The San Francisco Free Folk Festival hits the Music Concourse in Golden Gate Park today for its 50th edition, turning the historic Bandshell and surrounding lawns into an all-ages playground of music, dance and storytelling. The daylong event is free, with scheduled performances, open jams and hands-on workshops for singers and players at every level.
Organizers have laid out a full schedule, with workshops starting as early as 11 AM and Bandshell performances kicking off at noon and running into the early evening, according to the SF Free Folk Festival. The program maps out multiple stages, dance zones and workshop spaces spread across the Music Concourse.
Admission is free for everything on the schedule, and every workshop, jam and performance is open to anyone who wants to jump in or just listen, according to the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. The day is run by the San Francisco Folk Music Club and co-sponsored by Illuminate and the Storytelling Association of California, organizers say.
Bandshell lineup and workshops
Headliners and set times at the Bandshell include Celtic rock mainstays Tempest, a Celtic dance performance by Treble by the Bay and Latin-fusion outfit Bululú, while workshops cover sea shanties, Morris dancing, Sacred Harp singing and political songs, according to the SF Free Folk Festival. Later in the afternoon, the program lists jams for old-time players, Quebecois tunes and sea-shanty singers.
Fifty years of grassroots folk
This year’s theme, "Voices of the People: Folk Music for Justice, Freedom, and Belonging," frames a lineup that mixes traditional material with songs tied to social movements, according to the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department. The San Francisco Folk Music Club, founded in 1948, has put on the Free Folk Festival for decades and relies on donations and volunteers to keep the event free, the club says.
Plan ahead
Festival veterans know the drill: bring a blanket, water and layers, since the Music Concourse can turn cool and windy without much warning, and plan on walking the stretch between the de Young Museum and the California Academy of Sciences. The Golden Gate Bandshell listing gives the location as Music Concourse Drive; for maps, start times and contact information, check the Golden Gate Bandshell calendar on the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department website.
