Aimful Wandering 

Our unofficial guide to the National Folk Festival.

click to enlarge Cover41.06.jpg

Who doesn't remember the chaos of last year's National Folk Festival? So many bands! So many exhibits! Right through the gates, people immediately lost track of themselves, getting pulled hither and yon by the seductions of klezmer or Piedmont blues. How they wandered, lost and afraid, without guidance! Friends parted, families fragmented. And how many children were orphaned by zydeco?

In order to avoid such aimless enjoyment at this year's festival, we at Style Weekly have compiled this guide for you to prepare yourself — and your lovely family — for the many aesthetic experiences you're likely to face. We've grouped the performers, the craftspeople, even the foods into convenient categories so you'll have some focus once you number and label the children* and enter the sprawling universe that is the National Folk Festival. Enjoy, wander wisely, and no screaming.

*We recommend fine-tip permanent waterproof marker.

Read the stories.
  • If You Missed Mardi Gras
  • If Your Woman Did You Wrong
  • If You Love the Lord
  • If You're a Culture Junkie
  • What To See: The Lost Art of Stuff
  • If You Wanna Dance
  • The Music Snob
  • If You Think Electric is Blasphemy
  • If You Think Music was Invented in Virginia
  • What to Eat: Vendor Adventure


  • To view this cover story as it appeared in print, click here

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