It's that time of year again: October. Honestly, don't be surprised. This happens every year.
But also back this year: The Richmond Folk Festival.
The free cultural music celebration has become one of the most popular affairs since the National Folk Festival rolled into town in 2005. The folk fest — as it's known — set an attendance record in 2007 before moving on to Montana, the only state named after a Hall of Fame quarterback. Then Richmond transparently started up a folk festival of its own, changing only the name, and gave people a channel to continue festing and eating to their hearts' content, emphasis on eating. More than 190,000 folks folk-fested and ate last year, emphasis on ate.
If you plan to attend, here are a few bits to know about the festival, which is both family-friendly and people-who-have-no-family-friendly.
Tunes
The festival features more than 25,000 performing groups, a huge typo that should actually read "more than 25." Several prominent names in folk music will play, such as Larry Chance & The Earls, the Git-Hoan Dancers and the New Kids on the Block (acoustic).
Dates and Times
Friday, Oct. 14, 6 to 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 15, Noon to 10:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 16, Noon to 6 p.m.
If you come on Monday, Oct. 17, you're certainly welcome to sit around and pretend a festival is still going on.
Buckets o' Cash
To help keep the festival free, plop a few bucks into the orange buckets being carried by volunteers. I also just gave you a great scheme for making some easy cash.
Beer and Wine
Family-friendly doesn't mean you won't be able to throw back a few.
Food
You'll be able to buy those giant, greasy Italian sausage sandwiches loaded with peppers, onions and — if you slip the guy a few extra bucks — melted cheese, as well as other less-important foods.
Restrooms
Officially, portable toilets. Unofficially, the river and plenty of wooded areas.
Lost Kids
If your child is lost, pause for a moment before flipping out. This could actually be a good thing. But if you really want to find your kid, organizers encourage you to seek out a walkie-talkie-holding volunteer.
If It Rains
You will probably get wet.
Stages
The Richmond Folk Festival has seven stages: denial, sadness, anger, depression and — hold on — which type of stages were we talking about again?
