Glastonbury? It's a mudbath. Bonnaroo? Been there, done that. Woodstock? Oh, that's so 1969, darling. If you're looking for the next big summer music festival, look no further than Butte, Montana, where the 71st National Folk Festival is taking place this weekend, July 10-12.
But what's it got going for it? Well, for a start it's gloriously, magically, wonderfully free, and we all know that free is the best price in an economy like this. For another thing, it sounds like an awful lot of fun: featuring everything from gospel to polka to bluegrass to klezmer to mariachi to western swing, the festival runs for three days on seven separate stages, meaning there's always going to be something to watch.
And even if you're not particularly musically-inclined, you surely can't say no to a Chinese dragon dance, a blacksmithing demonstration, cowboy poetry, or the chance to buy a handmade canoe. Besides, where else could you find all that in the same place? Billed as "a Great American Festival set in the Great American West," the National---as it's known to locals---aims to "celebrate the roots, richness, and variety of American culture." Gotta say, that's one melting pot I'd really like to jump into.









Comments
Jul 06, 2009
Hey now! Don't you go insulting Bonnaroo--that's my hometown (and my dad helped start it)!
(I keed, I keed.)
I love towns that have "Butte" in the title (like Heidi Montag's home in Crested Butte, Colorado). Because I'm childish like that.