The Florida Folk Festival is a three-day celebration of the music, dance, stories, crafts and food that make Florida unique. From Irish fiddle tunes, techno contra dancing and chocolate covered Key Lime pie, to the wide varieties of music brought by immigrants, the state’s cultural heritage reflects the lives of generations of Florida families and communities. Throughout the Memorial Day weekend, more than 300 performances give voice and meaning to Florida’s heritage.
The event is held at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in North Florida’s White Springs from May 24 – 26th. Every year the Department of State’s Florida Folklife Program researches a special topic on Florida’s traditional heritage. The Festival’s 2019 Folklife Area will feature performances and demonstrations celebrating the diverse living traditions of some of Florida’s oldest and newest cultural communities.
At the Florida Folk Festival, you can sit with the masters who keep cultural traditions alive. In jam sessions, demonstrations and workshops, try your own hand at playing mandolin, telling stories, or making a pine needle basket. Learn how to collect your family’s history, call a square dance, or the importance of native plant and animal species. Take a shopping excursion and visit with Florida’s traditional and contemporary craftsmen.
Take a shopping excursion and visit with Florida’s traditional and contemporary craftsmen.
In addition to music, the Festival’s Folk Life area demonstrates Florida’s heritage arts including blacksmithing, butter churning, quilt making, a sugar cane boil, cracker whip making and fishing line casting.
AuthenticFlorida, excerpt posted on SouthFloridaReporter.com, May 25, 2019
