Brooklyn Folk Festival: 2020 lineup, schedule & tickets
The 2020 edition of The Brooklyn Folk Festival happens April 17 – 19 at St. Ann’s Church in Brooklyn Heights. This year features over 45 acts, including The Cactus Blossoms, Les Filles de Illighadad, Che Apalache, Dan Zanes & Claudia Eliaza, Jerron ‘Blindboy’ Paxton, The Legendary Ingramettes, Nora Brown, The Other Years, The Lovestruck Balladeers, The Birdman of Rome, and more. There’s also a release party for The Harry Smith B-Sides (honoring the life of John Cohen), kids events, film premieres, jam sessions, dances, curated NYC cuisine, the “world famous Gowanus Banjo Toss,” and more. There are still a few “special guest” lineup additions to be announced. Stay tuned.
Tickets are on sale now and you can check out the 2020 lineup and schedule, below.
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BROOKLYN FOLK FESTIVAL – 2020 LINEUP / SCHEDULE
Friday April 17th
Main Stage
7:30pm Nora Brown – Banjo songs, ballads and tunes
8:10pm Che Apalache – Bluegrass & South American music from Argentina!9:00pm The Cactus Blossoms – Country music duet
9:50pm The Legendary Ingramettes – Gospel music from Richmond, VA!
10:40pm Miriam Elhajli – Originals and traditionals from the U.S. and South America
Parish Hall Stage
7:30pm The Lucky 5 – Hot jazz
Louisiana Dance Party! with the…
8:30pm Hi-Lo Aces – Cajun dance band – Come down for a two-step!
9:30pm Jackson & The Janks (Feat. Sam Doores of The Deslondes) – R&B from New Orleans
Monroe Chapel Stage (located at 48 Monroe Street, around the corner)
8:00pm Puppet Show! – Those beautiful Boxcutter Collective babies are back! What will they bring us this year? Stay tuned to find out.
Saturday April 18th
Afternoon Concerts
Main Stage
12:00pm Family Sing-a-long! with Emily Eagen and Chris Q. Murphy
12:50pm Tepeyolohtli Sones de Tarima – Family friendly music in the Son Jarocho tradition of Veracruz, Mexico
1:40pm Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues – Traditional and original jug band music
2:30pm Ginny’s Kitchen – Old time string band
3:20pm The Hayrollers – Bluegrass music!
4:10pm The Harry Smith B-Sides – Honoring John Cohen with the release of his final album project, forthcoming on Dust-to-Digital. This set features live performances of the songs on this compilation.
5:00pm Eva Salina & Peter Stan – Balkan music duet
5:50pm Wyndham Baird – Folk songs
Parish Hall Stage
12:00-1:30pm – Old Time Jam Session with Harry Bolick – bring your fiddles, banjos, guitars and more!
1:30-3pm Exceedingly Good Pub Sing with Ken Schatz – An open singing session, come sing together!
3:30pm Adah & Her Brother – Original songs and traditional Yiddish music
4:30pm Sinner Friends – Old time country music
5:30pm Square Dance! – Swing yer partner!
Monroe Chapel Stage (located at 48 Monroe Street, around the corner)
12:00pm Vocal Harmony Workshop – Learn to sing together in harmony, with Don Friedman and Phyllis Elkind
1:00pm Films by John Cohen – program TBA
3:00pm The Lil’ Dogies – Harmony singing of old time & country music, all the way from Kentucky!
Workshop Room
2:00pm “Playing (with) Trash” – Come spend an hour making your own musical instrument! We’ll use everyday found objects and simple tools. No experience necessary, great for kids and adults! – with Zeke Leonard
4:00pm Stars and Trains: Symbols in Folk Music – presented by The Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism. Guiding stars and criss-crossing trains carried the people and their songs to the farthest points of our country. In this presentation we will look a some of the most prevalent symbols in folk music and delve deeply into their meaning.
7:30pm Nat Myers – Traditional and original blues
Evening Concerts
Main Stage
7:00pm Feral Foster – Original songs
7:50pm The Lovestruck Balladeers – Trad jazz, ragtime, and more!
8:40pm Jerron “Blind Boy” Paxton – Blues, old time and ragtime Music
9:30pm Les Filles de Illighadad – Tuareg music played in traditional tende style, from Nigeria!
10:20pm The Birdman of Rome – “King of the Roman buskers” all the way from Italy!
Parish Hall Stage
7pm Ska-lopy Brass – The Jalopy Theatre’s own ska band!
7:50pm Willy Gantrim – Blues and originals from New Orleans, LA
8:40pm Sam Doores – Original songs from New Orleans, LA
10:20pm Willie Martinez and the NYC Salsa All-Stars – Salsa Dance!
Sunday April 19th
Afternoon Concerts
Main Stage
2:00pm Dan Zanes & Claudia Eliaza – Sing from “The House Party Songbook”: An All-Ages Performance Featuring Songs From Their Family Roots Music Treasury
2:50pm Family Sing-a-long with Kyle Tigges and Friends
3:40pm The Four o’Clock Flowers – Folk, blues & early jazz duet
4:30pm The Down Hill Strugglers – Old time string band
5:20pm Special Guest – TBA
6:10pm Ali Dineen & Band – Original and traditional songs
Parish Hall Stage
2:00pm Old time jam session
3:40pm Jalopy Jr. Folk Stringband ensemble performance
4:30pm The Jalopy Chorus – World harmony song traditions, led by Eva Salina5:20pm Bobby Blue the Balladeer – Originals and “Songs of The Wild Wild West” in English and Spanish
6:10pm Barry Clyde – Folk and blues songs
Monroe Chapel Stage (located at 48 Monroe Street, around the corner)
2:00pm Blues guitar workshop
3:00pm Irish Fiddle Styles workshop with Malachy Bourke
4:00pm Vincent Cross & Malachy Bourke – Traditional Irish songs and tunes from the Sam Henry collection that have become part of the American folk tradition
5:00pm Alan Lomax Archive / Association for Cultural Equity Workshop
1:00PM SPECIAL EVENT: THE BANJO TOSS – Banjo Throwing Contest!
This event is held off-site. Flapjacks social at noon! Banjo toss at 1pm!Assemble at the Gowanus Dredgers Boathouse, 165 2nd St., right on the canal! ]Carroll St. F/G train is just two blocks away!
Evening Concerts
Main Stage
7:10pm Julia Patinella – Flamenco singing, with guitar
8:00pm The Other Years – Originals and traditionals, from Kentucky!
8:50pm TBA – Special Guest!
9:45pm TBA – Special Guest!
Parish Hall Stage
7:10pm Sweet Megg – Early blues, jazz and Western swing
8:00pm Fatboy Wilson & Old Viejo Bones – Blues, folk, and originals