Robin Foster sat with her 31/2-year-old daughter on her lap in the front row Friday night, just a few feet from the giant speakers at the Kenduskeag Dance Stage.

Because Emma is deaf, Foster wanted to be sure the little girl could feel the vibrations of the blues performed by Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown and see the American Sign Language interpreter.

“It’s been very exciting to have this exposure for her with interpreters,” Foster said Sunday afternoon. “It’s so hard to get connected to [interpreted] activities for little kids. We’re so grateful for all that’s been provided this year.”

Some 17 events at the National Folk Festival this weekend were interpreted for the deaf community by six signers from the Bangor Interpreting Agency. Signers worked some events last year, but this year interpreted performances and demonstrations were highlighted in the program.

Theresa McLaughlin of Hermon said that if there hadn’t been ASL interpreters, she would not have attended one day of the event, let alone all three as she did this year.

“I could not really have understood things,” she said Sunday afternoon through interpreter Dan Williams of Bangor. “It’s been much better with interpreters.”

Along with other members of the Bangor area deaf community, McLaughlin arrived early for interpreted events to get a good seat down front so she could see the signers. She also wanted to be near the giant speakers so she could feel the vibrations of the music.

McLaughlin said that the Bronx New Heaven Shout Band, which performed at noon Sunday with Robert Turner and the Silver Heart Gospel Singers, was her favorite.

“I could feel the vibrations all over my body,” she said, a smile spreading across her face.

For the interpreters, the folk festival proved to be equally rewarding but challenging.

Williams and Pat Heitmann of Hampden signed for the Punch and Judy show. John Styles of London, England, worked and voiced half a dozen different puppets that sent children and adults into peels of laughter.

“It was really tough,” he said after the Sunday show. “With all the voice changes, I really had to pay attention and I couldn’t always see the puppet stage to tell when it was my turn. At times, deaf people in the audience were telling what was going on.”

By the time she climbed on stage for her last gig, interpreter Kate Munch of Bangor was very comfortable with Dale Watson and His LoneStars. Over the weekend, she interpreted three shows for the honkey-tonk cowboy band.

Munch clearly enjoyed her stints onstage. She blended so seamlessly with the band that at times the signer looked like one of its members. When Watson wailed away on his coin-covered guitar, Munch copied the riff on an air guitar. As the LoneStars’ drummer leaned into his solo, she twirled imaginary sticks above her head, then brought them down in sync with him.

Interpreters, such as Munch, served not only the deaf community but educated and entertained everyone who was lucky enough to catch their “act” at the National Folk Festival.