Plan your trip to Folklife, Seattle’s celebration of song and culture

  • By Andrea Brown Herald Writer
  • Friday, May 22, 2015 9:30am
  • LifeGo-See-Do

44 years.

250,000 people each year.

5,000 performers.

65 genres of music.

100 community groups.

23 stages.

Food. Art. Books. Dance. Beer.

Really, do you need more reasons to go to this weekend’s Northwest Folklife Festival?

The four-day bash at the Seattle Center is the ultimate celebration of music, art and cultural traditions.

The Memorial Day weekend event started in 1972 as “what folks do at home to entertain themselves and pass on their traditions.” It’s grown every year to become a mega arts festival that showcases a community program that goes on year-round.

“This year it’s called ‘Beats, Rhymes and Rhythms: Traditional Roots of Today’s Branches,’” said Kelli Faryar, Folklife program director. “We are going to be exploring the traditional roots of hip-hop.”

It goes beyond music and dance.

“There will be lots of storytelling,” Faryar said. “One of the supercool things is they are inducting Seattle’s first youth poet laureate.”

So, hip-hop over to the Seattle Center. Kick up your feet with Irish cloggers, Middle Eastern dancers, bluegrass fiddlers, West African drummers, ska bands, indie bands and anything else that moves you.

Kids can scale a 35-foot climbing tower, walk a colorful labyrinth and take a spin on the ADA-accessible integrated carousel. “It’s a permanent installation launching this weekend,” Faryar said.

Though there is no admission to the festival, it has a suggested donation of $10 per person or $20 for the family.

Andrea Brown: 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @reporterbrown.

If you go

Northwest Folklife Festival runs through Monday at the Seattle Center.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Sunday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday. Learn more at www.nwfolklife.org.

Five things to do

1. Dance. You will move your feet. Wear sensible shoes or kick off your heels. Groove in the grass. Waltz in the Armory. Shake it Swedish and Balkan style. Participatory dance opportunities and workshops range from salsa to contra, English country to Latin swing.

2. Play. Where kids get in the zone. The Discovery Zone is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily with arts, crafts, storytelling, musical instruments, listening stations and “story waves.” Family friendly activities abound all over the grounds.

3. Shop. Dozens of booths have merchandise made by the talented hands of our Northwest neighbors as well as booths with imported crafts from around the world. Find soaps, jewelry, clothing, art, dishes, instruments and hard-to-find food items.

4. Eat. Taste the world by visiting food stalls with fare from Africa, South America, the American South and classics such as elephant ears and funnel cakes.

5. Drink. Take a load off, find a quiet or lively spot and watch the festival go by with a nice cold brew. Beer and ciders on tap.

More to do

School of Rock. Strum an electric guitar or play a snare drum at Little Wing, an early childhood music education program. Play different instruments or sing into a microphone.

Explore rhythm with the Seattle Children’s Museum. Test out instruments from around the world and make a dancing ring to dance to the music you hear at Folklife.

Build a boat with experts from The Center for Wooden Boats. Use hand drills, hammers and art supplies to build wooden toy boats.

Drawing jam by the Gage Academy of Art. People of all ages and skill-levels can draw with charcoal, pastels, pencils and markers. Art supplies and still-life setups provided.

Seattle Youth Poet Laureate finalist readings in the Cornish Playhouse.

Performance highlights

Saturday

Canote Brothers, 4 p.m., identical twins Jere and Greg do down-home fiddle tunes to soaring scat solos to goofy novelty songs. Grace Love, who describes her style as “Seattle soul,” 7:45 p.m.

Sunday

Hot Cider String Band, 2 p.m., Northwest fiddling branches into Scandinavian, Celtic and French Canadian fiddle styles as well as bluegrass, folk and most recently Brazilian choro. Hip-Hop Break Dance, 5 p.m., learn how to break dance with the Multi-Generational Hip-Hop dance crew and North City Rockers.

Monday

Mikey Gervais, 2:45 p.m., songs to have all ages dancing, jumping, wiggling and partying all while learning about the science of our beautiful planet. Kids Brazilian Dance Workshop with Dora Oliveira, 1 p.m. “Kindiependent Show!” 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring Johnny Bregar, Brian Vogan and his Good Buddies, The Not-Its!, Recess Monkey and Harmonica Pocket.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

A stroll on Rome's ancient Appian Way is a kind of time travel. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves on the Appian Way, Rome’s ancient superhighway

Twenty-nine highways fanned out from Rome, but this one was the first and remains the most legendary.

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Inside Elle Marie Hair Studio in Smokey Point. (Provided by Acacia Delzer)
The best hair salon in Snohomish County

You voted, we tallied. Here are the results.

The 2024 Kia EV9 electric SUV has room for up to six or seven passengers, depending on seat configuration. (Photo provided by Kia)
Kia’s all-new EV9 electric SUV occupies rarified air

Roomy three-row electric SUVs priced below 60 grand are scarce.

2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD (Photo provided by Toyota)
2023 Toyota RAV4 Prime XSE Premium AWD

The compact SUV electric vehicle offers customers the ultimate flexibility for getting around town in zero emission EV mode or road-tripping in hybrid mode with a range of 440 miles and 42 mile per gallon fuel economy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.