Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
58 scenes from the 58th annual Philadelphia Folk Festival
With its array of impressive main stage headliners, intimate side stage workshops, creative crafts around every corner, and a campground that pulses with energy, the Philadelphia Folk Festival is always a whirlwind.
During this year’s weekend at Old Pool Farm, we were dazzled by sublime sets from singer-songwriter legend David Crosby as much as earnest emerging voice Kaia Kater. We rocked out to the slide guitar jams of A.J. Ghent during World Cafe‘s camp stage showcase on Thursday, and grooved to Friday’s Big Easy-centeric headliners Cha-Wa and Preservation Hall Jazz Band. We frielach danced at Dan Blackberg‘s klezmer party and zydeco danced to Chubby Carrier.
Local music was represented strongly, between the Folksong Society’s Philadelphia Music Co-op Showcase on Friday (where Emily Drinker, Bethelehem and Sad Patrick, Rachel Andie and the Vth Element, and Stella Ruze all performed top-notch sets) as well as Saturday (Helen Leicht’s XPN Local showcase starring Jackson Pines, Great Time, and The End of America). Other Philly artists popped up throughout the weekend, like Driftwood Soldier and Rare Spirits (the latter of whom jammed with Isreali band OSOG during the folk fest’s innovative Backstage Sessions, a showcase of pop-up collaborations).
And most importantly, we took in the sights. Watched jugglers in Dulcimer Grove. Chatted up painter Amelia Alyce Doll as she worked on a canvas. Followed North Star Puppets’ towering recreation of the Philadelphia Folk Festival banjo as it moved around the campground. Spent a solid amount of time in a hammock.
Below is some of the best of what we saw: 58 scenes from the 58th annual Philadelphia Folk Festival.
Chubby Carrier at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Kaia Kater and The East Pointers at at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
David Crosby at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Bethlehem and Sad Patrick at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Langhorne Slim at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Ida Mae at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Ida Mae at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
The East Pointers at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
A.J. Ghent at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
A.J. Ghent at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
A.J. Ghent at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Emily Drinker at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Emily Drinker at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Mwenso and the Shakes at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Mwenso and the Shakes at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Bethlehem and Sad Patrick with Andrea Nardello at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Rachel Andie and the Vth Element at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Rachel Andie and the Vth Element at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Stella Ruze at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Yola at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Joan Osborne at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Joan Osborne at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Cha-Wa at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Cha-Wa at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Jackson Pines at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Great Time at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Great Time at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Great Time at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
The End of America at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Kaia Kater at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Caitlin Canty at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Rare Spirits and OSOG at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
The Young’uns at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Kathy Mattea at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Talisk at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Langhorne Slim at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Kim So Ra at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Driftwood Soldier at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Dan Blacksberg’s Freilachs Music at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Amanda Shires at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Margo Price at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
David Crosby at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN at Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN
Philadelphia Folk Festival 2019 | photo by John Vettese for WXPN