The Brooklyn Folk Festival presents the best in American and world folk music. Located in downtown Brooklyn, NY the festival is a celebration of down home music, cultural diversity and memory. Each year we draw talent from the New York, the national and the international world of folk, traditional and vernacular music.
The annual festival provides an opportunity for community to come together, enjoy music and take part in workshops, film screenings, contests and jam sessions. The festival is produced each year with the goal of achieving an event that is more than the sum of its parts.
The Brooklyn Folk Festival is presented by the Jalopy Theatre & School of Music, a grassroots community space that is a music venue, music school, instrument store and record label. By growing the Brooklyn Folk Festival since 2009, the Jalopy has created a substantial and unique community event that brings together thousands of music lovers and hundreds of musicians to celebrate the valuable musical traditions of the world’s peoples.
The festival is held at the beautiful historic St. Ann’s Church located at 157 Montague St. between Clinton and Henry in Brooklyn Heights. The 3-day festival includes 30+ bands, vocal and instrumental workshops, a family-friendly square dance, jam sessions, film screenings, the famous Banjo Toss contest and more!
Contact:
Brooklyn Folk Festival General Contact
lynette@JalopyTheatre.org or 718-395-3214
DownHomeRadio@gmail.com
Media and Press Inquiries
Leslie Fierro Media
LeslieAnnFierro@gmail.com
(917) 318 6313
Questions About Booking
DownHomeRadio@gmail.com
Advertising and Sponsorship Inquiries
Lynette@JalopyTheatre.org
History
In 2008, Eli Smith, banjo player and host of the online Down Home Radio Show, realized that there should be a Brooklyn Folk Festival to showcase emerging talent from the phenomenal local folk music scene, incredible performers from the 1960s generation of the New York City folk music revival, and the best folk musicians from all across the country. To produce the festival, Smith teamed up with Geoff and Lynette Wiley, owners of the Jalopy Theatre, a Red Hook, Brooklyn venue that has been home to many up-and-coming as well as established folk, roots and traditional musicians since opening its doors in 2006. Here is a sampling of previous years’ talent, many of whom can be seen regularly playing at the Jalopy, especially at their famous Roots ‘n Ruckus show, hosted by Feral Foster, every Wednesday night.
11th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2019
Jerron “Blindboy” Paxton ● Amythyst Kiah ● Ian Felice (of the Felice Brothers) ● Dan Zanes & Claudia Eliaza ● La Cumbiamba NY ● Frank Fairfield & Meredith Axelrod ● Jontavious Willis ● Bruce Molsky, Tony Trischka and Michael Daves ● Baby Gramps ● Joan Shelley ● Jake Xerxes Fussell ● Jim Kweskin ● Anna rg (of Anna & Elizabeth) ● The Ozark Highballers ● Kashiah Hunter & Friends ● The Mammals ● John Harrod ● The Local Honeys ● Nate Polly ● Tenores de Aterúe ● The Lovestruck Balladeers ● Little Nora Brown ● The Down Hill Strugglers w/ John Cohen ● Feral Foster & Ali Dineen ● The Brain Cloud featuring Tamar Korn and Dennis Lichtman ● Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues ● The Big Dixie Swingers ● Jackson & The Janks ● The Hayrollers ● Ska-lopy Brass ● City Stompers ● Ukrainian Village Voices ● Barry Clyde ● Jesse Lenat ● Mara Kaye ● The Four o’clock Flowers ● Lil’ Dogies ● Yacouba Sissoko ● Pete Seeger 100th Birthday Children’s Concert & Sing-a-long! ● The Jalopy Chorus + More!!
10th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2018
Pokey LaFarge ● Jerron Paxton ● Spirit Family Reunion ● Michael Daves & Chris “Critter” Eldridge ● East River String Band w/ R. Crumb ● Elizabeth Mitchell & Suni Paz ● Innov Gnawa ● Women’s Raga Massive ● Radio Jarocho & Zenen Zeferino ● Bruce Molsky’s Mountain Drifters ● Eva Salina & Peter Stan ● Bulla En El Barrio ● Feral Foster ● Mamie Minch & Tamar Korn ● Pat Conte ● Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues ● Suzy & Eric Thompson ● Piedmont Blūz ● The HickHoppers ● King Isto’s Tropical String Band ● Little Nora Brown ● Clifton Hicks ● Julia Patinella ● The Horse-Eyed Men ● The Birdman of Rome ● The Crimson Ragdolls ● Jackson & The Janks ● Steel City Jug Slammers ● Wyndham Baird ● Thomas McCarthy ● Willie Martinez and the NYC Salsa All Stars ● The Hayrollers ● Seyyah ● Meredith Axelrod & Craig Ventresco ● The Down Hill Strugglers w/ John Cohen ● The Jalopy Chorus
+ Return of THE BANJO TOSS – Banjo Throwing Contest!
+ First ever! Brooklyn Fiddle Contest
9th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2017
Jerron “Blindboy” Paxton ● Willie Watson ● Rev. Billy & The Stop Shopping Choir ● Jim Kweskin ● The Last Poets ● Thunderbird American Indian Dancers ● Anna & Elizabeth ● Down Hill Strugglers with John Cohen (of the New Lost City Ramblers) ● Peter Stampfel & the Ether Frolic Mob ● Meredith Axelrod ● Feral Foster ● Tennessee Stiff Legs ● Fada ● Martha Burns ● Spitzer Space Telescope ● Pat Conte ● Bill and the Belles ● Amythyst Kiah ● Preachin’ In That Wilderness ● Locust Honey String Band ● Jay Gandhi ● Eva Salina and Peter Stan ● Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blue ● Gotham Jazz Men ● Horse-Eyed Men ● Ethan Leinwand ● Main Squeeze Orchestra ● Guthrie, Lomax & Seeger’s “Hard Hitting Songs for Hard Hit People” – 50th Anniversary Celebration with Mat Callahan & Yvonne Moore ● Cole Quest & the City Pickers ● Ukrainian Village Voices
8th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2016
Meredith Axelrod ● The Four o’clock Flowers ● Michael Hurley ● Frank Fairfield & Tom Marion ● Clifton Hicks ● Old Scratch Sallies ● Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues ● Happy Valley Pals ● Willy Gantrim ● Rafe & Clelia Stefanini ● Rayna Gellert ● Piedmont Bluz ● The Hickhoppers ● Gaida ● Ed Sanders & Steve Taylor (of the Fugs) ● Feral Foster ● Spirit Family Reunion ● Jerron “Blindboy” Paxton ● Roy Williams & The Human Hands ● Radio Jarocho ● Cowboy Ernie Sites ● Skalopy ● Jessy Carolina and the Holy Crow Jazz Band ● Emily Eagan ● Rayna Gellert, Tim Eriksen and Elizabeth Mitchell ● Mattie Jones ● Dubl Handi ● Down Hill Strugglers with John Cohen ● Bulla En El Barrio ● Wyndham Baird ● East River String Band ● Abay Mengiste ● The Whiskey Spitters ● Claudio Montuori
7th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2015
Art Rosenbaum ● Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues ● Bruce Molsky ● The Cactus Blossoms ● Down Hill Strugglers with John Cohen ● Famoro Dioubate ● Frank Fairfield and Zac Sokolow ● Feral Foster and His Band ● Four o’clock Flowers ● Hoodoo Honeydrippers ● Horse Eyed Men ● Jackson Lynch ● Jeffrey Lewis & Peter Stampfel ● Jerron “Blindboy” Paxton ● King Isto’s Tropical String Band ● Litvakus ● M. Chad Levitt ● Michael Hurley ● Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens ● Ozark Highballers ● Pat Conte ● Ryan Spearman ● Souren Baronian and Band ● Suzy & Eric Thompson ● Terry Waldo’s Rum House Band ● Tom Marion with Frank Fairfield ● Treasure from the Archive Roadshow ● Uncle Shlomo’s Brooklyn Kids ● The (Whiskey) Spitters ● Wyndham Baird
6th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2014
Blueridge Entertainers ● Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues ● Dom Flemons ● The Down Hill Strugglers ● Drunken Catfish Ramblers ● Dubl Handi ● East River String Band with R. Crumb ● Elizabeth LaPrelle and Anna Roberts-Gevalt ● Eva Salina ● Feral Foster ● Frank Fairfield ● Gamelan Kusuma Laras ● Hubby Jenkins ● Jan Bell and the Maybelles ● Jerron “Blindboy” Paxton ● Kerri Lowe ● Nathan M. Godfrey ● Pat Conte ● Peter K. Siegel and Eli Smith ● Piedmont Bluz ● Spuyten Duyvil ● The Spyder Stompers with Sister Sugar Pie ● Stone Mountain Wobblers ● Tahuantinsuyo ● The Tillers ● Walker & Jay ● The Whiskey Spitters ● Willy Gantrim ● Wyndham Baird
5th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2013
Alex Battles and the Whiskey Rebellion ● Andy Statman ● The Brain Cloud ● Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues ● The Cactus Blossoms ● The Canebrake Rattlers ● Cherven Traktor ● The Down Hill Strugglers with John Cohen ● Elijah Wald ● Eva Salina ● Feral Foster ● Four o’Clock Flowers ● Great Smokey Mountain Bluegrass Band ● Heather Wood ● Hunter Holmes ● Jackson Lynch ● Jeffrey Lewis ● Jeron “Blind Boy” Paxton ● Jessy Carolina & The Hot Mess ● Joey Arbata ● Kristin Andreassen & Friends ● Mamie Minch and Tamar Korn ● Melody Walker and Jacob Groopman ● Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens ● Peter Stampfel and the Ether Frolic Mob ● Radio Jarocho ● Stephanie Coleman & Cleek Schrey ● Tim Eriksen ● The Whiskey Spitters ● The Whistling Wolves
4th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2012
4 O’Clock Flowers ● Alan Friend ● Alice Gerrard ● Blind Boy Paxton ● Bodoma ● Brett Ratliff and the Giant Rooster Sideshow ● Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues ● The Calamity Janes ● Cherven Traktor ● Dennis Lichtman’s Brain Cloud ● East River String Band ● Eli, Walker, Jackson and John ● Elizabeth Butters ● Feral Foster ● Jackson Lynch ● Jarana Beat ● Jessy Carolina and the Hot Mess ● Ken Waldman ● The Little Brothers ● Litvakus ● Lydia Martin ● M. Shanghai String Band ● Michael Daves ● Pat Conte ● Pat Conte and Joe Belullavich ● Peter Stampfel ● Piedmont Bluz ● Stephanie Nilles● Veveritse ● Whiskey Spitters ● Whistling Wolves ● Willy Gantrim ● Wretched Refuse
3rd Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2011
Alan Friend ● Black Sea Hotel ● Boom Chick ● Clifton Hicks ● Elizabeth Butters ● Feral Foster ● Hubby Jenkins ● Jackson Lynch ● Jake Sanders ● Jay Gandhi & Nitin Mitta ● Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton ● Kerri Lowe ● Lankandia Cissoko ● Larry Hanks & Deborah Robbins ● Litvakus ● Major Contay and the Canebreak Rattlers ● Nathan Salsburg ● Peter Stampfel & The Ether Frolic Mob ● Radio Jarocho ● The Americans ● The Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues ● The Dust Busters ● The Little Brothers ● The Newtown Gang ● The Pearly Snaps ● The Roulette Sisters ● The Tillers ● The Whiskey Spitters ● The Whistling Wolves ● Uncle Monk ● Willy Gantrim ● Winston Fleary and the Big Drum Nation Dance Company
2nd Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival 2010
Alan Friend ● Banjorama ● Blind Boy Paxton ● Bobby D’amore ● Bob Malenky ● Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues ● Calamity Janes ● Clifton Hicks ● Danny Kalb ● Dave Harvey ● East River String Band ● Eli Smith ● Elizabeth Butters ● Ernie Vega ● Feral Foster ● George Stavis ● Hubby Jenkins ● Isto ● John Cohen & Annabel Lee ● Mamie Minch ● Pat Conte ● Peter K. Siegel ● Radio Jarocho ● Rashad Brown ● Sam Doores ● Stephen Strohmeier ● The Bill Murray Experience ● The Dough Rollers ● The Dust Busters ● Willy Gantrim
Brooklyn Folk Festival 2009
Alex Battles w/ Banjorama ● Blind Boy Paxton ● Bob Malenky ● Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues ● East River String Band ● Elizabeth Butters ● Ernie Vega ● Feral Foster ● Frank Hoier ● Hubby Jenkins ● Jessy Carolina ● John Cohen ● Mamie Minch ● Pat Conte ● Sana Ndiaye ● Semilla ● Strung Out String Band ● The Cangelosi Cards ● The Dust Busters ● The Whistling Wolves ● Willy Gantrim