The American Folk Festival on the Bangor waterfront in August, 2005.

Community Arts & Traditional Arts

On our own... the American Folk Festival

What can Bangor possibly do for an encore after three years of the National Folk Festival? For three days this past August, many of us saw and heard the answer, The American Folk Festival on the Bangor waterfront. The National Folk Festival moves on to Richmond, Virginia this year, but the American Folk Festival stepped in to take its place, keeping the music going and showcasing the traditional arts of Maine. This year, Bangor proved it can keep the momentum going as thousands of eager visitors crowded the city’s waterfront, restaurants and hotels. And once again, the bands delivered.

When Quebec musician Benoit Bourque wasn’t playing the button box or the bones he made traditional step dancing look effortless. Not your style? Wait a few minutes and the pulsing sound of Cuban music had many in the crowd trying their own dance steps. The festival may not have had every beat from every corner of the world, but at times it felt like it.

This year’s festival also included a focus on immigrant cultures, with a tent that featured immigrants telling their stories. Another tent lured in visitors as the aroma of well prepared traditional foods filled the air. Organizer Pauleena MacDougall says she could look at the crowd and see some of the same cultures that were being celebrated by the presenters.

	Erica Brown.

“You look around and everyone is having fun. It’s a joy to see that kind of happiness and see families really enjoying themselves in a multi-cultural environment.” She said the performers enjoy coming to Bangor because they are well treated, and would not be surprised if the festival led to more diversity in the Bangor area.

As planning began for this year’s festival, organizers Heather McCarthy and Pauleena MacDougall waited to see if the community would still support the festival financially. Would they be able to raise enough money? Would the crowds still come?

“We didn’t know if people were going to come because it wasn’t the national festival,” said McCarthy, “We had hoped, but we weren’t sure. As it started to get closer, we realized that people didn’t care what it was going to be called.” In all, nearly 150,000 attended the festival, up 15,000 from last year. Both McCarthy and MacDougall said this year’s festival felt smoother than previous years. “We realize that we know what we’re doing now. We can do this.” MacDougall said. One thing that helped – a small army of dedicated people. Eight hundred people volunteered at the festival, also an increase from last year.

	Benoit Bourque, Le Vent Du Nord.

“That’s what is going to give this event longevity,” said McCarthy. The volunteers do everything from helping to set up, to assisting performers, to getting water to the tents.”

The American Folk Festival is still working with the National Council for the Traditional Arts, which produces the National Folk Festival. That partnership, which includes technical assistance, sound engineering and site design, will continue for three years. The council continues to assist with programming, but American Folk Festival organizers now have more to say about the selection of artists for the festival, and there is more freedom to work with regional culture. Festival organizers also have more leeway to bring back some of the artists who are particularly well received by the large crowds. For the next few years, the festival will not change much, with performers coming from all over the country.

“We liked what happened the last three years. It was a formula for success, and we decided not to mess with it just yet,” said McCarthy. There were some changes this year, though. The site has grown more spacious, and additional walkway and railings along the Penobscot River added to the aesthetics of the site. The added space helped with the flow of visitors. Next year the city may add more improvements to the Bangor waterfront. “We’re growing along with the waterfront,” said McCarthy.

If the inaugural year of the American Folk Festival on the Bangor Waterfront is an indication, Bangor and festival organizers are confident they can sustain the festival for at least the next few years. The Bucket Brigade – volunteers who work the crowd with buckets for donations – raised $50,000 this year. A parking fee also helped defray the cost of the shuttle busses that served the festival grounds. MacDougall and McCarthy also credited the Maine Office of Tourism, the city of Bangor, the Maine Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as corporate support from Eastern Maine Health Care Systems, the Bangor Daily News and others with helping to make the first year of the American Folk Festival a success. Festival organizers are not taking much of a break before they turn their attention to next summer. The first planning session for next summer began the day after the festival ended.