SALISBURY, MD — The Richard A. Henson Foundation will be the Family Area sponsor at the Maryland Folk Festival, set for Sept. 22-24 in Downtown Salisbury.
The Maryland Folk Festival is a free, large-scale celebration of the arts. After five years as the host of the National Folk Festival, this will be the inaugural legacy festival in Salisbury. The three-day event features hundreds of the nation’s finest musicians, dancers, craftspeople and other keepers of culture.
The Maryland Folk Festival is dedicated to creating unique experiences of discovery and learning, cultivating cultural and ethnic diversity and pursuing opportunities to inspire and enlighten through music, dance, food, crafts and the traditional arts.
Unlike other music festivals that rely on the sale of admission tickets, with the generous support of sponsors, donors and grants, the Maryland Folk Festival provides a jubilant array of experiences for all ages at no cost to its audience. This makes it one of the few festivals in America that offers its attendees free access to such extensive programming.
“The Richard A. Henson Foundation is proud to support the Maryland Folk Festival,” said Stacey McMichael, executive director of the Richard A. Henson Foundation. “Mr. Henson loved Salisbury and he embraced opportunities to provide children and families with community engagement activities. Festivals like the Maryland Folk Festival help build and maintain strong communities.”
The Richard A. Henson Foundation Family Area will feature free family activities, including make-and-take crafts, games, street performances and animal ambassadors from the Salisbury Zoo, along with areas for free play as a family. There will also be a lactation station for nursing mothers.
“The Richard A. Henson Foundation Family Area offers opportunities for families to relax and enjoy time together in between performances, and participate in activities that are specifically geared toward children,” said Caroline O’Hare, events and culture manager for the City of Salisbury’s Arts, Business and Culture Department. “We are so grateful to the Richard A. Henson Foundation for its generous support of the festival.”
The Richard A. Henson Foundation, Inc., was established to provide for and to assure the continuation for the philanthropic spirit, objectives and ideals of Richard A. Henson; to enrich the quality of life primarily in the greater Salisbury, Maryland, area; and to provide challenging opportunities and act as a catalyst for the betterment of the community.
About the Maryland Folk Festival
After more than five years as the host of the National Folk Festival, produced in collaboration with the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the City of Salisbury’s Arts, Business, and Culture Department is proud to launch its own legacy festival. In 2023, the City of Salisbury, Maryland, will take center stage with the Maryland Folk Festival from Sept. 22- 24.
This large-scale, multi-day outdoor event, celebrates the roots, richness and variety of American culture. It features hundreds of the nation’s finest musicians, dancers, craftspeople and other keepers of culture in performances, workshops, and demonstrations, plus children’s activities, non-stop participatory dancing, storytelling, and more. https://mdfolkfest.com/
About the City of Salisbury, Maryland
Founded in 1732, Salisbury is the county seat of Wicomico County, a place where John Smith touched land in 1608 during his exploration of the Chesapeake Bay, bringing him in contact with the Wighcocomoco or Wicomico, the Nause, the Kusk’arawack, and the Nantaquack or Nanticoke tribes who had lived in the region for several millennia. Situated on Maryland’s historic Eastern Shore at the crossroads of the Delmarva Peninsula, Salisbury is now one of the region’s largest cities, and serves as the capital of the Eastern Shore, a rural area defined by its agricultural and maritime traditions, landscapes, and industries. The Chesapeake Bay is central to this distinctive identity. Though a relatively small city, Salisbury is the geographic and economic hub of one of the nation’s fastest-growing Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Led by a dynamic mayor, the City of Salisbury is working to build its reputation as an arts and culture destination and is aligning its downtown development and revitalization efforts with the arts. Salisbury believes hosting the Maryland Folk Festival is the perfect catalyst to further a cultural renaissance and urban renewal. https://salisbury.md/
ABCD Events
The Arts, Business & Culture Department is responsible for fostering Salisbury’s thriving economic climate through supporting business, expanding economic opportunity, promoting artistic expression, hosting unique experiences, and maintaining regional attractions such as the Salisbury Zoo and Poplar Hill Mansion. By producing signature events, facilitating business incentives, and collaborating with stakeholders, this department strives to make Salisbury a place where arts, business, and culture intersect and flourish. https://salisbury.md/departments/arts-business-culture
