The 2016 Festival theme is “Emerging Artists,” celebrating the many outstanding new artists keeping traditions alive in Louisiana. “Traditional culture is important to these artists,” said Dr. Shane Rasmussen, director of the festival and the Louisiana Folklife Center at NSU. “Louisiana’s folkways are not just of the past, but also of the present, and the voices of these artists emerge as a clarion call, reminding us of the vibrancy of traditional culture. This new generation of artists are today’s tradition bearers, and their impressive mastery of old forms made anew is a showcase of a living cultural legacy.”
Among the featured musical groups on Friday will be Joyful Sounds, Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns, Briggs Brown and the Bayou Cajuns, Ed Huey, line dancing with the LaCour Trio, Hardrick Rivers and the Rivers Revue Band, and an open bluegrass and country jam with Max and Marcy. There will also be Cajun dance lessons on Friday and Saturday.
The Festival includes several opportunities for patrons to engage directly with Louisiana folk culture, including two harmonica workshops to include a free Hohner harmonica for the first 60 workshop participants, a rubboard workshop, as well as the Cajun dance lessons. Each will be free for members of the Festival audience. Said Rasmussen, “The Festival attempts to bridge the distance between artists and the Festival patrons, thus breaking the artificial barriers between artists and audience. Rather than watching from the sidelines, everyone who takes part in these activities will share and engage in Louisiana’s rich culture.”
Two day all-events passes may be purchased in advance through July 12th at a discounted price of $12.00 per person. Advance tickets can be purchased at the Louisiana Folklife Center located in Room 213 of Kyser Hall on the NSU campus. Tickets are also available for purchase by mail by sending a check or money order made payable to Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival to the following address: Northwestern State University, LA Folklife Center, NSU Box 3663, Natchitoches, LA 71497. For more information on purchasing tickets, call (318) 357-4332.
Children age 12 and under receive free admission to all events on both days. Ticket prices for adults are $5.50 per person for Friday, July 15th; $8.50 per person for all events on Saturday, July 18th; $5.50 per person for an evening pass to all events after 5:00pm on Saturday, July 18th.
Support for the Festival is provided by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Louisiana Division of the Arts – Shreveport Regional Arts Council, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, the Cane River National Heritage Area, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation Inc., the Natchitoches Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, the City of Natchitoches, and CLECO.
For more information, call (318) 357-4332, send an email to folklife@nsula.edu, go to louisianafolklife.nsula.edu/ or visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/NSULAFOLKLIFECENTER.