National Folk Fest brings in over 400,000 attendees throughout four-year run

SALISBURY, Md. – The City of Salisbury and the National Council for the Traditional Arts have announced the final attendance estimates for the multi-year residency of the National Folk Festival in Salisbury.

We’re told the event tallied more than 400,000 attendees who visited Downtown Salisbury for the event through five years from partnership from 2018 to 2022, including four in-person presentations of the festival.

“Never in Salisbury’s history has an event brought so many people to our city, right into the heart of Downtown, until the National Folk Festival,” said Mayor Jake Day. “This festival has forever changed Salisbury and cemented our foothold in the arts and culture space. We are proud to have been the place where some 400,000 people congregated to sing, dance, laugh, and learn together–it was the greatest honor.”

The National Folk Festival was originally slated to stay in Salisbury for three years starting in 2018, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City got to serve as host for two additional years. The National Folk Festival will move on to a new host city, however, Salisbury will host the Maryland Folk Festival beginning in 2023.

“The Maryland Folk Festival is an exciting new chapter for our community and one I feel very lucky to be part of,” says O’Hare, who is now the events and culture manager for the City of Salisbury. “Attendees will have the opportunity to experience world class musicians, dancers, storytellers, artisans, and more. As a legacy festival of the National, we will continue our mission to produce a free, large-scale, multicultural event that shines a light on the diverse traditions, cultures, and artistry found in Maryland and across the country. The festival’s impact is underlined by our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion as we state proudly–all are welcome in Salisbury.”

Dates for the 2023 Maryland Folk Festival will be announced in the coming weeks.