Michigan State University Museum Produces
Great Lakes Folk Festival, Aug 11-13

This FREE, unique fusion of arts fair, music festival, county fair, multi-ethnic festival, hands-on activity workshops and celebration of cultural heritage was held Aug 11-13, 2006 in downtown East Lansing.

The Great Lakes Folk Festival showcases the traditional cultural treasures of the nation's Upper Midwest and a sampling of the best of traditional artists from around the country and the world.

The festival encourages cross-cultural understanding of our diverse society through the presentation of musicians, dancers, cooks, storytellers and craftspeople whose traditions are rooted in their communities.

The festival includes 100 musicians or dancers in groups who perform at least twice and sometimes as many as four times over the weekend. Also featured are traditional and other food vendors, craft vendors and many other individual artists/demonstrators. There are five performance stages (including one with a 2,400 sq. ft. dance floor), a children's hands-on activity area, crafts demonstrations, and crafts marketplace. In addition there are special programs every year, which feature some aspect of traditional culture.

Under the direction of the MSU Museum's Michigan Traditional Arts Program--a statewide partnership program with the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA)--the festival also represents partnerships of civic, business, education and arts agencies. Collaborators for planning the Great Lakes Folk Festival include: The City of East Lansing, WKAR/Radio, MATRIX: The Center for Humane Arts, Letters and Social Sciences Online, The Ten Pound Fiddle, Smithsonian Institution's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Michigan Humanities Council, Center for Great Lakes Culture at Michigan State University, and provincial and state folk arts programs of the Great Lakes region.

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MSU Museum Named Smithsonian Affiliate!

The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. is the world's largest museum and research complex, and the MSU Museum now works with the Smithsonian to develop new programs for the Great Lakes Folk Festival and other museum initiatives. Click here for more information!

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Donors, Sponsors and Support

In order to continue making this family-friendly festival a free event, the Great Lakes Folk Festival relies on cash and in-kind support from a variety of sources, including Michigan State University, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts and the City of East Lansing. Other major primary sponsorships are being sought from public and private sources.

Go to Sponsors page
Go to Friends of the Festival page
Go to Make-a-Donation page

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Music & Dance

The festival showcases performers who learned their skills within distinct communities and remain rooted in those communities. Their exposure to performance skills is usually at an early age, learned firsthand (often within their own families) and what they perform is an integral part of their particular culture.

In this modern world, traditional musicians have easy access to other music styles beside their own and their music often incorporates new influences. They often perform for audiences outside their own community. But the core of what traditional musicians do continues to be the music that expresses the aesthetics and musicality of their community.

This festival presents artists who best maintain their allegiance to their traditional roots. 

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Performing Artist Inquiries

The Music Selection Committee is no longer accepting artist submissions for the 2006 Great Lakes Folk Festival.

For information about 2007, contact:

Patrick Power
Great Lakes Folk Festival
Michigan State University Museum
West Circle Drive
East Lansing , MI 48824
USA

Phone at 517-432-GLFF or email at glffbooking@museum.msu.edu

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Folk Arts Marketplace Inquiries

Please contact:

Bill Matt

Great Lakes Folk Festival
Michigan State University Museum
West Circle Drive
East Lansing , MI 48824
USA

Phone at 517-432-GLFF

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Festival Details

• Festival Map
  Click here for map of the Festival Site  (Subject to change)
  
• Schedule
  The 2006 schedule is available at http://www.greatlakesfolkfest.net/Schedule/
  
• Information Booths
  General information is available throughout the festival at information booths located at several sites.
  
• Bucket Brigade
  The folks who make up the Bucket Brigade are a happy corps of volunteers who offer festival goers an opportunity to help support the festival through on-site donations. Bucket Brigadiers carry decorated white plastic buckets throughout the festival to make giving easy. Each person who drops a donation in the bucket receives a sticker that says, "I support the Great Lakes Folk Festival!" Every dollar raised helps support the costs of the event.
  
  Festival organizers feel it is important to make this festival accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial status. Therefore, admission is free. All visitors, however, are strongly urged to think about what this event means to them and to give what they can.
  
  PS: Think about what you would pay for one concert by one of our performers--let alone all of the performances the festival offers--or what you would pay to have your children participate in all of the activitiesin the Children's Folk Arts Activity Area. Even a $5.00 donation per visitor per day is a bargain
  
  Want to be part of the Bucket Brigade for the 2006 festival ?
  Get the details at the Volunteer Information page.
  
  
• What If It Rains?
  Generally mid-August is quite pleasant with warm, sunny days and cooler evenings but as Michiganders know well, it can also be rainy and quite cool. Unless weather conditions are life threatening or dangerous, the festival goes on "rain or shine."
  
  To get online weather information, point your browser to: Sky Team 10 Weatherlab - WILX-TV www.wilx.com
  
  
• What To Bring?
  Many of the stages and activity areas are under tents to protect visitors and performers from hard rain or too much sun but visitors are always encouraged to bring sunscreen, wear a hat and have an umbrella handy!
  
  Collapsible chairs and blankets are handy for seating on the ground at the Valley Court Park Stage.
  
  
• Pets at Festival
  Please be considerate to your pets and fellow festival goers; leave pets at home when you visit the festival!
  
  
• Rest Rooms
  Portable rest rooms are situated at numerous locations throughout the site.
  
  
• Lost and Found
  During the festival a lost and found will be available on site at the Main Information Booth located at the corner of Albert and Abbott Streets. Inquiries after the festival about lost and found items should be directed to the City of East Lansing Police Department.

Highlights of The Great Lakes Folk Festival in East Lansing

See the 2003 GLFF web page -- with artist bios and photos.
See the 2004 GLFF web page -- with artist bios and photos.

See the 2005 GLFF web page -- with artist bios and photos