Upcoming Events - Northwest Folklife

January 19 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM | Crossroads Bellevue Market Stage

Brazilian Social Dance Band

A Seattle-based multi-ethnic, female-led six-piece formed in 2011, En Canto’s world pop music—a combination of forró, samba, and choro-inspired originals and reimagined covers of classic Brazilian hits. Playing primarily in North America venues, En Canto currently channels its fierce independence into challenging stereotypes while also helping audiences expand their comfort zones.

LEARN MORE

February 16-22 | 11 AM - 2:30 PM | Seattle Center Armory

Experience the cultures of the world through seeing and doing! Through a unique combination of performance and interactive lessons, you can fully immerse yourself in the variety of folk customs and cultures of the Seattle region. Presented during the week of Seattle Public Schools’ winter break, music, dance, and hands-on activities will be available that celebrate the diversity and traditions of Our Big Neighborhood with a new focus each day.

LEARN MORE

February 16 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM | Crossroads Bellevue Market Stage

Red-Hot Tacoma Bluegrass

Tacoma-based band Barleywine Revue, formed in January 2010, writes and performs contemporary, relevant bluegrass and Americana music while paying homage to traditional bluegrass. Each member brings a unique blend of backgrounds and influences to writing songs, taking leads, and adding harmonies, keeping the band’s sound fresh and dynamic. In 2016 Barleywine Revue released its third CD, T-Town Hoedown. The members are Forest Beutel on banjo, Kevin Shintaku on bass, Kyle Kubler on mandolin, Julie Campbell on fiddle, and Gen Obata on guitar.

LEARN MORE

March 16 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM | Crossroads Bellevue Market Stage

Vintage Swing and Blues

Bunny Holiday began assembling her crack team of swing musicians in 2013. All of them veterans of other area dance bands, the band came together with the goal of creating a new experience for dancers while recreating the sound of vintage swing bands. Led by their chanteuse Bunny Holiday, the group combines her silky voice with the warmth of accordion and string instruments to make an irresistible musical blend.

LEARN MORE

April 6-12 | 11 AM - 2:30 PM | Seattle Center Armory

Experience the cultures of the world through seeing and doing! Through a unique combination of performance and interactive lessons, you can fully immerse yourself in the variety of folk customs and cultures of the Seattle region. Presented during the week of Seattle Public Schools’ spring break, music, dance, and hands-on activities will be available that celebrate the diversity and traditions of Our Big Neighborhood with a new focus each day.

LEARN MORE

April 20 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM | Crossroads Bellevue Market Stage

Fierce Americana Celtic Roots

Waterbound is the Celtic/Roots duo of Steve Akerman (mostly mandolins) and Mimi Geibel (mostly autoharps). While seemingly Celtic, it’s without fiddles or pipes; a kaleidoscope of shimmering notes from an evening in Lothlórien or Cair Paravel. There’s also Americana; a musical mixture of bluegrass, folk, swing, Swedish, Canadian and fiddle tunes, with a few vocals thrown in. Sometimes their vertical medleys combine them. The combination is a lovely blend of the most appealing melodies you’ll hope to hear. Music binds them together as they met in a Folklife band and married at an autoharp festival!

LEARN MORE

May 18 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM | Crossroads Bellevue Market Stage

Southeast European Party Music

Balkanarama plays high-energy dance songs from Southeastern Europe: Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania and Greece. Their repertoire includes many songs of the Rom people (no longer called Gypsies) living in those countries. The Seattle-based quintet includes alto sax, clarinet, keyboard, drums and bass, with four vocalists. They have performed since 1997 at concerts, festivals, nightclubs, dance events, weddings and other celebrations in the Pacific Northwest, including many appearances at Northwest Folklife, and have released three CDs.

LEARN MORE

May 24-27 | Seattle Center

Presenting more than 5,000 performers, the Festival draws from the 100+ cultural communities that Northwest Folklife collaborates with year-round. The festival is more than a celebration of the diversity of the Pacific Northwest, it’s a chance to engage directly with the many communities that make up our region. The Northwest Folklife Festival is our key annual event bringing up to 250,000 people over four days to the Seattle Center.

LEARN MORE

June 15 | 6:30 - 8:30 PM | Crossroads Bellevue Market Stage

Indian Instrumental Orchestral Music

Anjali Music School was founded in 2007 by Anjali Joshi, who is well known in the Seattle area as a solo Santoor artist and teaches different instruments to adults and children. Anjali has been teaching music since 2002 and has given numerous workshops on music theme; worked as a judge on musical competitions and has published her album series “Instrumental Melodies”. Anjali Joshi is a software engineer by profession, but music will always remain her passion.

LEARN MORE

September 21 - 22 | Seattle Center Armory & Fisher Pavilion

Seattle Children’s Festival is a full weekend for the whole family to play, dance, sing, learn, and try something new! All are invited to this intergenerational celebration of the dynamic arts, cultures, and traditions that thrive here in the greater Pacific Northwest community with five stages of lively performances, three ‘Discovery Zones’ packed with hands-on activities, interactive dance workshops, multicultural arts and crafts, and more!

LEARN MORE