© 2026 WFAE

Mailing Address:
WFAE 90.7
P.O. Box 896890
Charlotte, NC 28289-6890
Tax ID: 56-1803808
90.7 Charlotte 93.7 Southern Pines 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

NC Folk Festival 2026 sees record turnout

88.5 WFDD - Public Radio For The Piedmont | By David Ford
Published September 23, 2026 at 5:07 PM EDT
North Carolina Folk Festival performance
Courtesy Lynn Donovan
The North Carolina Folk Festival featured performances by artists in venues throughout Greensboro, including downtown LeBauer Park.

The North Carolina Folk Festival saw record-breaking attendance this year.

More than 160,000 people gathered in Greensboro over the weekend — 30,000 more than the previous record set last year. The free, three-day music festival featured 44 North Carolina-based bands as well as three national acts.

Artistic Director Savannah Thorne says this year they leaned into the headliner model more than they have in the past.

"St. Paul and the Broken Bones, The Roots and Molly Tuttle, which I think was really successful for us this year," she says. "We had some incredibly large crowds. It was a great way for us to anchor each night in an interesting performance that we knew would be beloved."

Organizers estimate this year’s festival generated more than $20 million in economic impact. Thorne says plans are well underway for NC Folk Fest 2027.
David Ford
Before his arrival in the Triad, David had already established himself as a fixture in the Austin, Texas arts scene as a radio host for Classical 89.5 KMFA. During his tenure there, he produced and hosted hundreds of programs including Mind Your Music, The Basics and T.G.I.F. Thank Goodness, It's Familiar, which each won international awards in the Fine Arts Radio Competition. As a radio journalist with 88.5 WFDD, his features have been recognized by the Associated Press, Public Radio News Directors Inc., Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals, and Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas. David has written and produced national stories for NPR, KUSC and CPRN in Los Angeles and conducted interviews for Minnesota Public Radio's Weekend America.
See stories by David Ford