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  • Axios Philadelphia

    What's next for Philadelphia Folk Festival?

    By Mike D'Onofrio,

    9 hours ago

    The Philadelphia Folk Festival is back after a year hiatus but questions remain whether the event will return as an annual event.

    Why it matters: The festival was the longest continuously running outdoor music festival in the U.S. but was canceled last year over the organizer's struggling finances.


    Driving the news: The three-day festival at Old Pool Farm in Montgomery County kicks off today and remains largely unchanged from previous years, festival director Kimberly Sinclair tells Axios.

    • Yes, but: Behind the scenes, the Philadelphia Folksong Society , which has run the festival since its inception in 1962, has cut and reprioritized the budget compared to past events.

    Flashback: Last year, the society was teetering on bankruptcy , forcing it to pull the plug on the festival for the first time since 1962.

    State of play: The society has since paid off its some $200,000 debt, Sinclair says.

    • That means ticket sales from this weekend can go toward this year's festival costs and planning for 2025.

    What they're saying: While Sinclair wouldn't commit to a 2025 festival, she was optimistic it would return again.

    • "We will be grateful if we can break even and pay for the festival," she says. "This is our comeback year."
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