In the groove Drums, tubas, violins and dancing launch second American Folk Festival

The early evening sun shone like a spotlight Friday as the crowd enveloped the Bahamas Junkanoo Revue. At one point, lime-green plumes and mirror-studded turquoise headdresses were all you could see of the group, but the groan of tubas, shriek of whistles and lively beat of drums let everyone know that the parade – the true kickoff of any good folk festival – had officially begun.

This crowd knows a good festival when it sees one, or hears one, as the case may be. With four years of experience – three with the National Folk Festival, one with the spinoff American Folk Festival – the throng that gathered along the Bangor waterfront knew what to expect for year five. There were no surprises, no worries. Just pure, unadulterated joy.

“It’s my favorite weekend of the year,” Karen Pendoley, 45, of Hallowell said, dancing with her husband a few rows behind the band. She was part of The National’s initial marketing committee with the Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau, and although she’s moved, she’d never miss the festival. “I’m like a kid at Christmas.”

She and her husband, David Briggs, 49, wore folk festival gear from years past and gleaming new sneakers purchased just for the event.

“I buy new sneakers every year, just to get around,” Pendoley said. “That’s the truth.”

The truth is, the folk festival has established itself as an eastern Maine tradition – as much a part of summer as lobster rolls and loons. In the weeks leading up to it, families download schedules and map out their itineraries. They plan vacations around it. They invite – or turn away – visitors.

“We had company coming to our house tonight, and we told them, ‘You can come, but we’ll be at the folk festival,'” said Mary Curtis, 57, of Searsport as she and her husband, Ashley, rode the shuttle bus to the festival grounds. “We do this every year.”

And she’s not alone. Heather McCarthy, the festival’s executive director, said early crowd estimates surpassed those of previous opening nights, which averaged about 10,000 people. There were no police complaints, and McCarthy said setup went “very smoothly.”

“I certainly don’t want to jinx it, but a lot of our crew and a great number of volunteers have done this for five years now,” McCarthy said. “We’ve got people who are pros at putting up snow fence and setting up tables and chairs. They are so dedicated to make this festival happen that everything’s going really well.”

Though the production elements all were running like a well-oiled machine, McCarthy said the festival is still $150,000 short of its fundraising goal for the year – a bit further behind than this time last year. She’s counting on the bucket brigade, volunteers who walk around with buckets accepting donations, to make up at least some of that.

If the young bucket holders at the Heritage Stage are any indication, McCarthy may just reach that goal over the course of the weekend. After seeing a call for volunteers on TV, sisters Rachel Clark, 19, Aleisha Roy, 11, and Jaime Roy, 13, all of Brewer, decided to help out. They figured it would be a great way to experience the festival from another perspective, and the bucket brigade certainly opened their eyes.

“They’re putting, like, 20s in,” Jaime said.

“I thought we’d get a lot of change, but people are very generous, I would say,” Rachel added.

Even the first-timers were eager to donate. Rhonda Cushing, 37, of Glenburn had never come to the festival, but she and her mom, first-timer Susan Sawtelle, 58, of Bangor, both wore fluorescent green “I donated” stickers on their shirts.

“I think that’s nice that nobody’s pressured into feeling like they have to pay,” Sawtelle said.

“It’s kind of a free, easy feeling,” Cushing added. “Everyone seems to be fun and easy-going.”

The women were there with Cushing’s 10-year-old son, Zachary, and his friend, Xavier Lewis, also 10, of Bangor. This is Xavier’s third or fourth festival, and he can’t get enough of the colorful costumes, great music and delicious food.

“I’m definitely coming back,” Xavier said.

Like Xavier, Gov. John Baldacci is another festival regular. After introducing the night’s headliner, the Cape Breton Island-based Beolach, he reflected on what the event has done for Bangor – and beyond.

“I think it says a lot about this region. When we first started, we didn’t think several thousand people would show up … but look at all these people out here,” Baldacci said over the sound of a clogger’s footfalls, gesturing to the packed field in front of the Railroad Stage. “They’re realizing the arts, culture, diversity and tradition are a galvanizing force. It really strengthens our arts and cultural framework and foundations.”

For Julia Olin, associate director of the National Council for the Traditional Arts, which produces this festival and the National Folk Festival, the fact that people keep coming back is a reflection of the event’s successful planning and execution.

“When things go absolutely the way we hope they will, this is how it turns out,” she said. “People come together as families. It becomes a reunion time for families and friends. It becomes a focal point.”

Just ask Karen Pendoley and David Briggs. As they waited for the Junkanoo Revue to start marching, the bluegrass band on the Heritage Stage began to wind down. The familiar riff of “Smoke on the Water” rang through the air.

“Listen to that,” Briggs said, and they both burst out laughing and started clapping.

“It just doesn’t get any better,” Pendoley replied. “That’s all.”