The 30th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival will be held July 17-18 in Prather Coliseum on the campus of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches.
This year’s festival is themed “New Populations in Louisiana.” The 2009 theme will celebrate the importance of those cultures either new to the state or those which have sometimes been overlooked because of their cultural “invisibility” to many people.
The two day event is filled with activities, food, discussions, and music for the entire family. Tickets are $8 for an all-day pass, $5 for an evening pass, and $11 for a weekend pass which is available in advance only. Children ages 12 and under are admitted free with an accompanying adult.
The Festival begins on Friday at 5:00 p.m. with music, dancing, and door prizes. A mixture of Cajun and Zydeco music will set the tune for the night with performances by Kyle Huval & the Dixie Club Ramblers and Don Fontenot & Les Amis de Louisiane. Champ Crossno will also be giving Cajun dance lessons both Friday night and Saturday morning.
Traditional meat pies, boudin, gumbo, jambalaya, and ethnic foods will also be available to eat during the Festival.
Saturday’s festivities kick off at 8:00 a.m. with the beginning of the Louisiana State Fiddle Championship and the opening of the Kid Fest area. The Fiddle Championship will take place throughout the day with the champion performing at 6:00 p.m. Saturday night.
Kid Fest is an area set aside for activities that will teach children about folk traditions through hands on projects and crafts. The Kid Fest area will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Activities will include folktales, folk games, scavenger hunts, learning how to use chopsticks and experimenting with Japanese calligraphy.
Musical entertainment will be available throughout the day Saturday with performances by the Silayan Choir of New Orleans, Hadley Castille, Back Porch Band, Blake Brothers Bluegrass Band, Knight Train, Jesse Brown, Gail Holiday, Knight Train, Goldman Thibodeaux and more.
Other areas of interest will be narrative sessions exploring the lifestyles and customs of Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Japanese, Indian, Cajun, Italian, Korean, Czech, Hispanic and Thai cultures. Vendors will be on site offering baskets, toys, filè, bonnets, walking canes, jewelry, knives and much more.
For a complete schedule of events or more information on the Folk Festival, please call the Louisiana Folklife Center at (318) 357-4332 or the Natchitoches Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at (800) 259-1714 or visit the Festival website at www.nsula.edu/folklife.
