We’re BACK! It has been two years since the Folk Festival in Spokane has been a live event. 2019 had the largest attendance in 24 years. As the pandemic set in early in 2020, we realized that we were going to have to make some changes. For the past two years the Festival was totally virtual; over 30 music and dance groups had recorded performances available for viewing on our website at spokanefolkfestival.org. Those performances can still be viewed.
Fast forward to 2022. The Festival Steering Committee felt that it was going to be safe to hold a live event this year. Many factors have been involved in the decision.
The primary concern has been the availability of Spokane Community College Lair, our location of the festival. The building has been remodeled and some of the spaces we have used before are no longer available. Once the remodel was completed, we had to decide if the site would still meet our needs. Members of the committee visited and were delighted that we would still be able to use the building.
Finally, the big question we had to answer: would musicians, musical groups, and dance groups be willing to perform? YES! We had enough applications to fill the stages for the entire two days. Additionally, some new virtual performances have been added to our website for those who don’t yet feel comfortable with attending the festival live.
What’s New & What’s Changed
The festival will have fewer stages in 2022; six stages instead of eight. Many of the favorite performers and groups will be there and some new ones are joining this year too! The two-day schedule is posted on our website at spokanefolkfestival.org. You can also find a listing of the performers and the featured genres.
New this year will be the change in food service. SCC Bigfoot Café is under new management. We’re excited to be able to have a selection of different foods available for the two days of the event.
KPBX will still be offering their annual radio show featuring festival performing artists. The difference will be that it will be broadcast in the KPBX Studio rather than on site. You’ll still get a sampling of the great performances in store for the weekend. It will also open the Auditorium Stage up two hours earlier than in previous years. The show will be broadcast on Saturday, November 12 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.
There will also be vendors! Many of the favorites will be returning in 2022 and several new ones will be there as well. There are over 30 sales vendors and 10 non-profit cultural and music organizations. Plan to do some Holiday Shopping!
Supporting the Fall Folk Festival
Organizing and producing a quality event like the Spokane Fall Folk Festival requires many hours and decisions. The steering committee begins its work in February of each year by evaluating the previous year and making plans for the current year. This committee of eight people plus a webmaster spends countless hours in planning this quality event. Two critical factors are money and volunteers.
Every year the grant writer spends many hours applying for state and local grants. We are very fortunate for their efforts have provided us with the necessary start-up funds which cover enough expenses that we can keep this a free event.
We also solicit for sponsors and donations from local businesses and supporters of the festival. For 2022 we are thankful to have the Inlander, Eyes for Life, and retired ophthalmologist and long-time supporter Dr. Jerry LeClaire as our major sponsors. Annually we have many repeat donors who help us by being Friends of the Festival sending $25 to $500 support our great event. If you are interested in becoming one of our Friends, donate online, by mail, or while attending. You can also purchase T-shirts, CDs, books or other items available in the Festival Store. You can also contribute to the button sellers roaming throughout the Lair.
We are thankful for all the volunteers who spend an hour, a day, or even two days helping us make the Fall Folk Festival the success that it is. Our volunteers do many jobs; managing the stages, assisting the performers to set up and take down equipment in a very short time, sell buttons, assist in the sales booth and bake sale, and numerous other tasks that need to be done. A special shout-out to the Sound Techs who take proper care of the performers by making certain all the equipment is working its best.
If you are interested in being a donor or a volunteer for this year’s festival, go to our website at www.spokanefolkfestival.org. On the home page you will find a link to make an online donation. You will also find a link to our volunteer app to sign up to spend some special time with us during the festival!
Saturday, November 12, 2022, 11:00am to 8:00pm
Sunday, November 13, 2022,11:00am to 5:00pm
Spokane Community College Lair
1810 N Greene Street
FREE to the Public…and no fee for parking
