Bangor at Center Stage

As anyone who paraded with a New Orleans brass band, danced to hip-hop and zydeco music or watched Mexican acrobats swirl around their heads last summer can attest, the National Folk Festival is a great time. This year’s festival, now in its 65th year, is the second of three to be held in Bangor and promises to be even better. There will be more music, more demonstrations and, most importantly for some, more food.

Building on last year’s success, the city has continued to improve its waterfront, where the festival will be held. New sidewalks, complete with granite curbing, have been built, new light fixtures installed and more grass planted. The work is not yet complete but it highlights how a cultural festival can have long-lasting benefits for the host community. As it did earlier this month with the Senior League World Series, Bangor has once again found itself in the national spotlight and it looks good.

Whether traveling from faraway states or across town, this year’s folk festival has something for everyone (except dogs, which should be left at home). The music kicks off at 6 p.m. today with Dale Watson and His Lone-stars at the Heritage Stage. A parade led by the Bronx New Heaven Shout Band starts at 7 p.m. Festivities start up again at noon on Saturday with acts as diverse as The Forbes Flyers jump rope team, Acadian music by Barachois, West African drumming by Kwabena Owusu, and Jewish music by The Klezmatics.

While music emanates from seven venues until 6 p.m. Sunday, there will also be crafts and food demonstrations as well as children’s activities all three days. If all the music and dancing makes you hungry, there will be food from around the world as well as traditional fair favorites such as dough boys and hot dogs. Best of all, admission is free.

So, enjoy it and then rest up for next year, Bangor’s finale as the National Folk Festival host which should mark the beginning of a new era when the city takes over full responsibility for building on the success of Bangor’s turn on the cultural stage.