Press release from Folkmoot USA:
The Board of Directors of Folkmoot, along with its staff, have discontinued planning of all public programs through December 2020, as part of the public effort to fight the spread of Covid-19.
The All Y’all Festival, scheduled for August 29, the Folkmalt International Beer Festival, scheduled for September 26 and Mootenanny, scheduled for October 10, have been cancelled. Songwriters in the Round performances scheduled for September and November are also cancelled.
Online “Cultural Crash Course” lectures and “Cultural Conversations” workshops, scheduled in August and September via Zoom, will continue.
“Folkmoot’s mission is to celebrate diversity and foster cultural understanding through our festivals and programs,” said Folkmoot Executive Director Angie Schwab. “With the ongoing risk of COVID, we can’t reasonably host any gatherings in the near future, and now we must prepare for the ramifications that come with no festival revenue. We are adjusting to this reality and will find other ways to represent our vision as an organization.”
Folkmoot, a year-round arts and cultural center based at the Historic Hazelwood School in Waynesville, has cancelled or postponed over 40 other events in 2020 because of the crisis, ranging from concerts and festivals to lectures and dinners. Folkmoot hopes to reschedule many of the events in 2021, circumstances permitting. Follow updates and changes at Folkmoot.org or at our Facebook page.
The summer international festival, launched in 1983, is the organization’s signature event. Teams of musicians and dancers from across the globe make their home base in Waynesville and perform at venues from Cherokee to Hickory. More than 8,000 international performers from 125 countries have participated through the decades.
Folkmoot is a nonprofit organization dedicated to celebrating many cultures in one community. The Folkmoot Friendship Center is located in the Historic Hazelwood School at 112 Virginia Avenue in Waynesville. Online contributions are welcomed at Folkmoot.org or can be mailed to Folkmoot, PO Box 658, Waynesville, NC 28786. Staff can be reached by phone at (828) 452-2997 or by email at angie@folkmoot.org.
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