6 things you can't miss at the 2026 Richmond Folk Festival
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As the sign says, the Folk Festival is Richmond at its best. Image: Courtesy of Venture Richmond
It's Folk Fest weekend in RVA.
Why it matters: Now in its 22nd year, the Richmond Folk Festival is easily one of the city's most beloved annual events, usually drawing around 200,000 people to the riverfront for three days of folk fun.
State of play: The fest kicks off Friday night and runs through Sunday evening along the city's riverfront and on Brown's Island.
- It's a weekend filled with free live music (30+ performers across six stages), local food and drink vendors, kids' activities, folklife demonstrations and more.
- Admission is always free. Off-site parking and shuttle service are available at Dogwood Dell on Saturday and Sunday.
Zoom in: The whole thing is a must-see Richmond tradition, but here are a few things you definitely don't want to miss this year.
🙏 Dear D'Angelo, Saturday, 5pm, on the Allianz stage
- The Folk Fest will honor the Grammy-winning neo-soul pioneer and Richmond native, who died last year.
- "Soul of the City" is a 90-minute hometown tribute with local musicians performing his music and sharing memories.
🤠 Country music — entirely in Cherokee, Saturday, 2pm (Altria) & 6:15pm (CarMax); Sunday, noon (Dominion Dance Pavilion)
- Cherokee musician Agalisiga "Chuj" Mackey makes his Richmond Folk Festival debut performing country music in Cherokee, including original songs and classic country songs translated into Cherokee.
- Fun fact: The self-taught guitarist has opened for Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson.
🎭 Korean mask dance meets rock music, Saturday, 1:45pm (Dance Pavilion) & 8:30pm (CarMax); Sunday, 3:15pm (CoStar)
- Seoul's Insun Park & Generals fuse rock music with a centuries-old Korean mask dance tradition. What's not to love?
🔥 Indigenous hip-hop meets powwow dance, Saturday, noon (CoStar) & 3:30pm (Tredegar street performance); Sunday, 2:15pm (CarMax) & 3:45pm (Family Stage)
- Tradition-ILL blends Native drumming and powwow dancing with hip-hop beats and breakdancing. Yes, you read all that right.
💃 Hit the dance tent, aka the Dominion Energy Dance Pavilion, one night — or every night.
- Highlights include: Cajun dance lesson, followed immediately by Cajun music from Seth Spell & Cajun Strong (Friday, 7:15pm).
- The Chuck Brown Band celebrates the 50th anniversary of go-go (Saturday, 8:15pm).
- And Swanky Kitchen Band, the last Caymanian kitchen band, keeps a nearly vanished island dance tradition alive. (Sunday, 2:30pm).
🍩 Plus: The Richmond return of Yoder's doughnuts
- Mrs. Yoder's Kitchen — the family-run and beloved doughnut truck and Richmond farmer's market staple — closed in 2022.
- But some of the family members opened a spinoff — Yoder's Dutch Delights — in NoVa using the same sourdough recipe.
- They'll be posted up at the fest all weekend.
The bottom line: There's a reason the Folk Fest has the moniker "Richmond at its best" and this is just a sampling of why. Go see for yourself.
If you go: Friday, Oct. 9, 6:30–10pm; Saturday, Oct. 10, noon–9:30pm; and Sunday, Oct. 11, noon–6pm on the riverfront. Admission is free.