The songs are sung, the feet have danced, the stages are clear. Downtown Urbana seems strangely empty this morning, but our hearts and ears are full. THANKS to all who came to perform, listen, learn, and volunteer. We hope you had fun. 
Category Archives: Festival 2018
Where Do I Start?
Whether you’re a first timer, or a little confused because we moved things around a bit…
My recommendation is START at Festival Central, 136 W. Main, Urbana (map)
Festival Central
- Purchase or pick up a your wristband. $40. Cash, check or charge.
- Pick up a map and a copy of the printed schedule.
- Volunteers are on hand to answer your questions.
Beyond that, check out the Festival FAQ for more details. Welcome, we’re so glad you’re here!
Friday Workshop: America’s Rich Banjo Heritage with Stephen Wade
Friday, Oct. 19, 2018 – 12:00 to 1:30pm
Beautiful Music Around Us: Exploring America’s Rich Banjo Heritage
Featuring Stephen Wade
Free admission
Presented by the Sousa Archives and Center for American Music
Harding Band Building
1103 S 6th St,
Champaign, IL 61820
Robbie Fulks Interview on WILL Radio
Saturday night headliner Robbie Fulks was interviews on our local public radio station this week. Listen here.
Friday Night: Bagpipers Welcome, Singalongs, and Other Free Stuff!
Did you know that some of the festival events are free? There is no cost to experience the thrill of the Highland Bagpipe, for example, as the Mugdock Pipers offer a traditional welcome to all, 6:00 pm Friday night at Sipyard. (But let’s face it…bagpipe…you’ll probably just need to be in the general vicinity!)
Stay on at the Sipyard for Chanty Sing with Chris Maden at 7:00, then Folk Singalong Favorites with Hilary Valentine and Rebecca Grosser at 8:30.
Sam Payne and Cody Jenson will be performing at a free Family Event at the Urbana Free Library. That’s from 6:30-7:15.
Check out the full schedule for more! All Friday night Sipyard events and all events before 5 pm on Saturday are FREE.
Volunteers Make the Festival
We can’t do it without you – help make our all-volunteer festival happen!
Stay tuned for 2019 Festival opportunities!
Festival Kicks Off Tonight! 5 pm at KCPA
Son Monarcas (Latin) is a Latin Folk Fusion ensemble led by Mercedes Inez Martinez
Son Monarcas
and Irekani Ferreyra. Like the path of the Monarch Butterfly, they take you on a musical migration from the USA to Latin America by fusing indie soul with traditional son & cumbia. Son Monarcas is comprised of musicians who are well-versed in the Afro-Mestizo genres of folk music from Latin America and blend the traditional with the contemporary by creating original arrangements of “son” while retaining the foundation of the traditional style.
Thursday 5:00-7:00 pm, FREE, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.
You can also catch Son Monarcas Friday, 8:30-9:45 pm at the Iron Post
A standing ovation to Unit One/Allen Hall and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts for their co-sponsorship of Son Monarcas!
Purchase 2018 wristbands now!
Purchase your wristbands now and we’ll mail them to you! To receive your wristbands in time for the festival, purchases must be made by October 10, 2018.
You can also purchase wristbands in advance at the Iron Post, the Rosebowl, or Techline, or you can buy them onsite during the festival. So many good choices!
A single wristband @ $40.00. A wristband entitles you to entry at ALL festival events. If you don’t have a PayPal account, click on “Pay with debit or credit card.”
A wristband four-pack @ $140.00. Save $5.00 on each wristband! If you don’t have a PayPal account, click on “Pay with debit or credit card.”
Passes for single day attendance ($20) will be sold onsite only, as will individual entry tickets for select venues (see Festival FAQ for details).
Extended Thursday Kickoff: The Mighty Pines
We’re pleased to extend our Thursday night kickoff this year and include a new venue: Blackbird in downtown Urbana!
Join us as we keep the music rolling with The Mighty Pines on October 18th from 9-11. Its FREE!
Check out the rest of the Folk and Roots Festival 2018 FULL SCHEDULE, including the Thursday night kickoff at Krannert Center with Son Monarcas.
Support Free and Family Friendly Programming
We’re running a GoFundMe campaign to support the many free, family-friendly musical and storytelling performances, hand-on workshops, dance lessons, jam sessions, children’s activities, and singalongs we offer. As always, all festival programming on Saturday, October 20, until 5:00pm is free. We are able to keep the festival accessible in this manner through generous support from individuals, businesses, and the City of Urbana. Can we count you among our supporters?