Washington Folk Festival Returns to Glen Echo Park This Sunday, Free and All Day

The Washington Folk Festival returns to Glen Echo Park this Sunday, August 23, from noon to 7 p.m., with six stages, roughly 50 acts, and a full day of music, dance and storytelling. Admission is free.

Presented by the Folklore Society of Greater Washington, the festival spans American and international folk traditions: bluegrass, Americana, blues and Zydeco alongside music from around the world. It stays free because everyone involved, from staff to performers, volunteers.

What’s New This Year

Two additions stand out. The first is a Middle Eastern Spotlight, a new collaboration with the Governor’s Commission on Middle Eastern American Affairs bringing Jewish, Persian, Turkish, Egyptian and Afghan music and dance to the park, along with a halal Turkish food stand.

The second is a sixth stage. Songs for All Ages runs storytelling, sing-alongs and hands-on music for families throughout the day, closing with an evening set called “Liberty & Justice for All.”

The spotlight includes Zavash Shadmeher performing original Persian santour compositions with percussionist Jalal Kimia, a Middle Eastern hafla with Kylie Hilali and the Fez Tones, Afghan classical master Humayun Khan with young musicians from his academy, the DMV Turkish Music Ensemble’s Group Mavi, and a set drawing together Jewish Mizrachi and Arabic traditions.

Latin Music at the Festival

The Latin lineup features Raymi, whose Andean sound pairs zampoñas, quenas and tarkas with modern guitar and drums; Héctor Muñoz and Ulises Rodriguez on traditional Paraguayan harp and guitar; the flamenco company Furia Flamenca; and multilingual singer-songwriter Valeria Stewart and Friends.

Taking the Stage

Performers include Little Red & the Renegades, Foggy Bottom Whomp-Stompers, Sunshine Skiffle Band, Ardmore, Rick Franklin & Tom Mindte, Lydia Martin, Charlie Bryant, Mutual Agreement, Collide, Djangolaya, Blue Spruce, Samovar, Washington Toho Koto Society, Rock Creek Morris Women, Munit Mesfin, Donna Elanor’s Tricorn Tales, Bill Jenkins World of Music and Maureen Andary, plus dozens more acts across the six stages.

If You Go

When: Sunday, August 23, noon to 7 p.m.
Where: Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo
Cost: Free, though the festival prefers that you RSVP in advance
Food: Food trucks and picnic tables on site, with more vendors than in past years

All venues are accessible. On-site parking is limited and the organizers encourage carpooling. The festival is presented in cooperation with the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, the National Park Service and Montgomery County.

Moderately MOCO wrote about the festival’s return to Glen Echo Park last year.

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