uplifting audiences for more than six decades while becoming beloved cultural icons in the community and beyond. The storied group was originally formed by evangelist “Mama” Maggie Ingram, a single mother who steadfastly taught her five small children to accompany her as her "Ingramettes." Before her passing in 2015, Maggie shifted leadership into the capable hands of her oldest daughter, Almeta Ingram-Miller. A scintillating singer in her own right, Ingram-Miller is now backed by sister-in-law Carrie Ingram Jackson, Maggie’s goddaughter Valerie Stewart, and Jaccarri Woodson, and a rock-solid band of Michael Newby on keyboards, Calvin “Kool-Aid” Curry on bass, Gary Jones on drums, and Kenneth Curry on guitar. Together, the Ingramettes continue to bring the spirit of a Sunday morning service to the stage, enthralling audiences at such prestigious venues all over the U.S.

06/09/2026

The 2026 Richmond Folk Festival has announced its first set of artists! Mark your calendars for October 9-11, and visit RichmondFolkFestival.com to learn more about this group of performers. The first artists announced are:

-Agalisiga "C**j" Mackey (country) - Salinas, Oklahoma

-Brinae Ali Quartet (tap dance) - Baltimore, Maryland

-Insun Park & Generals (Korean traditional mask dance and mask dance) - Seoul, South Korea

-Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials (Chicago blues) Chicago, Illinois

-Mariachi Mariposas (mariachi) -Rio Grande Valley, Texas

-Reverie Road (Irish) - New York, New York, and Chicagio, Illinois

-Swanky Kitchen Band (Caymanian kitchen dance music) - Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

-The Chuck Brown Band (go-go) - Washington, D.C.

-Wyatt Ellis (bluegrass) - Marysville, Tennessee

Mark your calendars for 2026: October 9–11 📆

🎉 The Richmond Folk Festival returns to Downtown Richmond this October, and festivalgoers will get an early look at improvements underway as part of the Brown's Island Improvement Project.

While construction continues, Brown's Island will be ready to welcome music lovers for three days of performances, food vendors, artisan merchants, and cultural traditions from around the world.

🎙️ Meet some of the artists who will grace the stages and click their profile link for more information.

Agalisiga Mackey Music
🎶 country
📍Salina, Oklahoma

Brinae Ali
🎶 tap dance
📍Baltimore, Maryland

Insun Park & Generals
🎶 Korean traditional mask dance and rock music
📍Seoul, South Korea

Lil' Ed & The Blues Imperials
🎶 Chicago blues
📍Chicago, Illinois

Mariachi Mariposas
🎶 mariachi
📍Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Reverie Road
🎶 Irish
📍New York, New York, and Chicago, Illinois

Swanky Kitchen Band
🎶 Caymanian kitchen dance music
📍Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

The Chuck Brown Band
🎶 go-go
📍Washington, D.C.

Wyatt Ellis Music
🎶 bluegrass
📍Maryville, Tennessee

➕ Find more information at richmondfolkfestival.org/performers! 🔗

06/08/2026

Montana Folk Festival Artist Spotlight:

Cécilia
Québécois
Montréal, Québéc, Canada

Cécilia brings joy and virtuosity to the rich Québécois and Celtic music of Eastern Canada. Each member of the trio grew up in musical families and brings a deep passion for their traditions to the stage. Though just three players, they create a big band sound through clever arrangements, shifting harmonies and textures, and propulsive playing. Cécilia’s music has an undeniably fresh and high-spirited sound, while honoring their roots, creating a unique and infectiously energetic musical experience. (or, ... Cécilia's music has an undeniably fresh and high-spirited sound, while always returning to the "kitchen-style playing" of their roots, creating a unique and infectiously energetic musical experience.)

06/05/2026

Montana Folk Festival Artist Spotlight:

AFRO DOMINICANO
merengue típico
New York City

New York-based sensations Afro Dominicano call their style "sancocho musical," drawing a comparison to the hearty stew beloved across the Caribbean. Much more than a melting pot, Afro Dominicano's flavorful music marries a rich base of traditional merengue típico with ingredients from the soundscape of New York City where, founder Adrian Brito says, "you could be listening to punk on your headphones and it would layer with the sounds of merengue from the bodega."

06/04/2026

Montana Folk Festival Artist Spotlight

The Amanda Cook Band
bluegrass
Fancy Gap, West Virginia

For a musician celebrated as one of the top female singers and bandleaders in bluegrass music, it’s surprising that Amanda Cook kept her vocal talent hidden from everyone but her grandmother well into her twenties. Even her husband, a childhood friend-turned-high-school-sweetheart, had not heard her sing. Now fans around the country recognize her crystal-clear voice and passionate delivery of some of the most compelling songs in bluegrass today. The rapid success of her eponymous band has led to incredible opportunities; the band is “still riding the wave of excitement from our Opry debut last spring,” an energy they bring with them to Richmond this fall with their captivating, hard-driving sounds.