Presented by the Jalopy Theatre and School of Music

“Diverse, spontaneous, counter-cultural, and trenchant… One of the most vital and spiritually sound folk-music events in the country.”
– The New Yorker Magazine, April 2017

The 10th annual Brooklyn Folk Festival will feature Pokey LaFarge making his first appearance a the festival, Jerron Blind Boy Paxton (Brooklynite and mainstay of the festival), R CRUMB with The East River String Band, Spirit Family Reunion and folk music legend John Cohen with the Down Hill Strugglers. The festival also includes Indian Classical Music from the Women’s Raga Massive, old time string band music from Bruce Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, a performance for children by Elizabeth Mitchell and Suni Paz, celebrating the release of their new Smithsonian Folkways album, Grammy nominated Moroccan band Innov Gnawa and much more!

This year the festival brings home many favorite performers from its decade long history, along with exciting new underground-grassroots folk and traditional groups from New York City and around the nation. Celebrating folk music from near and far, the Brooklyn Folk Festival will showcase over forty musical acts as well as workshops, film screenings, dances and contests in its most ambitious iteration to date.

In addition to musical performances, the festival will also feature the NYC premiere of the documentary “Linefork,” about living legend Kentucky banjo player Lee Sexton, “How They Got Over” about the golden age of Black gospel quartets and a 50th anniversary screening of counter-cultural cult classic film “Gold” with rare Q&A with the director. It also marks the release of the new album on the Smithsonian Folkways label from Elizabeth Mitchell and Suni Paz.
Performers at the 10th Annual Brooklyn Folk Festival include:

Pokey LaFarge
Jerron Blind Boy Paxton
Spirit Family Reunion
Elizabeth Mitchell & Suni Paz
East River String Band w/ R Crumb
Bruce Molsky’s Mountain Drifters
Innov Gnawa
Women’s Raga Massive
Thomas McCarthy
Bulla en el Barrio
Radio Jarocho
Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues
Clifton Hicks
The Birdman of Rome
Feral Foster
Eric & Suzy Thompson
The Down Hill Strugglers w/ John Cohen
Mamie Minch & Tamar Korn
Steel City Jug Slammers
Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Duo
HickHoppers
The Horse-Eyed Men
Eva Salina & Peter Stan
The Hayrollers
The Crimson Ragdolls
Wyndham Baird
Pat Conte
Little Nora Brown
The Four o’clock Flowers

+ more
+ The World Famous Banjo Toss Competition, Square Dance, Salsa Dance, Workshops and Film Screenings

Complete Schedule Below.

The 10th annual festival has sold out every year and will remain at its home, St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church, in Brooklyn Heights, where its world-famous stained-glass windows will frame the stage. The Festival is produced by the newly non-profit Jalopy Theatre & School of Music, located in Red Hook, Brooklyn. The three-day event has grown in attendance and scope each year. The festival’s partnership with St. Ann’s allows for a main stage inside the church, room for food, drink and vendors, plus a second stage and additional rooms for workshops and film screenings.

Adding to the festivities, the Festival features the World Famous Banjo Toss, banjo throwing contest (as featured in Associated Press), a family-friendly square dance, a Saturday night Salsa dance, a Sunday kid’s concert with Elizabeth Mitchell & Suni Paz and several open jam sessions. There will also be group singing sessions, workshops in blues guitar, old time banjo playing, fiddle and more, along with jam sessions.

“This 10th annual Brooklyn Folk Festival promises to be a truly special event as we expand the scope of the programming and welcome home favorite performers from the history of the festival,” Eli Smith, founder and host of the Festival, said. “This year we expect a powerful array of sounds, with music from a huge diversity of genres including blues, old time music, traditional music from Morocco, Mexico, the Balkans, Ireland, Puerto Rico, India and elsewhere, trad jazz, song writers, jug band music and more!”

The venue, St. Ann & the Holy Trinity Church is a National Historic Landmark, built in 1844. An important example of Gothic Revival architecture in America, the richly ornamented church is notable for its elaborately vaulted roof and window tracery. Before it was removed in 1906, its spire was the most visible landmark in Brooklyn and was used by ship captains to navigate the harbor.

The Festival will take place in the main hall of the church, with workshops, film screenings and the square dance in the side hall and upstairs rooms. Food, drink and retail vendors will be on site.

More information at www.BrooklynFolkFest.com

The performances are separated into afternoon and evening shows, day passes and a full-festival three-day pass. All workshops, film screenings, and the square dance and salsa dance are included in the price of admission.

Tickets will go on sale Jan. 1st, 2018 at www.brooklynfolkfest.com/tickets

* The venue has seating for everyone. Seating assignments are on a first come first serve basis.
* These prices do not include service fees.
* All events including workshops and film screenings are included in ticket price
* St. Ann’s Church and Parish Hall are wheelchair accessible. If you are in a wheelchair and would like to take a workshop please email Lynette@Jalopy.biz

Complete Schedule:

Friday April 6th

Main Stage
7:30pm Little Nora Brown – Old time banjo songs and ballads
8:00pm Radio Jarocho & Zenen Zeferino – Son Jarocho from Veracruz, Mexico
8:45pm Mamie Minch & Tamar Korn –Blues, folk and early Jazz
9:30pm Innov Gnawa – Traditional music from Morocco, Grammy nominated!
10:15pm Women’s Raga Massive – Indian Classical and folk music
11:00pm The Crimson Ragdolls –Blues, folk and early Jazz

Parish Hall Stage
11pm Jackson & The Janks – R&B from New Orleans

Saturday April 7th

Afternoon Concerts

Main Stage
12:00pm King Isto’s Tropical String Band – String band music of the South Seas
12:45pm Suzy & Eric Thompson – Old time string duet
1:30pm Piedmont Bluz – Country Blues guitar, harmonica, washboard
2:15pm The HickHoppers – Amazing old time string band from the great state of Georgia!
3:00pm Brotherhood of the Jug Band Blues – Traditional and original jug band music
3:45pm Clifton Hicks – Ballads and banjo songs from Georgia!
4:30pm Bruce Molsky’s Mountain Drifters – Old time string band
5:15pm The Horse-Eyed Men – Disgruntled country songs
6:00pm The Birdman of Rome – The Birdman returns, all the way from Rome, Italy! Not to be missed.

Parish Hall Stage
1:00pm Old Time Jam with Stephanie Coleman
3:00pm First ever! Brooklyn Fiddle Contest – Who is the greatest fiddler in Brooklyn!? Find out! Compete for prizes!
4:00pm Square Dance!! with Johanna Sims and Alex Udis calling (all the way from Louisville, KY!)
5:30pm Poorboy Krill – Blues and Ragtime

Workshop Room

2pm Bruce Molsky – Old Time Fiddle Workshop
3pm Songs from the Freedom Highway: Protest Music, Past and Present – w/ Nick Panken (of Spirit Family Reunion) & Special Guests
4pm Film: Linefork – Documentary on legendary KY banjo player Lee Sexton, followed by Q&A with the filmmaker
6pm Film: How They Got Over – Documentary about the golden age of Black gospel quartets, followed by Q&A with the filmmaker
Evening Concerts

Main Stage

7:15pm Wyndham Baird – Folk, Blues and Country songs with guitar, piano and harmonica
8:00pm Eva Salina & Peter Stan – Vintage Balkan Roma ballads
8:45pm Bulla En El Barrio – Afro-Colombian percussion and vocal band, exploring new and classic Bailes Cantados of Bullerengue
9:30pm Jerron Paxton – Blues, Old Time and Ragtime Music
10:15pm Spirit Family Reunion – Original and Folk songs
11:00pm Feral Foster – Original and Folk songs
11:45pm Steel City Jug Slammers – Jugband music from Alabama!

Parish Hall Stage
9:30pm Salsa Dance with Willie Martinez and the NYC Salsa All Stars

Sunday April 8th
Afternoon Concerts

Main Stage

2:00pm Jalopy Junior Performance
2:45pm Elizabeth Mitchell & Suni Paz – Music for kids & adults!
3:30pm The Hayrollers – Bluegrass music
4:15pm Thomas McCarthy – unaccompanied ballads from Ireland
5:00pm Pat Conte – Blues, gospel and old time songs and tunes
5:45pm East River String Band w/ R. Crumb – Country Blues and Oldtime music

Parish Hall Stage
2pm – Old Time Slow Jam Session with Hilary Hawke
3:00pm Exceedingly Good Group Singing Session with Ken Schatz
4:00pm Jalopy Chorus – Balkan vocal music, led by Eva Salina
4:45pm Square Dance! – with Ginny’s Kitchen & Alex Kramer calling

Workshop Room

2:00pm “Tradigional” Songwriting workshop with Vincent Cross – learn to write original songs using traditional techniques
3:00 pm Banjo workshop: Lee Sexton’s Expanded 2-Finger Banjo Style- The Basics (and a little bit more too…) with Linefork co-director Vic Rawlings
4:00 pm Film: Gold – Filmed in August of 1968 in the remote foothills of the Sierra Mountains this wacky piece of celluloid captures the essence of the sixties with a reasonably coherent story. – 50th anniversary screening – followed by Q&A with the filmmaker
6:00pm Global Jukebox Presentation with the Alan Lomax Archive / Association for Cultural Equity
1:00PM SPECIAL EVENT: THE BANJO TOSS – Banjo Throwing Contest!

This event is held off-site.
Please assemble at the corner of Smith and 9th Street at 1pm, we will then have a parade to the banjo tossing arena!

Evening Concerts

Main Stage

7:00 pm The Down Hill Strugglers w/ John Cohen – Oldtime string band
7:45 pm Seyyah – Turkish and Balkan music
8:30 pm Special Guest TBA
9:15 pm Special Guest TBA
10:00 pm Julia Patinella – Flamenco, Spanish and Latin American vocal and guitar music