How do you follow up a smashing success? That’s the challenge for the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) as it prepares for the 19th installment of the Richmond Folk Festival this weekend.

“Last year was amazing, we were buzzing for days,” says Blaine Waide, the associate director of the NCTA, and a 10-year veteran of helping to produce the free three-day festival of folk that takes over the Richmond waterfront. “As your readers know, it was successful enough that the festival was chosen last year as [Style’s] Richmonders of the Year.”

The RFF will, once again, be slam packed with dozens of renowned entertainers, artisans and cultural ensembles from across the world, showcasing everything from Chicago blues (Melody Angel) to New Orleans funk (Cyril Neville) to traditional Hawaiian hula dancing (Hālau ‘O Lilinoe) to the folk music of Cape Verde (Lutchinha), Mexico (Grupo Mono Blanco) and the Ukraine (Cheres). There’s also a group of hometown heroes, Bio Ritmo, on the main stages this time out.

“That’s what we strive to do,” Waide says. “To bring a diverse mix. Whenever you do an event of this size and magnitude, you want some artists who represent the sort-of popular draw that folk and traditional music can have, but also include amazing grassroots artists that are just as talented but for whatever reason haven’t gotten the attention.”

Style Weekly talked to Waide, and programming manager Becky Hill, about what visitors can expect at this year’s epic event. Even with artists giving multiple performances throughout the weekend, patrons will never get to them all, but the programmers gave us a few tips on attractions that are not to be missed.

Style Weekly: What’s new this year?

Blaine Waide:We are marking a return to some things we used to do before the pandemic. This is our first year that the festival’s school outreach program is back. It’s been on hold since 2019, and the festival is again partnering with Richmond City Schools and half a dozen artists will do nine shows in area schools. We’re also restarting something we used to do where we would send an artist to a local jail to do outreach as well. We also have a new [initiative] – the University of Richmond, through musicologist Andy McGraw, has come on to help sponsor an artist who will be at the festival, Kala Ramnath, a wonderful hindustani violinist who will also be conducting a multi-day residence at UR.

There are so many great artists on tap. What are some things you hope people don’t miss?

Becky Hill: I’m really excited by Stanley Jacobs and His Ten Sleepless Knights, performing Quelbe music from St. Croix. Stanley will be bringing ten performers with him, even some instruments made within the band. It’s a rare interpretation of string band music from St. Croix with a quadrelle calling tradition. Given we’re in Virginia with a square dance tradition, people should love them. Also, I cannot help but move and dance to Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas, a really great Lafayette based Zydeco band.

Waide: Another standout is Michael Cleveland. We’ve been trying for a number of years to bring him to Richmond. Michael is one of the most celebrated fiddlers in the history of bluegrass music and was awarded, just last year, an NEA National Heritage Fellowship. To finally get him here is really special.

We’ve also been trying for a while to bring in a traditional Filipino dance group and Helobung, an indigenous group from the Southern Philippines were on tour through a State Department program so we’re able to bring them in and connect them to some of those communities in Richmond. And I’m personally excited about the appearance of Annie and the Caldwell singers, a gospel group from West Point, Mississippi. If you close your eyes and don’t concentrate on the religious themed lyrics, it’s like you’re listening to a soul or funk band. And then, lastly, I know everybody locally is going to be really thrilled to see Bio Ritmo make their festival debut, coming off the heels of their 30th anniversary last year.

For people who don’t know the history, what is the National Council For the Traditional Arts and how has it helped to spearhead Richmond’s festival?

Waide: The NCTA was founded in 1933 so this year is our 90th anniversary. It was founded as the National Folk Festival Association because, from the get go, our flagship event has been the National Folk Festival, which is a multi-cultural celebration of traditional arts highlighting the best practitioners and traditional artists that come out of communities throughout the country – the idea being that we are celebrating all of the wonderful diversity of our various and vibrant communities.

The National Folk Festival came to Richmond from 2005-2007, and the model after a three year tenure is always that the host community creates a locally produced festival after the National leaves. Next year It will be the 20th anniversary, counting the three years as the National. Each year, the NCTA does the programming, hires most of the production crew, meets with the local programming committee three times a year getting feedback. It’s largely the same relationship as it was when it was the National, but as a local event, [the RFF} is very much grounded in the local community.

Somehow you have to live up to last year’s festival, which drew approximately 230,000 visitors, the largest crowds ever.

Waide: The turnout was incredible. Watching the crowd move from the Carmax stage to the Family Area to Brown’s Island Way… I mean, I’d never seen anything like it… this sea of people moving together. It’s all about a sense of ownership and buy-in and the pride that Richmond has in this festival. It’s on display every year, and that’s what stands out: How proud people are of what, in a grassroots, bottom-up way, has been created over the last twenty years.

The Richmond Folk Festival runs Oct. 13-15. Free. For a complete schedule of performances and events, go to richmondfolkfestival.org