The term “folk music” does not refer to a single type of music. Genres such as country, bluegrass, blues, Celtic, jazz, zydeco, western swing, cumbia and others fit under the “folk” umbrella.
The Tucson Folk Festival will celebrate various styles of folk music from Friday, April 4, to Sunday, April 6, in Downtown Tucson, when it returns for the 40th year.
Produced by the Tucson Kitchen Musicians Association, the festival is organized by 25 individuals, including an 11-member board and staff. Over 250 volunteers support them during the festival weekend.
Planning the festival is nearly a year-long process. The board and staff typically take about a month off before organizing the next festival.
Board secretary Jonathan Frahm mentioned that during his eight years with the festival, he has observed significant growth. He noted that the festival’s focus has broadened to encompass a wider variety of “folk” music.
“I feel now we are moving to represent folk from a world lens. We are speaking to the origins of folk as one of the many branches of roots music in America as well as around the globe,” Frahm said.
The first festival was held Downtown on two stages. When Frahm began volunteering in 2017, it featured 70 to 80 acts.
The festival has six stages, featuring 150 performances from local, regional and national acts.
Around 400 musicians will perform throughout the weekend.
Frahm stated that this year, the performance selection committee reviewed 300 applicants. They considered quality, audience appeal, and diversity of sound when choosing performers.
This year’s headliners include the indie rock/Latin group Sergio Mendoza Y La Orkesta Mendoza, storyteller/dobro player Abbie Gardner and bluesy musician Marc Douglas Berardo, indie folk band Heavy Diamond Ring, poet/comic/singer-songwriter Cheryl Wheeler and pianist/singer-songwriter Kenny White, modern folk musician Scott Cook, blues band Missy Andersen and Her One Man Band, flamenco group Tesoro, all-female mariachi group Las Azaleas and traditional Tohono O’odham Waila band D Faktion Nyne.
“The vast majority of these performers — with the exception of our headliners — are volunteer performers,” Frahm said.
“Something like 130 of these acts are performing for free. That’s 300-plus musicians. I think that speaks to the quality of the festival and the memories that they make here. They probably get a bundle of new fans every time they play.”
The stages are set up at Jácome Plaza, North Church and the Presidio Museum and near the Dandelion Café and Bakery and JoJo’s Tucson.
The stages offer different listening experiences. The Presidio Museum Stage is dedicated to history; the North Church Stage, to dancing; the Court and Telles stages, to more intimate performances.
The festivities kick off Friday night at the Plaza Stage at Jácome Plaza with the annual Stefan George Memorial Songwriting Competition Finals.
“He was a wonderful blues and Americana songwriter and performer who served on the board and staff for TKMA for a very long time,” Frahm said.
“When he passed, I believe it was our president at the time, Jim Lipson, who made the initiative to name the competition after our friend and longtime collaborator.”
Eight finalists will perform original music as part of this competition. The finalists are mostly Arizona-based, although there are also contestants from California and Oregon.
They were chosen by a committee of songwriters, who narrowed the field down from 97 applicants to eight.
“I know this is the typical thing to say, but it’s true,” Frahm said.
“Every year, we become more impressed by not only the number of people applying but also the level of talent. It was very hard to deliberate. We would deliberate from 97 down to maybe 65, down to 40, down to 20. As it whittles down further and further in that process, it becomes harder and harder. We are proud to have a final eight who are extremely talented…
“For our 40th anniversary, it just so happened that the pieces fell where we have a lot of great Tucsonan talent and a lot of great Arizonan talent,” Frahm said.
Frahm said the contestants’ backgrounds vary, as rock, traditional and contemporary folk, Americana, jazz, blues and pop are represented.
They will be scored by a panel of five judges, which includes past winners. They look at different criteria, including the song structure, originality and the performers’ stage presences.
The 2024 winners, Americana/country duo Admiral Radio from South Carolina, and 2023 winners, folk-rock/pop-rock duo Fox and Bones from Oregon, will open and close the Friday night festivities, respectively.
Fox and Bones won with a duo but will perform at the festival with a trio.
Around 30 musicians, age 18 and younger, will have a chance to perform as part of the Young Artist Showcase, which will be held on the Wildflower Stage on Saturday and Sunday.
This stage is within the KidsZone, which also offers an instrument petting zoo from JamPak, face painting and crafts.
Board member Ron Pandy, a longtime folk festival volunteer, organizes the youth showcase.
“That’s what he’s very invested in-and he always has been — in helping out young songwriters and giving them that first performance opportunity,” Frahm said.
Frahm mentioned that several local artists and groups, including Run Boy Run, Sophia Rankin, and Lizzie and Roman Barten-Sherman, began their careers performing at the youth showcase.
On Sunday morning at the Wildflower Stage is “Cheers to 40 Years: Folk Festival Legacy Stories with Our Founders.”
On Sunday afternoon at the Wildflower Stage, children’s musician, folk songwriter and educator Bruce Phillips will stage a family show. He also performed during the festival’s 20th anniversary.
Another special offering this year will be a Contra Dance, held at the North Church Stage on Saturday evening. It will feature music from Tucson-based group Rave Review, who play country, Celtic and other styles of music.
Guests can savor a variety of cuisines, a beer garden and a shop with local artisans’ work at the Grecco Community Marketplace. The food options now include Egyptian, Filipino and Korean fare. There will also be more traditional festival foods, such as hot dogs, gyros and funnel cakes.
“We took the approach of folk music is world music,” Frahm said.
“There are folk traditions all around the world. The same can be said of the culinary arts. We’ve embraced different cultures’ food at this festival.”
Commemorative mugs, T-shirts, and other collectibles featuring festival artwork by Tucson cartoonist David Fitzsimmons will be available. Merchandise sales support the festival.
“We’re excited to take a commemorative approach to this 40th year. It is definitely a milestone,” Frahm said.
Tucson Folk Festival
WHEN: Various times Friday, April 4, to Sunday, April 6
WHERE: Plaza and Wildflower stages at Jácome Plaza, 101 N. Stone Avenue; North Church Stage, 200 N. Church Avenue; Presidio Museum Stage, 196 N. Court Avenue; Court Stage near Dandelion Café and Bakery, 200 N. Court Avenue; and Telles Stage near JoJo’s Tucson, 201 N. Court Avenue, Tucson.
COST: Free
INFO: tucsonfolkfest.org
