Richmond Folk Festival will offer diversity in its lineup

Uncertainty has loomed large and ugly in many people's lives this year -- struggling economy, job losses, feeble housing market -- so take comfort in one constant: the Richmond Folk Festival.

On Friday, the three-day event will launch for the second consecutive year -- or, the fifth if you count its three previous incarnations as the National Folk Festival.

Last year, more than 185,000 people attended during a sun-dappled weekend, and this year event organizers expect a crowd of at least that size.

And why not?

The festival is still free, still offering a lineup of acts that defines eclectic and has barely been minimized despite the economy.

"It's just as vibrant, just as robust, just as excellent an event that people have gotten used to over the past four years," said Lisa Sims, director of events for festival organizer Venture Richmond. "Because of our corporate sponsors -- and some new ones who stepped up to the plate -- we've been able to maintain virtually the same number of performers."

Last year, the Richmond Folk Festival offered 24 acts performing across seven stages erected along the downtown riverfront and Tredegar Iron Works area.

This year, 22 acts will perform on six main stages in the same location; additionally, three groups will play the Genworth Financial Family Area and 10 musical acts will star in the "Sacred Sounds" portion of the CenterStage Virginia Folklife Area.

Since the inception of the National Folk Festival in 2005, the number of performers has varied between 22 and 26, Sims said.

The programming committee for the Richmond Folk Festival makes an effort not to book repeat acts for the main stages -- at least not in consecutive years -- and always strives for diversity.

"We want to make sure we'll have performers who appeal to everyone. We know we want to have a go-go band because that's one of the things that has distinguished us from other folk festivals and it's a genre that a lot of people in Richmond like. We also like to have somebody who has a little bit of name appeal who also fits into the criteria for the festival," Sims said.

To that end, Trouble Funk, a go-go band based in Cheltenham, Md., and dobro master Jerry Douglas, who frequently works with Alison Krauss, are among the main stage acts.

This year's festival, which is produced in a continuing partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts and the city of Richmond, carries a budget of $1.4 million -- trimmed from $1.56 million in 2008 (though the actual expense was $1.66 million).

Ten stage sponsors/major contributors are providing cash or in-kind donations of $50,000 to $100,000-plus, and contributing partners have given $25,000 to $50,000 in cash or in kind. The National Endowment for the Arts has also bestowed a $25,000 grant.

Sims said that while corporate sponsorships supply the bulk of the budget, donations from those attending are strongly encouraged.

"People will see a lot of orange buckets from our 'Bucket Brigade' around the site," she said. "Think of it this way -- if everyone who attended last year gave a dollar, we would not have had to decrease a stage this year."

Last year, the Bucket Brigade collected $35,000 from festivalgoers.

Comparatively, the American Folk Festival, the national offshoot in Bangor, Maine, garnered more than $105,000 from its Bucket Brigade last month.

But forget about math for a moment -- but only a moment -- and turn your attention to the main purpose of the Richmond Folk Festival: the music.

Contact Melissa Ruggieri at (804) 649-6120 or .