This year the popular Richmond Folk Festival is celebrating its 15th anniversary bringing diverse global sounds to the city’s historic downtown riverfront. The free, three-day event to be held Oct. 11-13 has been known to draw over 200,000 people for the weekend.

RFF organizers do need volunteers and registration is now open. Those who sign up four or more to volunteer for the beer truck or bucket brigade will be rewarded with cool RFF swag, according to Kelly Vance of the Vance Agency. You can learn more about volunteering here.

Today, organizers announced the first 10 artists for this year’s fest. It’s a diverse opening salvo featuring everything from real deal Texas honky tonk to Tuareg guitar and the return of Tuvan throat singing! So without further adieu, here you go:

Bombino(Tuareg guitar)

Agadez, Niger

Dale Watson (honky-tonk and country)

Austin, Texas

Panfilo’s Güera(Tejano conjunto fiddle)

San Antonio, Texas

Super Chikan(Delta blues)

Clarksdale, Mississippi

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BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet (Cajun)

From Lafayette,Louisiana

The Garifuna Collective(Garifuna)

Dangriga,Belize

Huun-Huur-Tu (Tuvan throat-singing)

Republic of Tuva (Russian Federation)

Iberi Choir(Georgian polyphonic singing)

Tbilisi, Georgia

Kevin Doyle & Friends(Irish step dance and music)

Barrington, Rhode Island

Lonesome River Band(bluegrass)

Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee

And here’s more from the press release:

“There was a time when many people questioned whether such a large-scale, FREE festival like this could be successful in Richmond for the long term,” said Lisa Sims, Venture Richmond Executive Director. “But our community has nurtured this event in ways that even the most optimistic of us couldn’t have predicted 15 years ago. There’s no end to our gratitude for the sponsors, contributors, and volunteers who make the festival happen year in and year out, rain or shine. The dedication of so many is stunning.”