The Ferdinand Folk Festival takes place on September 16, 2023, at 18th Street Park in Ferdinand, Indiana.

2023 Schedule of events TBA-Check back soon

About Ferdinand Folk Festival

Nestled among the hills and fields of southwestern Indiana, the Ferdinand Folk Festival, set in a beautiful 18th Street Park, provides a unique, family and earth-friendly opportunity for people from the region to share a day of live music, art, and environmental/wellness education.

Music

Check back for the list of Musicians playing in 2023

Art

The shaded lawn of the art market is a festival in itself. Dozens of regional artists and artisans display and sell their handmade work while music fills the air. Pottery, photography, clothing, jewelry, Fair Trade items from Third World countries, recycled goods, hula hoops, baked goods, soaps, tie-dyed items, woodworking, and more grace the grounds. A Plein air painter might even set up an easel to capture some of the magic of the festival.

Environment and Wellness

In the center of the art market are about 15 – 20 environmental and community groups—one of the region’s largest assemblies of ecology, nature, health, and wellness educators, including solar energy installers, air quality authorities, forest advocates, LGBTQ awareness/support organizations, astronomers, pet caretakers, organic farmers, music, art, festival, and theatre promoters, and more. Each group is dedicated to creating vibrant communities and a sustainable environment for our children—seven generations from now.

Children’s Events

To honor the children, in and around the lower shelter house, organizers offer a full day of fun and educational programs specifically for the young ones, such as a children’s concert, live theatre, wildlife programs, holding or petting animals, pony rides, storytelling, a harmonica workshop, interactive art, a violin concert, an MLK-inspired Dream Wall, and more. Nearby, across a small bridge, is a state-of-the-art playground with a new “musical park”, a nearby big-bounce “Playtown”, face-painting, and more. Children might even have an opportunity to hold a live animal, handle and play a violin, participate in an interactive storytelling activity, a children’s play, take a train ride through the park, or a pony ride.

Yoga, Tai Chi, Drum Circles, etc.

The festival offers several opportunities promoting health, such as participating in a yoga session by Fire Horse Yoga or a Tai Chi session the morning of the festival, attending a drum circle, and other wellness activities.

Music Workshops and Jam Session

Patrons can participate in a songwriting or music workshop and/or an all-day jam session, where all ages and all talent levels can play together in a fun, informal, and welcoming setting. These events usually take place in the upper shelter house.

Eco-Friendly, Healthful Living

Each year, the festival offers a variety of educational, eco-friendly activities such as meeting regional solar energy installers, solar home tours in the neighborhood, meeting doctors sharing facts about our region’s air quality and health concerns about Indiana’s bottom-ranking environmental record, seeing a new Tesla, enjoying giant renewable energy puppets, touring a tiny house, morning, before-the-festival activities like yoga, Tai Chi, a hike, or a bike ride before the festival, etc.

Tent Talks

Tent Talks—inspired by the renowned TED Talks—are a series of presentations and discussions under two blue tents near the outdoor music instrument play area east of the main playground. Each talk, led by an enthusiastic, qualified volunteer, focuses on a specific theme related to the festival, such as renewable energy, clean air, ukulele playing, garden pollinators, forest protection, knitting, energy conservation, etc. Eight talks, usually two per hour, begin at the top of the hour from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

For more information about the Ferdinand Folk Festival, click here.