Northwest Folklife

Thank You All For a Successful 2010 Northwest Folklife Festival!!!

Thanks for coming...  

The 2010 Northwest Folklife Festival packed over 1,000 performances, panels, dances and workshops into Memorial Day Weekend. Though the skies above Seattle Center cleared only once during the four-days of the 39th annual Festival, those who attended experienced the diverse cultural arts of the Pacific Northwest that are often hidden in our day-to-day interactions.

As a result of the weather, attendance at dropped by an estimated 30% from 2009’s record breaking 275,000 visitors. Contributions from the Festival donation boxes and other fundraising were also down proportionally.

There was still much to see and do at the 2010 Northwest Folklife Festival despite the rain. Attendees enjoyed performances, dances, panels and workshops, ate food, shopped for crafts and stopped to take in the excitement of the many street performers. “Seattle is not a city where you can count on good weather,” observes Executive Director, Rob Townsend. “In spite of this, none of our events were cancelled. Many who attended brought umbrellas and tarps so that they would not miss out on seeing their favorite shows.”  Some visitors ducked inside to catch a show or workshop in one of the Festival’s fourteen indoor venues (there were a total of 24 venues around Seattle Center grounds). Some may not have seen the inside of these venues during the typically pleasant late-May weather.

Northwest Folklife counts on proceeds from the donation boxes and fundraising pitches to keep the event free for all to attend. "Although our Festival is free to the public, it is not free for us to put it on,” explains Townsend. “We estimate costs around one million dollars for the four days of the Festival.” Despite grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, Paul Allen Family Foundation and others, the largest contributor to Northwest Folklife is the general public who attend the Festival each year. The organization also has a membership program called Friends of Folklife which includes year-round benefits for donors like early seating for events and complimentary Festival recordings. Those looking to join Friends of Folklife can do so here.