An always anticipated tradition, the Montana Folk Festival returns to Butte for its annual summer showcase of diverse talent this month. The event is set for Friday to Sunday, July 11th–13th. Admission is free to all performances during the three-day gathering. More than 20 groups representing a broad diversity of musical and cultural traditions will perform on the festival’s six stages.
The lineup will include Little Mountain Cree (Cree drums), Brinae Ali Quartet (tap), Zhantao Lin (Chinese Erhu), Rondalla Club of Los Angeles (Filipino Rondalla), Mira Dickey & Lennart Jansson (Norwegian Fiddle), Wayne Hancock (honey tonk), Solas (Irish) and Keith Frank & the Soileau Zydeco Band (Zydeco).
Enjoy sets by the likes of Mariachi Mariposas (Mariachi), Khumariyan (Pakistani Pashto), Bamba Wassoulou Groove (Malian), Yamini Kalluri & the Kritya Ensemble (Kuchipudi dance), Tessa McCoy & the Big Possum Stringband (Old Time) and Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper (bluegrass).
This year’s lineup rounds out with Shemekia Copeland (Blues), Yeison Landero (Cumbia), Fabiola Mendez (Puerto Rican Cuatro), Zahra Alzubaidi (Iraqi), Elizabeth King (Gospel) and Paul Beaubrun (Haitian).
Since 1934, the National Folk Festival has celebrated the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance, culture and cuisine. It is the oldest celebration of traditional arts in the country. The Montana Folk Festival continues this tradition in our region by highlighting, exploring and celebrating the heritage of diversity and cultural richness that makes our state and our country great.
The Butte festival features hundreds of performers and craftspeople with music and dance performances on six stages, workshops, folklife demonstrations, two festival markets and ethnic and regional foods.
Festival hours are 6–10pm on Friday, noon–10pm on Saturday and noon–6pm on Sunday. For additional event details, visit www.montanafolkfestival.com or download the Grandstand Events & Guides App. The festival grounds are centered around the Original Mine Yard in Uptown Butte. •
