Lowell Folk Festival 2012

Laurie, sister-in-law Karen, and I traveled up to Lowell on Sunday, July 28th to take in the Lowell Folk Festival. This is three days of music on several stages around the downtown National Park, all of the music being free entry. There are lots of vendors from community groups selling food and other items, and this is always a good time. We swung by the Market St. Stage and St. Ann's Churchyard, but after grabbing some food we settled in for a couple of acts at the Boarding House Park stage.

This is the largest venue at the festival, and hosts ticketed concerts all through the summer.

The first act we caught was Quarteto Olinda from Brazil.

The lively fiddler wandered among the dancing crowd for part of one number, to the delight of everyone, without skipping a note.

Next up was Sophia Bilides, performing music from the Greek-Asia Minor diaspora.

This had folks up and dancing as well!

We headed over to the JFK Plaza stage, stopping for dessert and to enjoy the breezes on the canal.

The JFK Plaza stage, for a change, had a few open seats; most years this is standing room only.

This stage actually has a dance floor set up, and both the skilled and the not-so-skilled were up dancing to the music of the Dominican group of Joan Soriano

The last group we took in was a Honky Tonk group, JP Harris & the Tough Choices, from Vermont (of all places!). And the dancers were up and at 'em for this round too.